Reds’ Andrew Abbott Pitches Good Character with New Card

FAIRFIELD, OH (March 19, 2026)— “The Young Lefthander” is delivering more than fastballs this season. Now, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott is pitching good character for The Nuxhall Foundation with a special character card.

Abbott is the newest athlete to be featured in The Nuxhall Foundation’s Character Card series, with a trading card that shares a message personally crafted by the Reds’ 2026 Opening Day starter and 2025 MLB All-Star.

“Being recognized with a Character Card from The Nuxhall Foundation means a lot to me,” says Abbott. “Baseball has always been about more than just performance—it’s about showing up for your team, staying grounded through the highs and lows, and being part of something bigger than yourself. This kind of recognition is humbling, especially knowing how much the game connects people across our city.”

Abbott joins a remarkable list of athletes and local celebrities to be featured in the Nuxhall Character Card series, including

·       Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer “The Mayor” Sean Casey

·       Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene

·       Los Angeles Angels reliever and Moeller high school alum Brent Suter

·       Local 12’s Sheila Gray

·       Cincinnati Reds all-star infielder Elly De La Cruz

·       Middletown High School alum and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber

·       Cincinnati Reds batboy Teddy Kremer

·       FC Cincinnati’s Nick Hagglund

·       Franklin High School star and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luke Kennard

Instead of statistics, the reverse side of each Character Card features a special character-focused message from the athlete or celebrity. Abbott’s card shares a message that stresses the importance of character values like authenticity, discipline, reliability, and warmth.

Abbott has a unique connection to The Ole Lefthander, wearing the number 41 that Joe wore throughout the majority of his 16-season career with the Reds. Taking the mound to kick off the 2026 season at Great American Ballpark, Abbott will join Nuxhall as one of only 19 left-handed pitchers to make an Opening Day start for the Reds. Beyond the jersey number, Abbott believes in leading with character first, just like Joe did throughout his 60-plus years as a Red. Abbott recently partnered on a special commemorative hat with The Cincy Hat Foundation that honored his shared legacy with Nuxhall. Andrew is also a supporter of The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Golf Outing, which primarily supports the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship Fund, playing as a celebrity golfer.

"My Dad, 'The Ole Lefthander' Joe Nuxhall, loved winners; but more important to him than winning was character—both on and off the field,” says Kim Nuxhall, President and Board Chairman of The Nuxhall Foundation. “That's why Andrew Abbott is the perfect person to honor my Dad by wearing his number. In Andrew, I see a competitor who cares about making people feel valued. I see a reliable teammate who is using his platform to create good for others. I have no doubt that were he still alive, my Dad would have been so very, very impressed with Andrew—for the caliber of his talent, but more importantly, for the genuine heart he brings to everything he does. We are thrilled to highlight the ‘secret sauce’ of good character that has helped Andrew achieve so many good things in his young career."

Andrew Abbott with Kim Nuxhall and members of The Nuxhall Foundation Board of Directors.

The Nuxhall Character Card series started as a central project for The Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund with Casey’s card in 2004. The cards are given to youth sports participants and elementary schoolers at various programs all across the country to help stress the importance of developing good character traits like determination, courage, self-discipline, sportsmanship, and more. To date, more than 200,000 cards have been distributed across the United States.

Kim Nuxhall, Joe’s youngest son, developed the Character Card initiative near the end of his 32-year career as an elementary physical education teacher in the Fairfield City School District, and he has continued the program to create a tool for teachers, coaches, and parents to talk to the children in their lives about the importance of good character.

“We know that children look up to athletes and local celebrities and want to be like them in so many ways,” says Nuxhall. “Through the Character Card program, we hope to show these future leaders the real ingredients that have led those role models to successful lives—traits like integrity, focus, grit, compassion, and empathy. Those were the things that mattered to my dad. That’s why he would have loved watching Andrew pitch. He would have been so impressed by Andrew’s maturity, his kindness, and how he uses his platform to create more good in our world. Andrew is a tremendous legacy-torch carrier for my dad.”

For Abbott, the card is a way to reshape the conversation about character, imploring young students and athletes to think about the way they treat others and what values will help them find success in all areas of life.

“I hope this card reminds young athletes that leading with humility, being a great teammate and supporting the people around you is just as important as what you accomplish on the field,” says Abbott. “I’m excited to be teaming up with The Nuxhall Foundation for this character card!”

If you lead a youth sports team or program that would like to receive Nuxhall Foundation Character Cards, please contact Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw at info@nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

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About The Nuxhall Foundation

The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, the late Joe Nuxhall. The Nuxhall Foundation carries forward three important legacy projects. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields—an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. Historically, nearly 400 athletes with physical and developmental disabilities aged 4 to 80 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields. The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship (in conjunction with the Fairfield Community Foundation) provides more than $40,000 per year in scholarship money to student athletes at all 14 Butler County high schools. Very soon, the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship will cross the million-dollar mark in scholarship money awarded. The Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund pitches good character to young leaders throughout Greater Cincinnati by delivering and supporting programs that stress the importance of integrity, humility, respect, and kindness. In 2024, The Nuxhall Foundation launched a $12 million capital campaign to construct The Hope Center, a year-round recreational facility for athletes with special needs that will help to create the world's most comprehensive athletic campus for individuals with disabilities.

For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

For all media inquiries or to schedule an appearance, please contact:

Tyler Bradshaw

(513) 839-6164

tyler@nuxhallmiracleleague.org 

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