It was during those community and fan activities where he would communicate with fans as if they were long lost friends. Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". I didnt know what it was or anything, he showed me how to hold it and wed just play knuckleball in the backyard., Phil Niekro pitched for the Braves for 21 seasons, topping the 300-inning mark in four seasons. 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. Phil Niekro showing his grip at the Baseball Hall of Fame. De knuckleball is n van de worpen waarvan een honkbalwerper zich in een wedstrijd kan bedienen. In 1979, Phil, pitching for the Braves, and Joe, for the Astros, tied for the most victories in the National League, with 21 each. Bases loaded, nobody out, a lead slipping away. His longevity was greatly aided by his reliance on the knuckleball, which puts far less stress on a pitcher's throwing arm than a standard repertoire of pitches. [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. 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. 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. in speed, and things like that." . [1] A pitcher who throws knuckleballs is known as a knuckleballer. During the 1945 season, with talent depleted by call-ups to fight in World War II, the Washington Senators had a pitching rotation which included four knuckleball pitchers (Dutch Leonard, Johnny Niggeling, Mickey "Itsy Bitsy" Haefner, and Roger Wolff) who combined for 60 complete games and 60 wins, carrying the Senators to second place. It speculates that the appearance of abrupt shifting may be due to the unpredictability of the changes in direction.[9]. [1], On August 9, 1987, Niekro was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Darryl Landrum and a player to be named later,[17] who was later revealed to be Don Gordon. [30], On December 26, 2020, Niekro died in his sleep at age 81. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that . Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s . * 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 . They hold the record for most combined wins by siblings in a career with 539. Niekro learned his knuckler as a 12-year-old from his coal miner father in Ohio. ASSOCIATED . When thrown well with little to no spin, the ball feels like it slips out of your palm. Of the thousands of pitchers who have reached the majors, fewer than a hundred mastered the knuckleball that maddeningly erratic, spin-free butterfly well enough to rely upon it as their primary pitch. Phil Niekro, Braves and Yankees pitcher whose knuckleball earned him spot in Hall of Fame, dies at 81. He set a major league record by playing 24 seasons in the major leagues without a World Series appearance. [2] If a knuckleball does not change direction in mid-flight, however, then it is easy to hit due to its lack of speed. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). 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. inFlowery Branch,GA, Buried: Who throws the best knuckleball? Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland in 2017. He went 1111 with a 4.32 ERA. Cicotte was widely reported to throw both the knuckleball and a variant on the spitball known as a "shine ball" (because he would "shine" one side of a dirty ball by rubbing it on his uniform). 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 . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Niekro, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, was one of baseball's most prolific and durable pitchers, using his "butterfly" pitch to win 318 games in a career that spanned 24 seasons, including 21 with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. ATLANTA (AP) Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. [1], In 1982, at the age of 43, Niekro led the Braves with a 174 season while winning his fourth Gold Glove Award and appearing in his fourth All-Star game. Seams have texture. And todays two tips are all about reducing those variables. But because the pitch is so difficult to throw, even on a good day, you want to reduce as many variables as possible. The Boston Red Sox, in their 2004 world championship season, had Mirabelli regularly catching in place of Jason Varitek when Tim Wakefield was pitching. Jim Bouton said, "coaches don't respect it. If one of the fingers puts more pressure on the ball than the other, the ball spins. [8], Niekro led the league with a 1.87 ERA in 1967, earning an 119 record with 10 complete games and 9 saves. "[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. [1] That season, Phil and Joe Niekro were NL co-leaders in wins. Phil Niekro owns one of, if not, the best knuckleball in MLB history. He never caught for Dickey again. According to Adair, the 150ms minimum human reaction time may be too slow to adjust to a knuckleball's changing direction.[2]. Senior producer, Legacy.com. 