Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, known for his mastery of the knuckleball, is dead at the age of 81. The five-time All-Star pitched 24 seasons in the majors, with 21 coming for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. He passed in his sleep Saturday night after a “long battle with cancer,” the Braves said in a press release Sunday morning.
Phil Niekro was born April 1, 1939 in Blaine, Ohio. He went 318-274 in his career with a 3.35 ERA (86 ERA-minus), 45 shutouts, and 3,342 strikeouts over a span of 5,404 innings. Only 24 pitchers in major league history won 300 games, and even fewer – 18 – struck out 3,000 batters. Niekro is one of ten to do both. He is fourth all-time in innings, 11th in strikeouts, and 18th in wins. His younger brother Joe – another knuckleballer – combined with him for 539 wins, a major league record for brothers. On the Braves leaderboard, he is third in wins (268), third in shutouts (43), and second in strikeouts (2,912).
Phil Niekro Career Timeline
Phil Niekro debuted in 1964 and pitched during the Braves’ final two seasons in Milwaukee before pitching 18 in his first stint in Atlanta. He won the National League ERA crown in 1967 with a total of 1.87. Two seasons later, he won 23 games – the first of three 20-win seasons – as the Braves captured the inaugural National League West Division title. In 1973, he threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, a 9-0 victory at Atlanta Stadium. He also anchored the Braves pitching staff during their other division title season from his tenure, 1982. This included a 4-0 complete game shutout against the Padres on October 1 to clinch at least a tie for the division. He almost singlehandedly won the game as he also hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
On January 5, 1984, three months shy of his 45th birthday, he signed a free agent deal with the New York Yankees. He pitched two seasons there. During that season, the Braves retired his number – a rarity for a player who is still active. On July 4 of his first season with the Yankees, he became the ninth member of the 3,000 Strikeout Club. One season later – the last game of the 1985 season – saw Niekro blank the AL East Champion Toronto Blue Jays, 8-0, for his 300th win and 45th shutout.
That was his last game in a Yankees uniform. He signed with the Cleveland Indians for the 1986 season and stayed until a mid-season trade in 1987 sent him to the Blue Jays. After less than a month, the Blue Jays let Niekro, 48, go. He re-signed with the Braves for one game, the last of his career, in September of 1987.
Legacy
Niekro joined the Hall of Fame with the Class of 1997, notching 80.3% of the vote in his fifth year of eligibility. He is the seventh member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to get his angel wings in 2020, joining Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, and Joe Morgan.
Phil Niekro is remembered as a strong competitor and kind-hearted ambassador for the game. He regularly attended Braves community events, where he constantly had a big smile as he chatted with fans. His presence will be missed, and baseball mourns his passing with a heavy heart.
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