But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a . Remembering Phil Niekro, King of the Knuckleballers (1939-2020) Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Former catcher Bob Uecker, who caught for Phil Niekro, said, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up. The resulting motion of the pitch more closely resembles a curveball, which explains the combination name. Though Phil and Joe Niekro did twice team together, with the 1973-74 Braves and the 1985 Yankees, the two self-declared best friends were more often friendly rivals. He took the mound for nearly a quarter of a century using the arm-saving pitch. And if you can throw a ball without any spin at 65-plus miles-per-hour, than youve got a great knuckleball grip. Phil Niekro showing his grip at the Baseball Hall of Fame. His brother Joe Niekro even pays him . "They may not be intimidated by them, but they sure are thinking about them before they go into the box.". When Phil Niekro won his 300th game, Joe was at his side, and it was arguably the most unique victory of the elder brother's career. The obituaries for Phil Niekro, who died of cancer at age 81 on Dec. 26, focused on his legendary knuckleball.In the Ohio Valley, the Appalachian mining country southwest of Pittsburgh where "Knucksie" grew up, the Hall of Famer is also remembered as a loyal friend, enthusiastic booster, and son and grandson of hardworking Polish coalminers who lived a thrilling American dream. [29], The Gwinnett Braves' home, Coolray Field, has a restaurant, Niekro's, named after him. Seams catch on skin and send the ball spinning. Now you have to apply even pressure using three fingers. By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the knuckles, hence the name of the pitch. Data Provided By December 27, 2020, 9:39 AM. Phil Niekro - Wikipedia Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. De knuckleball is n van de worpen waarvan een honkbalwerper zich in een wedstrijd kan bedienen. ", "Knuckleballers' paths as tricky as the pitch", "MLB pitchers setting velocity records, altering balance of power", "Knuckleball life comes full circle for Wakefield", "Japan's 'Knuckle Princess' Arrives in U.S.", "Knuckleball pitchers may be a dying breed", "The art of the mysterious knuckleball is on the verge of extinction", "Wakefield, Dickey share a unique relationship", "R. A. Dickey calls Cy Young Award a victory for all knuckleballers", "Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis Making His MLB Debut at Age 33 Is So Cool", "Frazier breaks out knuckler in pitching debut", "You knew Wade Boggs could hit, but did you also know he had a nasty knuckleball? "It actually giggles at you as it goes by," said former outfielder Rick Monday. Phil Niekro's legacy with Braves filled with innings, wins "[25] Uecker also said humorously of the pitch, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. On occasion, teams have traded knuckleball pitchers and their catchers in the same transaction. Tom Candiotti, a notable knuckler in his time and a teammate of Niekro's with the 1986 Cleveland Indians, said that talking to Knucksie was "like talking to Thomas Edison about light bulbs.". Since it developed during a period when the spitball was legal and commonly used, and was similarly surprising in its motion, the knuckleball was sometimes called the "dry spitter". Phil Niekro - New Georgia Encyclopedia Niekro joined Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson . [20], As of 2019[update], Steven Wright of the Boston Red Sox was considered to be the last active knuckleballer in the MLB; he has since been released from the team. Sponsored. Many thanks to him. Popular categories from this store. The symbol of both the success and longevity of Niekro's career was the knuckleball, that whimsical floater that baffles not only hitters and catchers but also the pitchers who never really know how the rotationless pitch will dance toward the plate. [50], This article is about the baseball pitch. I've been stunned before. Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81 Niekro taught his nephew Lance Niekro to throw a knuckleball after Lance's unsuccessful stints as a power-hitting first base prospect with the San Francisco Giants. 5.0. The Niekro brothers would face each other nine times in their career, with Joes team winning five. [10] Another reason for the difficulty of the knuckleball is due to the network effect. The two things about Phil Niekro that I remember most - MLB Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team . Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The knuckleball is somewhat of a lost art, a pitch with slower speed that moves oddly and is hard for hitters to predict the trajectory. Check out some of his b. He missed the 1963 season due to military service. [10], Coaches have also been seen as a barrier to succeeding with the knuckleball. