Grandma’s Reds scorebook comes alive

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Minnie Lee Olges passed away in 1996, but her life’s work has given rise to a Twitter account and some attention for his passion for the Cincinnati Reds.

Olges spent 20 season documenting just about every pitch of Reds baseball, from 1973 to 1992.

“Her being a shut in, this was her life and we can see it poured out in right in front of us, Marty and Joe were her life,” Mike Murphy, Minnie Lee’s grandson said.

Grandma loved the Cincinnati Reds, loved them so much that every game, she was in her chair with the radio booming the dulcet tones of Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxall.

“You could seriously hear her radio two or three houses down the street as you were walking up to her house, clearly, you could hear Marty and Joe clearly,” Murphy remembers.

She always had a notebook nearby, creating her own scoring system. H meant home run. She also took liberties with spelling. Ken Griffey was one of her favorites, but was Ken Griffe.

She personally documented baseball history. Keeping score for Reds games on the radio and any game on TV, including when Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth with his 715th home run on April, 8, 1974.

She kept score for Tom Seaver’s first no-hitter for the Reds in 1978, and on September 11, 1985, when Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb with hit #4,192.

Murphy was no stranger to the notebooks, he would give his grandmother one every Christmas, but after her death in 1996, he packed them away.

A few years later, with one of his brothers about to get married, Murphy embarked on a project.

He went through every game, picking out some historic notes, and some family gems.

Like the time Minnie Lee wrote that she "was baking turkey pot pie and apple pie for Mary’s welcome home from Roberta’s.”

He recently started a Twitter account called @gscorebook with historical references and tidbits from the journals.

"I’ve received feedback and personal responses from Rob Dibble, talking about he got ejected in a game, and he said, “stuff happens.” We were able to interact on twitter about that, a couple of exchanges. Orel Hershiser thanked her for being such a great fan when he saw her work. Rick Sutcliffe has responded, Fred Lynn. Lots of major leaguers when they see it, Dave Stewart, they have fun with it when they see it.

Grandma did answer to a higher power, so she did miss a few games every season.

“With her being Catholic and giving up the games for her Lenten sacrifice,” Murphy recalls.

It's a collection that belongs in Cooperstown or the Reds museum.

“Her getting the recognition that, she never was seeking it, but she deserves it because she put forth a Hall of Fame effort for 20 years.”

Brennaman has seen some excerpts and told Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News that he was blown away.

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