Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. [33] It was tied by Niekro was remembered by the Hall as "master of the knuckleball and a great mentor, leader and friend." Niekro didn't make it to the big leagues until 1964, when he pitched 10 games in . "Very few pitchers make a living throwing the knuckleball," says Sain, "simply because they can't make it work. "Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Niekro has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced today. Niekro, born in Blaine, Ohio, on April 1, 1939, was the proud scion of a family dynasty of sorts. [32] For a catcher, a key disadvantage to using a first baseman's glove mitt is that they are not designed for easy extraction of the ball from the glove, making it harder to prevent baserunners from stealing. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Philip Henry Niekro (/nikro/ NEE-kroh; April 1, 1939 December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie",[1] was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. ATLANTA Baseball Hall of Famer Phil 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 . How tall was Phil Niekro? [30], The record for passed balls in an inning (4) was first set by Ray Katt of the New York Giants in 1954, catching Hoyt Wilhelm. He amassed 121 victories after he turned 40 -- a major league record -- and pitched until he was 48. Because there are so few knuckleball pitchers, the resources for learning and improving the knuckleball are few compared to more common pitches. The baseball field where he played at Bridgeport High School's Perkins Field athletic complex was renamed "The Niekro Diamond" in 2008 after Phil and his brother, fellow major league pitcher Joe Niekro. "[1] Bouton said, "Catchers hate it. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. 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. He found both in 1967, when he was united with Bob Uecker, a veteran reserve backstop with many quips and sage advice. Then sentiment finally took over with two outs in the ninth. BL-1598-92 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro posing with his plaque during the 1997 Hall of Fame Weekend. ", "Will R. A. Dickey's Angry Knuckleball Change The Game? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Carroll would go on to become a two-time All-Star reliever for the Cincinnati Reds and would notch 143 saves over his career. [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. Trying to hit that thing is a miserable way to make a living. He finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award that year. [14], Another factor contributing to the rarity of the knuckleball is the difficulty of throwing the pitch. in speed, and things like that." . You can pitch seven good innings with a knuckleball, and as soon as you walk a guy they go, 'See, there's that damn knuckleball.'" Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Brothers Joe (left) and Phil Niekro squared off against one another on July 4, 1967 in a game won by Phil's Atlanta Braves against the Chicago Cubs, 8-3. Nobody likes to warm up with you." Phil Niekros record on the field ranks him as one of the games finest pitchers, said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. But because the pitch is so difficult to throw, even on a good day, you want to reduce as many variables as possible. (Josh Szot/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Phil Niekro managed the Colorado Silver Bullets baseball team from 1994-97. "I was a one-pitch pitcher.". [3][4] He was of Polish descent. He was 81. Facing Jeff Burroughs, an old friend and former Braves teammate, Phil Niekro threw four pitches -- the final three knucklers. He was 81. On October 6, 1985, Niekro gained entry into the 300 win club with a shutout win over the Toronto Blue Jays. As I discussed earlier, there are a few different ways to grip the knuckleball. When done correctly, the float serve is hard for opponents to predict where the ball will end up, thus rendering it hard to pass. Burroughs struck out, giving the Yankees an 8-0 victory and Niekro his milestone. The fluttering knuckler danced throughout the summers in the Atlanta heat, and by his late 30s Niekro became an absolute workhorse averaging 335 innings a season from 1977 through 1979 and becoming the last pitcher to post back-to-back seasons of at least 300 innings pitched. (Parker Fish/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Brothers Joe (left) and Phil Niekro squared off against one another on July 4, 1967 in a game won by Phil's Atlanta Braves against the Chicago Cubs, 8-3. Taking a fly swatter to the batter's box would have worked just as well. [2] It was his third and final 20-win season and his second and final 20-loss season. [19] At the same time, pitchers rarely focus on the knuckleball if they have reasonable skill with more standard pitches. It is for this reason that the knuckleball is widely regarded as unreliable, and knuckleball pitchers are prone to extended slumps, such as when Tim Wakefield was released from the Pirates in a mid-career slump during spring training in 1995. I don't think of his Hall of Fame plaque. Atlanta, Sept. 27, 1987 __ Phil Niekro was in a jam. In-person Lessons at the Knuckleball Academy, Knuckleball Grip, Part 3: Depth of the Baseball. "[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. He . [6], Niekro signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 for $250 ($2,324 in current dollar terms). "Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks," said former New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Only Cy Young, "Pud" Galvin and Walter Johnson pitched more innings than Niekro's 5,404. The knuckleball is radically different from any other pitch in a pitcher's arsenal, being less predictable and difficult to control. http://www.courtsidetweets.comPhil Niekro of the New York Yankees wins his 300th game in Toronto against the Blue Jays! [12] He won 16 games in 1984 and made his fifth and final All-Star appearance. After the season, the Braves released him.