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Instead, you will feel like it "shoots" out as the ball leaves your fingertips. Niekro was a five-time All-Star and pitched a no-hitter in . His skill on the mound was surpassed perhaps only by his good humor and kind nature, which won him friends throughout baseball and the world. At 46 years, 188 days, Niekro became the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout in the major leagues. He always represented his sport extraordinarily well, and he will be deeply missed. Niekro threw a no-hitter against the Padres on Aug. 5, 1973, and won his 300th career game on the final day of the 1985 season by throwing just one knuckler on the last pitch of the game. pic.twitter.com/bGjFBMJZrL, Full Obituary: Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Niekro brothers would face each other nine times in their career, with Joe's team winning five. Phil Niekro (1939-2020), legendary knuckleball pitcher [27], Niekro was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997, his fifth year of eligibility. Phil Niekro, the only knuckleball pitcher to win 300 Major League Baseball games, died in his sleep Saturday night after a long battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced. Historically, the term "knuckle curve" had a usage that was different from what it has in the game today. ", "Will R. A. Dickey's Angry Knuckleball Change The Game? "[28] The year before, Niekro had received the most Hall of Fame votes out of all the players in the ballot, but had not received the required 75% of the vote for election. Learnings from Baseball Knuckleballer Phil Niekro * Joe Niekro was a superb knuckleball pitcher himself; not quite as good as Phil but he did win 221 games and in 1979 came significantly closer to winning the Cy Young Award than Phil ever did (he . This grip can also include digging the fingernails into the surface of the ball. [1], Between 1977 and 1979, Niekro was the league leader in complete games, innings pitched and batters faced. [36] This technique has also been described as the "dry leaf" or "dead leaf" ("folha seca" in Portuguese),[37] the "tomahawk",[38] or even "the accursed" ("maledetta" in Italian). Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81 - NBC News Phil Niekro - BR Bullpen - Baseball-Reference.com Niekro started Game One of the subsequent 1982 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and pitched well, but the game was called on account of rain just before it became official. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? FILE - In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 1965 Topps Clay Carroll, Phil Niekro #461. On October 1, with the Braves clinging to a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Niekro beat the San Diego Padres almost single-handedly by throwing a complete game shutout and hitting a two-run home run. 11/19/2013 added GIFs for Tim Wakefield, Charlie Hough and Phil Niekro 1/2/2013 added RA Dickey knuckleball slomotion from FanGraphs. He surrendered a league-leading 40 home runs that year, a feat he would not repeat until 1979. I led the league in ERA [1.87], and he led the league in passed balls. From an interview with ESPN, Master of the knuckleball and a great mentor, leader and friend, Hall of Famer and @braves legend Phil Niekro passed away overnight at the age of 81. https://t.co/aj7uScYnuy pic.twitter.com/F1GmX9Yb1n. Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland in 2017. Seek out and celebrate your heroes, and explore online and in-person exhibits commemorating the history and impact of the game. Phil Niekro, Hall of Fame pitcher, dies at the age of 81 | CNN 4.9. On March 2, 2010, she trained with Tim Wakefield at the Boston Red Sox minor-league training facility. Signed in 1958, he didn't break through for good for nearly a decade. Updated pitcher list, and average pitch speed for Dickey/Wakefield. Phil Niekro played for 5 teams; the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. They clawed against each other as mound opponents, with Joe defeating his big brother 5-4 in their careers. The Yankees had fallen short of the postseason the day before with a loss in Toronto. us, Died: In 1984, Niekro signed a two-year contract with the New York Yankees. And its the most unstable friend that youll ever have. "I figured if there's any way I'm going to win my 300th game by striking the guy out, I was going to do it with the pitch that won the first game for me," Niekro said. "[24] Catcher Bob Uecker was also frustrated by the pitch at times, saying, "Niekro struck out a hitter once and I never touched the ball. "But even more than his signature pitch and trademark durability, Phil will be remembered as one of our game's most genial people. "Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. I don't think of his 318 wins. Second stint with the Atlanta Braves (1987), New York Yankees Opening Day starting pitchers, List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders, "20-Game Loser: Profiles of the 20-Loss Seasons", "Phil Niekro has never forgotten the Ohio Valley", "Phil Niekro Goes Home to Visit His Ailing Father", "Phil League Minor League Statistics and History", "Harris planning dual role for Phil Niekro", "Phil Niekro's illustrious