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. After work hours guitarist, DJ, record label owner and New York style pizza aficionado. Phil Niekro had 3,342 strikeouts over his career. The Niekro brothers would face each other nine times in their career, with Joe's team winning five. He taught the boys the pitch in the backyard. Phil Niekro Sr., a laborer and part-time semi-pro pitcher, had mastered the knuckler after an arm injury threatened to end his playing days. [1] Niekro retired at the end of the season. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 12,210th in major league history) However, young pitchers with smaller hands tend to throw the knuckleball with their knuckles. You get beaten down to learn another @baseballhall friend #PhilNiekro passed away. La maledetta che sfida la fisica", "Noughty Boys: No one hit a free-kick quite like Juninho Pernambucano", "Pele to Zico to Beckham to Ronaldo: Evolution of the Free-Kick Masters", "Mestre de Pirlo, Juninho Pernambucano ensinou italiano a bater falta", "The Top 15 Best Shooters in World Football", "Bonansea: I was always daydreaming of football in class", The (Mostly) Complete List of Knuckleball Pitchers, NPR.org on the Red Sox's re-acquisition of Doug Mirabelli, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knuckleball&oldid=1137620558, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 16:41. 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]. Another drawback is that runners on base can usually advance more easily than if a conventional pitcher is on the mound. Following a 23-13 season in 1969 that firmly established him as one of baseballs best, the durable Niekro consistently piled up innings and perplexed batters. I got to meet a lot of important people. That edge was made possible by a game-winning home run Phil gave up to Joe, the only homer Joe hit in his 22-year career. But Niekro, who pitched for the Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays for 24 seasons, was more . On Sunday we learned that Phil Niekro, the greatest knuckleball pitcher in baseball history, had died of cancer the day before at age 81. The knuckle curve has a somewhat similar name because of the grip used to throw it (also with the knuckles or fingernails), but it is generally thrown harder and with spin. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. His success eventually forced the team to take a chance on a knuckleballer as a starting pitcher. 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 returned to Louisville in 1962 and had a 96 record. Phil and Joe, known as "Knucksie" and "Little Knucksie," respectively, learned well, going on to pitch a total of 46 major league seasons, earn six All-Star Game berths and, in perhaps their proudest achievement, combine for 539 victories. For his humanitarian service, Niekro was honored with the Lou Gehrig Award, Roberto Clemente Award and Brian Piccolo Award. 300, entered the bottom of the ninth having shut out the Jays on curveballs, slip pitches, fastballs and screwballs -- everything but a knuckleball. "Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks," said former New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer. Between 1964 and 1987, Phil racked up 318 wins (the most by a knuckleball pitcher), struck out over 3,000 and had a ERA of 3.35. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. ATLANTA (AP) Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. 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. He pitched in the major leagues from 1964 to 1987. Uecker acknowledged he did a lot of chasing. [18] After going 02 in three starts, the Blue Jays released Niekro. Only Cy Young, "Pud" Galvin and Walter Johnson pitched more innings than Niekro's 5,404. Knucksie was one of a kind. If you have any question, please contact me at knuckleballnation@gmail.com, Monday Friday: 10am 9pmSaturday: 10am 4pm, Copyright OceanWP Knuckleball Nation. Pitching coaches often struggle with knuckleball pitchers due to a lack of experience with the pitch. "He simply destroys your timing with that knuckleball," said Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. "We are . Heck, he didn't even know where it was going most of the time. But after 318 career victories over 24 big league seasons, Niekro was rewarded with the ultimate honor in Cooperstown. and he is still predominantly recognized as the premier knuckleball pitcher in the game's history. The knuckleball is radically different from any other pitch in a pitcher's arsenal, being less predictable and difficult to control. Heck, the pitch comes and goes when it feels like it and, get this, you never really master it. He had been diagnosed with prostate[31] cancer.[32][33]. We'll miss you, Knucksie. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. View Phil Niekro's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). I've been stunned before. Created by the act of throwing a ball, the ball's trajectory is significantly affected by variations in airflow caused by differences between the smooth surface of the ball and the stitching of its seams. We present them here for purely educational purposes. (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. 1978 Topps #206 Strikeout Leaders Phil Niekro Nolan Ryan - Nice Card. Other prominent knuckleball pitchers have included Joe Niekro (Phil's brother), Charlie Hough, Dave Jolly, Ben Flowers, Wilbur Wood, Barney Schultz, Tom Candiotti, Bob Purkey, Steve Sparks, Eddie Rommel, Tim Wakefield, Steven Wright, and Dickey. Seams catch on skin and send the ball spinning. 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. By 1967, Niekro was one of the top pitchers in the game, leading the NL that year with an ERA of 1.87. (Brad Mangin/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Using his trademark knuckleball to baffle hitters, Phil Niekro was named to five All-Star Games. Popular categories from this store. His longevity is attributed to his knuckleball, which is a difficult pitch to master but is easy on the arm and often baffles hitters due to its unpredictable trajectory. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. 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. Find out more. Atlanta, Sept. 27, 1987 __ Phil Niekro was in a jam. Many people, including pros, think that the pitch is thrown with fingertips dug into the seams. Ed Summers, an Indianapolis teammate of Cicotte who adopted the pitch and helped develop it, modified it by holding the ball with his fingertips and using the thumb for balance. Phil, trying for a fifth time to win No. Phil Knucksie Niekro used his expertise with the knuckleball pitch to win 318 games during a Hall of Fame career. I don't think of his knuckleball. 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. All three fingers. Signed in 1958, he didn't break through for good for nearly a decade. December 27, 2020, 9:39 AM. It was Oct. 6, 1985, the final day of the season. Phil Niekro was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission. By the end of 1987, his final season, Niekro ranked 10th among major leaguers in number of seasons played. Hij doelde daarmee op top-knuckleballers in de Major League als Tim Wakefield en Phil Niekro . In this March 29, 2007, photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. Niekro and his younger brother Joe amassed 539 wins between them, the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history. He took the mound for nearly a quarter of a century using the arm-saving pitch. Friend, teammate, father and husband. "Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. AMA! Phil, trying for a fifth time to win No. His 23 victories that season earned him second place in the National League Cy Young Award vote. He'd made a living escaping such jams with a knuckleball that would . I don't think of his 318 wins. . Historically, the term "knuckle curve" had a usage that was different from what it has in the game today. He spent six long years in the minor leagues, and once he got to the majors his fluttering knuckleball never lit up the radar gun. [33], Varitek holds the postseason record with three passed balls in the 13th inning of Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series while catching Wakefield.[34]. He . Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. Ralph Kiner compared Niekro's special pitch to "watching Mario Andretti park a car". Phil Niekro (19392020), legendary knuckleball pitcher. Joe Niekro died in 2006 at age 61. I feel like I'm surrounded by family, Niekro said of his many trips to Cooperstown. [16] He started the 1987 season with the Indians, going 711 in 26 starts. Born: 2. 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. See all categories. He would say later that he wanted to prove he was a pitcher, not just a knuckleballer. [15][16], Perhaps as a result, knuckleball pitchers often view themselves as members of an exclusive club, with its own uniform number (49, first worn by Wilhelm) and leader (Phil Niekro, whom The New Yorker in 2004 called "the undisputed Grand Poobah" of the group after Wilhelm's death). After spending 25 of his 45 years in the Braves organization, Niekro is indeed a New York Yankee. "[1] Bouton said, "Catchers hate it. [23], Among position players making pitching appearances, those who have utilized the knuckleball include Wade Boggs,[24][25] Danny Worth,[26] Alex Blandino,[27] and Ernie Clement. [1] He began the year as a relief pitcher but had earned a job in the starting rotation during the season.[9]. 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. This grip can also include digging the fingernails into the surface of the ball. It feels comfortable to me. Well, three fingers gives you a much better chance of spinning the ball, and heres why: To eliminate the spin you need to apply even pressure from two fingertips. Phil Niekro signs autographs for fans in Cooperstown at the 2011 Hall of Fame Parade of Legends.