[11]. You get beaten down to learn another @baseballhall friend #PhilNiekro passed away. Phil, trying for a fifth time to win No. Phil's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record. He finally went to the knuckler for the game's final batter, striking out former teammate Jeff Burroughs on three pitches to cap the 8-0 victory and become the 18 th 300-game winner in history. [28], The knuckleball does provide some advantages to its practitioners. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Phil Niekro was elected to the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors in 2009. This change adds a deflecting force to the baseball, making it difficult for batters to hit but also difficult for pitchers to control and catchers to catch; umpires are challenged as well, as the ball's irregular motion through the air makes it harder to call balls and strikes. Seams have texture. But there are overwhelming similarities between the grips of the great knuckleball pitchers; guys like Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, RA Dickey and the like. Indeed, Bouton's famous best-selling book Ball Four (1970), while scandalous at the time for its unvarnished and often uncomplimentary portrayal of player behavior and coaching small-mindedness, is primarily a tale of the ups and downs of trying to hang on in the major leagues as a knuckleball pitcher.[29]. Amazingly, he won 121 games over the age of 40 thanks to his knuckleball. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. This is due to both the knuckleball's low average speed and its erratic movement, which force the catcher to keep focusing on the ball even after the runners start stealing their next bases. Senior producer, Legacy.com. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced on Sunday. A reporter once noted that Phil is 48 but you'd never know it. As I discussed earlier, there are a few different ways to grip the knuckleball. Furthermore, other factors, such as a dearth of knuckleball teachers and the dramatic increase in the running game base stealing is often easier against knuckleball pitchers may be contributing to its demise. They all sit behind home plate.". Yet the knuckler was all Niekro had, all he believed in. [28], Niekro was a member of the board of directors for Kiz Toys, a toy company based out of Cumming, Georgia, and Niekro advised the company on the KizSport baseball line, reviewing product designs and development. While learning to trust the pitch which is pushed toward home plate without any spin, allowing air currents to move the ball unpredictably Niekro ascended through the Braves minor league system. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1997. 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. A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The Niekro brothers would face each other nine times in their career, with Joe's team winning five. [1][8] He stayed with the major league team all year in 1965, pitching .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}74+23 innings in 41 games and recording six saves. This is a difficult task. He appeared in relief three times, earning two saves. Knucksie was one of a kind. Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. [7] He pitched for several minor league teams at several levels for the next few years, appearing mostly as a relief pitcher. As with hitters, the unpredictable motion of the knuckleball makes it one of the most difficult pitches for catchers to handle, and they tend to be charged with a significantly higher number of passed balls. Phil Niekro's playing days ended in 1987, but he would don a uniform one more time, as manager of the women's barnstorming Colorado Silver Bullets (1994-97). Photo is at @Dana_Pump @David_Pump Foundation dinner with @STLWizard #RickeyHenderson pic.twitter.com/RccUiq0rJO, PHIL NIEKRO YOU WERE ALWAYS GOOD MAN WHENEVER WE SEE YOU AT THE MATCHES IN THE ATLANTA. He reinvented pitching by adding this slow, crazy moving pitch. [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. vs. SFG 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 SO, 6 BB, 5 ER. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. Stay away from them at all costs.And stay tuned for the next part of this never-ending series about knuckleball grips Theres just so much to talk about. 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". 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. In 1969, his first All-Star season, he had a 2313 season with a 2.56 ERA,[1] finishing second in the National League Cy Young award balloting to Tom Seaver. He would go on for two more decades living inside hitters' heads. Check out some of his best highlights here!Don't forget to subscribe! Phil Niekro 1964-1983, 1987 (88.5 WAR) . Share The fingers that stabilize the ball shouldnt be on any seams. Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season, View Player Bio This shooting technique is frequently used by players for long-range shots and free kicks. Phil, Trying to hit him, said Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer, is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks.. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. R. A. Dickey estimates that it takes at least a year to grasp its fundamentals. When you start off learning the knuckleball, it can be frustrating. These include the flutterball, the floater, the dancer, the butterfly ball (the name for the pitch used by French language game commentators employed by the Montreal Expos), the ghostball, and the bug. He emerged from Ohio coal mine country as a conventional pitching prospect, signing with the Braves in 1958 but resisting the knuckleball until a minor league manager told him to throw the knuckler or go home., (My father) taught it to me in the backyard, Niekro said. Phil Niekro was preceded in death by Joe Niekro, who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm in 2006. Ferrell knew knuckleballs: he had the task of being the Washington Senators catcher in 194445, when the Senators had four knuckleball pitchers in their starting rotation. 300, entered the bottom of the ninth having shut out the Jays on curveballs, slip pitches, fastballs and screwballs -- everything but a knuckleball. Phil Niekro played for 5 teams; the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. Phil Niekro dug his fingernails into the baseballs seams and carved out a legend eventually earning a plaque in Cooperstown. And take a look at your grip. Discover one-of-a-kind artifacts and get lost in sweeping exhibitions that explore pivotal moments in the game and its impact far beyond the field. https://www.youtube.com/MLBClassicsFollow us elsewhere too:Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLBInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlb/ \u0026 https://www.instagram.com/mlbvault/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mlbTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/share/user/656Visit our site for all baseball news, stats and scores! "They may not be intimidated by them, but they sure are thinking about them before they go into the box.". 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. Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who rode his knuckleball to 318 victories, was the seventh Hall of Famer to pass away in 2020. . Phil Niekro weighed 180 lbs (81 kg) when playing. Day trip or a week-long adventure. Sponsored. By ESPN.com news services. 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. Niekro's first two Topps baseball cards are both combination cards with other Braves prospects and his 1965 Topps card is shared with pitcher Clay Carroll. "There aren't many hitters who like facing knuckleball pitchers," Niekro said. [21] Mickey Jannis of the Baltimore Orioles organization also throws the knuckleball, and made his major league debut on June 23, 2021. All four of these pitchers had a baseball WHIP below 1.35, which shows how effective they were at reducing hits and limiting walks per inning. "[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. They clawed against each other as mound opponents, with Joe defeating his big brother 5-4 in their careers. Phil Niekro (19392020), legendary knuckleball pitcher. By the end of 1987, his final season, Niekro ranked 10th among major leaguers in number of seasons played. vs. SFG 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, and grew up in Lansing, Ohio, the son of Henrietta (Klinkoski) and Philip Niekro. A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Nancy, sons Philip, John and Michael and his two grandchildren Chase and Emma.". [1], From 1971 to 1973, he combined for a record of 4436. Seams are raised. This can be attributed to a variety of factors. This modern pitch is unrelated to the knuckleball. Mr. Niekro's longevity in a game that can be unforgiving for players who lose their timing, great eyesight, speed and ability to throw as they age is simply remarkable. As a mentor, leader and friend, Phil brought out the best in all of us in Cooperstown. He finished the 1985 season with a 1612 record, the final time he won 15 or more games in a single season. All rights reserved. Niekro p On August 5, 1973, Niekro threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, the first for the Braves since moving to Atlanta. Toad Ramsey, a pitcher from 1885 to 1890, is credited in some later sources with being the first knuckleballer, apparently based primarily on accounts of how he gripped the ball; however, based on more contemporary descriptions of his pitch as an "immense drop ball", it may be that his pitch was a form of knuckle curve. As of 2004[update], only about 70 Major League Baseball pitchers have regularly used the knuckleball during their careers, and its use has become rarer over time. On Sunday we learned that Phil Niekro, the greatest knuckleball pitcher in baseball history, had died of cancer the day before at age 81. Phil Niekro shares a story with Braves fans during A Night at the Museum at the Hall of Fame.