One of the greatest knuckleballers in the history of our national pastime passed away on Sunday.
Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who spent over two decades with the Braves in addition to stints with the Indians, Yankees and Blue Jays, died at 81 years old.
Niekro's knuckleball devastated batters to the tune of 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts, making him one of only ten pitchers in MLB history to become a member of both exclusive clubs.
His durability was also very impressive, as he made two All-Star teams into his 40s — 1982 at age 43, and 1984 at age 45 — and ranks fourth all-time with 5,404 innings pitched.
“Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation," said Commissioner Rob Manfred (via MLB.com). "In the last century, no pitcher threw more than Phil’s 5,404 innings. 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.
“But even more than his signature pitch and trademark durability, Phil will be remembered as one of our game’s most genial people. He always represented his sport extraordinarily well, and he will be deeply missed. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Phil’s family, friends and the many fans he earned throughout his life in our National Pastime.”
Niekro was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
Niekro becomes the seventh Hall of Famer to pass away in 2020, the most ever in a calendar year according to the museum's vice president of communications Jon Shestakofsky. He joins Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver, all of whom were featured in the MLB Network documentary "Icons Lost."
Related
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram