Denise Thomas (Transcript)

Robby Incmikoski: Youwere with the Reds from the time at Riverfront all the way through into Great American Ballpark. Is that right?

Yes, wow.

Now, you worked in the press dining room. I know what that is, but I want you to explain that to some fans. Essentially, can you explain what a day in the life was like working in the press dining room at a Major League Baseball stadium?

Denise Thomas: Okay. The press dining room was an area where the GMs from different baseball teams came in to dine for lunch or dinner, and on Sunday mornings, we served them breakfast. Throughout those years that I worked there, I had the pleasure of serving many distinguished GMs whom I never, ever thought I would come in contact with—one being Marty Brennaman. I listened to him as a kid on the radio with Joe Nuxhall, and I always dreamed of meeting this guy in person. And lo and behold, it just so happens that one year, I was asked to switch from concession stands to the press dining room, and that's where I had the pleasure of meeting Marty Brennaman and many, many other distinguished—

Robby Incmikoski: Broadcasters. Everything. Yeah, yes, yes, yes. Now, what was it like with Marty? Because I know he liked to bust people's chops, but I know he made you laugh a lot. How would you describe your day-to-day interactions with Marty?

Denise Thomas: Marty Brennaman, to me, was a very outgoing personality. He was very kind. He was somewhat humble in his own little way. But then again, as you say, he was one who liked to make the crowd laugh. I also later found out that his birthday was in July—July 28—and from that point on, every year, I would surprise him with a birthday cake. Then this one particular year, he met this young lady named Amanda, and he later married her on his birthday, which is July 28 again.

Robby Incmikoski: So he got married on his birthday.

Denise Thomas: Yes, yes, he did. That's unbelievable.

Robby Incmikoski: How nice a guy was Marty? When you talk about how humble he was—he's a great broadcaster who's going to be remembered forever and be associated with the sport of baseball in the city of Cincinnati—what was it like for you?

Denise Thomas: For me, it was like a dream come true. Again, like I said, I remember him as a kid, listening to him on the radio broadcasting the Reds games, and then, later, I came in contact with him in person in the dining room. Even upon doing that, I was just shocked—utterly amazed, really. Words couldn't describe how excited I was to meet him, and then we grew to have a perfect relationship with one another. He then introduced me to his son, Tom Brennaman, who also was a broadcaster. I got to meet Tom's wife and his two children, and again, like I said, it was just amazing.

Robby Incmikoski: How cool is it? It's amazing. Denise, do you remember the first time you met him, or the first couple of times?

Denise Thomas: I want to say it was maybe on a Tuesday night game. He came in and asked me if I could get a table ready for him and some other broadcasters he was going to bring in. He named a couple of the broadcasters, one of them being the late Joe Nuxhall. He also brought in his son, Tom, and Chris Welsh, yep. He had a sidekick who came in with Marty as well. I just set the table up for those five guys, and every day before they would enter the dining room, he would just tell me, “Denise, set the table for five, set the table for five.” So that was my cue to know that he and his guys were coming in. They would always come in between 6:15 and 6:30, about an hour before going on air.

Robby Incmikoski: Right, for game time. Happened now? Mm-hmm. Let me ask you this as a person, because you're born and raised in Cincinnati, right?

Yes.

Because the reason I say that is, what do Joe and Marty mean to baseball in your city?

Denise Thomas: I would say Marty is the center of the ball, and Mr. Nuxhall would be the outer cover.

Robby Incmikoski: Really? Okay, yes. Why do you say that?

Denise Thomas: Well, for one, the reason I say that is because Marty is still here—he’s the center. Mr. Nuxhall is the outer cover. He's no longer here in the flesh, but his presence and his legacy still live on in the city.

Robby Incmikoski: That is an amazing way to describe those two, Denise. It really, really is. That is really classy and really nice. How much do you love Great American Ballpark? What does that ballpark mean to you, and how cool is it to have that in your city?

Denise Thomas: I am a sports fanatic, so I enjoyed my time at Great American Ballpark. What I would do is work there throughout the season, and then, during the off-season, I would mentally prepare myself for the next upcoming season at Great American Ballpark—just keep myself and all my ducks in a row, getting myself ready, because it was so exciting to me, right?

Robby Incmikoski: Isn't that cool? How cool is life that you get to have something like this? You look at your experiences, what life is, and what it has become for a sports fan. I spent 16 years traveling to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, and now I'm writing a book about it. I made my living doing that. Denise, how cool was it for you, for a while, to make your living at the baseball stadium, serving and hanging out with the idols you listened to on the radio growing up?