career by the numbers", "Phil Niekro Signs 2-Year Yankee Pact (Published 1984)", "Road to 300: with Roger Clemens becoming the 21st pitcher to win 300 big league games, here are the stories of seven others who reached the same milestone", "Niekro Gets 300th Win a Shutout of Blue Jays", "YANKEES TRADED BAYLOR AND RELEASE PHIL NIEKRO", "Hall of Famer knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81 | Sports | morningjournal.com", "SPORTS PEOPLE; Phil Niekro to Braves (Published 1987)", "Phil Niekro, who rode his knuckleball to the Hall of Fame, dies at 81", "No Spin Zone: Knuckleball master Phil Niekro to speak at Field of Dreams Banquet", "FresnoBee.com: Fresno Grizzlies: Niekro gets shot to pitch", "A Roster of MLB All-Stars Helped Raise Awareness for Prostate Cancer", "Legendary Braves pitcher Phil Niekro dies at age of 81", "Hall of Fame knuckleballer Niekro dead at 81", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phil_Niekro&oldid=1138834006, Major League Baseball players with retired numbers, Louisville Colonels (minor league) players, American expatriate baseball players in Canada, Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, September 27,1987,for theAtlanta Braves, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 22:10. However, since a typical major league starting rotation exceeds the length of a series against any one opponent, one way a manager can mitigate this disadvantage is to adjust his team's pitching rotation so as to eliminate (or at least minimize) games in which a knuckleballer would pitch against teams with a preponderance of fast baserunners. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The knuckleball is somewhat of a lost art, a pitch with slower speed that moves oddly and is hard for hitters to predict the trajectory. [8] To reduce the chances of having the knuckleball get hit for a home run, some pitchers will impart a slight topspin so that if no force causes the ball to dance, it will move downward in flight. He taught the boys the pitch in the backyard. Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". Yet the knuckler was all Niekro had, all he believed in. It was Oct. 6, 1985, the final day of the season. Philip Henry Niekro (/ n i k r o / NEE-kroh; April 1, 1939 - December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves.Niekro's 318 career victories are the most by a knuckleballer and rank 16th on MLB's all-time wins list.He won the National League Gold Glove Award five . 1978 Topps #206 Strikeout Leaders Phil Niekro Nolan Ryan - Nice Card. Phil, trying for a fifth time to win No. They all sit behind home plate.". Geno Petralli of the Texas Rangers in 1987 while trying to catch knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough, and tied again in 2013 when Ryan Lavarnway of the Boston Red Sox had four in the first inning, catching knuckleballer Steven Wright in Wright's first major league start. (Age 48-179d) But that was nothing new. But because the pitch is so difficult to throw, even on a good day, you want to reduce as many variables as possible. The Braves went to the playoffs, where Niekro was 01 with four earned runs allowed in an eight-inning appearance against the New York Mets. Nobody likes to warm up with you." [10], In 1970, he went 1218 with a 4.27 ERA in what turned out to be a down year. I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission. [3] In 1917, Druery taught the pitch to Eddie Rommel who became successful with it for the Philadelphia Athletics.[4]. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame and gave him a nickname that stuck for the rest of his life. [2] Other accounts attribute the pitch's creation to Charles H. Druery, a pitcher in the Blue Ridge League. (PDF) The Knuckleball Club eBook Online | eBook House Library I got to meet a lot of important people. In baseball terminology the pitcher and catcher together are known as a "battery", and having a catcher experienced in catching a knuckleball pitcher is preferable, so the trade of pitcher and catcher together is sometimes referred to as a "batteries included" trade. See all categories. When Mr. Niekro was 40 years old in 1979 he threw 23 complete games - nowadays it is rare to see a pitcher even throw 1 or 2 complete 9 inning games during a typical season. After work hours guitarist, DJ, record label owner and New York style pizza aficionado. [39], One of the main proponents of this shooting technique was Brazilian playmaker Juninho Pernambucano, who popularised it in particular during his time with Lyon in the mid 2000s;[40] however, it is commonly thought to have been invented by compatriot Didi,[37][41][42] although Italian forward Giuseppe Meazza before him is also credited with using the technique. Anything that you do that has a chance of putting even a tiny amount of spin on the ball must be eliminated, even if it feels comfortable. I don't think of his knuckleball. Sun 27 Dec 2020 13.34 EST. