Donald Maisen Nuetzel Sr.

On August 30, 2020 Donald M. Nuetzel, Sr. beloved husband of Lois (nee Reese) Nuetzel; devoted father of Vicki Mohr and her husband Jim, Risa Pickle and her husband Stuart and Donald Nuetzel, Jr.; loving grandfather of Brendan Karwacki, Danielle Nuetzel, Julianne Nuetzel, Joseph Nuetzel, Connor Pickle and Ryan Pickle; dear brother of Ernest Nuetzel and his wife Gail; cherished uncle of Lisa Jacobin, Scott and Steven Nuetzel; he is also survived by a host of caring friends and neighbors.

Don’s love of baseball started at a young age, every Spring he would go to a local shoe store in Overlea for a new pair of sneakers and then would run all the way home! Don would practice his pitching in the field across from his family’s home and store with his brother Ernest as his catcher. He pitched for the Kenwood High School Bluebirds and an Overlea amateur league that consisted of older higher skilled baseball players. During his high school years at Kenwood he was a star left-handed pitcher and first baseman. The Kenwood Bluebirds under the direction of Coach Al Straub were the 1948/49 Baltimore County Champions. Don also played on the Kenwood High School basketball team. In 1949, at the age of 17, Don was drafted by scout Johnny Neun and signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He started his professional career in Newark, Ohio, but in 1952 was drafted by the U.S. Army during the Korean War. During his time in the Army, he pitched for the U.S. Army 7th Calvary Team in Hokkaido, Japan where he was given the nickname “Big Pitch”. In 1954, he received an honorable military discharge and resumed his professional baseball career pitching for various farm teams for the New York Yankee organization. In the off-season, he attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. His KA fraternity brothers, Tom Halley, Ralph Kelbaugh and Jack Meagher, would become life-long friends. While attending Washington College, he also assisted baseball coach Ed Athey. After leaving professional baseball and graduating from Washington College with a degree in Economics, Don pitched for several semi pro teams in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In an All-Star game at Westport Stadium in Baltimore City, he pitched against players such as Rocky Colavito and won the game against a team of elite opponents. After that game, one of the professional players commented that Don had a Whitey Ford curveball…Don was very proud of that moment. In later years, Don also helped to coach several youth Pony League baseball teams in Perry Hall. Obviously, Don was an avid sports fan following the Baltimore Orioles, Colts and Raven’s. He was a very active member of The Old Timer’s Baseball Association of Maryland and always looked forward to attending meetings with former players.

In October of 2008, he was elected into the Kenwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame and in January 2011, Don was elected into The Old Timer’s Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame.

In 1960, Don married Lois Reese a neighbor and fellow Kenwood graduate. Family and faith were very important to Don, he enjoyed many camping trips, family gatherings and in later years family vacations in the Outer Bank with his children and grandchildren.

His warm quite demeanor allowed him to be so well liked among his many friends, co-workers, neighbors and family.

Don, you are loved by all and will be sorely missed.

The family will receive friends at the E.F. Lassahn Funeral Home, P.A. 11750 Belair Road in Kingsville on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 2-4 & 7-9pm. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 11am. Interment Parkwood Cemetery. If desired memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael Lutheran Church www.stmichaelperryhall.org or Tunnels 2 Towers www.tunnel2towers.org