Denise Thomas: It was so exciting. Even before I would get ready to go to work—getting up that morning, knowing it was a game day and I was on my way to the ballpark—if it was a day game, I’d be on my way between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Then I’d get in there before those guys got to the dining room, prepare that dining room for them, and just await their arrival and entrance, and have the pleasure of serving them myself.

Robby Incmikoski: Pretty cool stuff, huh?

Yes, yes, you are the best. Denise, what about any other interesting stories from any other broadcasters—cool anecdotes? Anything stand out? You don't have to rack your brain, but do any stand out? Any funny characters, people you remember talking to?

Denise Thomas: I thought about the late Bob Uecker from the Milwaukee Brewers. Oh yeah, he would always come, and his favorite dessert was Boston Cream Pie. So I would personally make it my business to stop and get him a Boston Cream Pie and bring it in so he could have it for dessert. Joe Morgan was another one—the late Joe Morgan.

Robby Incmikoski: One of the best ever, right? He loved fried chicken.

Denise Thomas: Right. He would always ask me when he came in—at that time, he was with Mr. Jocketty, Walt Jocketty—and he would say, “Denise, don't forget my fried chicken.” I remember the first time I served him, and the plate he ate off of—I washed it, went in the back, and asked him if he would autograph that plate for me. Really, he did. And I still have that plate today at my house.

You do? Wow.

I have the plate that Joe Morgan ate off of.

Yes, you—

Robby Incmikoski: —you have to send me a picture of that plate, Denise, when we get off the phone, if you don't mind.

Okay, okay, okay.

Dude, that's unbelievable. And what about Walt Jocketty, former GM of the Cincinnati Reds? What was he like?

Denise Thomas: Walt Jocketty—he too was a pleasure. I had the pleasure of meeting his wife and his two children, Ashley and little Walt. His daughter, Ashley, just grew on me. She and I would converse with one another when she came to the dining room, because she was working there as an intern. It was just a pleasure. His wife was very sweet, very mild-mannered, and very accepting of me. Then Eric Davis—he was another one when they came to the dining room.

Robby Incmikoski: I heard he is one of the nicest people ever.

Denise Thomas: He is, I'm telling you. He is sweeter than brown sugar. Really.

Robby Incmikoski: He's in the Reds Hall of Fame, right?

Yes.

Denise Thomas: He would come in and ask for his ice cream and his toppings, and he would always kid me, saying, “Denise, don’t forget the nuts.” So I had the pleasure of putting his nuts on his ice cream.

Robby Incmikoski: I don't know how we describe that in the book, but I feel like I have to get that in.

Denise Thomas: Right, right. And then again, like I said, Mr. Nuxhall would come in and ask me on Wednesday nights, “Denise, do you have my dinner plate ready?” His favorite was mashed potatoes and gravy and meatloaf, and then he liked vanilla ice cream.

Robby Incmikoski: Really? Isn't that crazy how you remember all these celebrities around the game of baseball and you know what their favorite food and dessert is?

Denise Thomas: Yes, and then Tom—Tom Brennaman—yep, and Jeff Brantley. When those two broadcasted together on the nights we served fried chicken, Jeff Brantley, also known as “the Cowboy,” would ask me, “Denise, please don't forget my plate,” because he was a guy who loved chicken breasts and chicken wings, right?

Wow. So I would have to take care of him as well. Yes, yes.

Robby Incmikoski: Wow. What a cool experience, Denise. You have a ton of stories like this. I bet you can go on and on.

Denise Thomas: Oh, I'm telling you. I'm telling you, man, it was a thrill. It was a thrill. Oh, I'm telling you.

Robby Incmikoski; Do you have any other select—do you remember any other select? Do you remember Vin Scully or anybody else?

Any other famous—

Denise Thomas: I remember Vin Scully. I remember him. I remember Tommy Lasorda from the Dodgers, oh yeah. Let me see... what was the other guy's name? Mercy, mercy, mercy—he was with the Colorado Rockies. Paul... Paul, I think his name was—

Robby Incmikoski; Goodman, Ryan Spilborghs, Jerry Schemmel—

Denise Thomas: He was a GM.

Robby Incmikoski; Oh, man, I'd have to look that up, but we can talk—yeah, yeah, we'll talk another time about that. All right, I wanted to get you for the book, and that's good. I want to talk again soon. We'll get some more names, and I'll reconnect with you. All right, I'm gonna stop recording.