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for all the latest updates. Before the 1968 season, sportswriter Fred Down described the Braves' pitching staff as "chaotic" and reported that team leadership was planning to use Niekro as both a starter and a reliever in the coming season. [1] A pitcher who throws knuckleballs is known as a knuckleballer. [10] This effect is increasing over time as the modern game continues to emphasize power in pitching and average pitch speed increases.[11]. (A common phrase for hitting a knuckleball is "if it's low, let it go; if it's high, let it fly"; meaning that a batter should attempt to hit a knuckleball only if it crosses the plate high in the strike zone due to lack of break.) FILE - In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. [22], On September 18, 2020, the first knuckleball thrown in 2020 was by the New York Mets' Todd Frazier, normally a third baseman, in a 15-2 blowout loss to Atlanta Braves. Senior producer, Legacy.com. [1] He began the year as a relief pitcher but had earned a job in the starting rotation during the season.[9]. His knuckleball led him to five All-Star selections, three 20-win seasons for the Atlanta Braves, the 300-win club, and ultimately, to Cooperstown. Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81 He did not throw his trademark knuckleball throughout the game until the final hitter;[13] to former AL MVP Jeff Burroughs. Over the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate, the effect of these forces is that the knuckleball can flutter, dance, jiggle, or curve in two different directions during its flight. Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season, View Player Bio "I got to meet a lot of important people. Carroll would go on to become a two-time All-Star reliever for the Cincinnati Reds and would notch 143 saves over his career. [2], Pitchers like Bouton have found success as knuckleballers after their ability to throw hard declined. How many seasons did Phil Niekro play? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Get breaking news alerts& today's headlines inyour inbox. Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, famous for signature knuckleball Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Phil Niekro owns one of, if not, the best knuckleball in MLB history. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. You just have a relationship with it. Phil Niekro, the Hall of Fame knuckleballer who won 318 games in a 24-year career, died in his sleep Saturday night after a battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced Sunday. The Braves lost the game against the San Francisco Giants 156. Facing Jeff Burroughs, an old friend and former Braves teammate, Phil Niekro threw four pitches -- the final three knucklers. The team was eliminated from the playoffs after losing the next two games. Support provided by Market New York through I LOVE NY/ New York States Division of Tourism as a part of the Regional Economic Development Council awards. It does not need to be thrown hard (in fact, throwing too hard may diminish its effectiveness), and is therefore less taxing on the arm. In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball which he used to pitch well into his 40s. He'd made a living escaping such jams with a knuckleball that would . Over more than a decade of serving as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Hall of Fame, his wisdom, his compassion, and his love for the game proved to be invaluable in helping us shape our decisions. R. A. Dickey estimates that it takes at least a year to grasp its fundamentals. 1978 Topps Nolan Ryan Phil Niekro Strikeout Leaders #206 NM HOF Nice Card! Ralph Kiner compared Niekro's special pitch to "watching Mario Andretti park a car". On August 26, the first time Victor Martinez caught Wakefield, he used a first baseman's glove, instead of a regular catcher's mitt. [1], In 1983, he went 1110 and won his fifth Gold Glove Award. For many hitters, using a bat to try to get a hit off Phil Niekro was a farce. He finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting in both 1978 and 1979, and made his third All-Star appearance in 1978, as well as winning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1978 to 1980. Regardless of how the ball is gripped, the purpose of the knuckleball is to have the least possible amount of rotational spin. "I never knew how to throw a fastball, never learned how to throw a curveball, a slider, split-finger, whatever they're throwing nowadays," he said. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. Niekro, who was born April 1, 1939, and died in 2020 at 81, excelled by using the elusive . The asymmetric drag that results tends to deflect the trajectory toward the side with the stitches. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Additionally, Ted Lyons, another member of the Hall of Fame, relied heavily on the knuckleball after injuring his arm in 1931. Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. (Josh Szot/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Phil Niekro managed the Colorado Silver Bullets baseball team from 1994-97. Taking a fly swatter to the batter's box would have worked just as well.