Nancy and I are deeply saddened by the news today of the passing of Phil Niekro. 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. He's the toast of two towns, New York andha-haAtlanta, and he has even been dubbed St. Knucksie. Niekro has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced today. 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 . Phil Niekro (19392020), legendary knuckleball pitcher. Phil Niekro weighed 180 lbs (81 kg) when playing. "[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. The origins of the knuckleball are unclear. The fingertip grip is more commonly used today by knuckleball pitchers, like retired Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who had a knuckleball with a lot of movement. Sun 27 Dec 2020 13.34 EST. [8], Niekro debuted with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964, working 15 major league innings and spending time with the team's class AAA minor league affiliate. [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]. in Blaine, OH Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. His total of 5,404+13 innings pitched is the most by any pitcher in the post-1920 live-ball era. "They may not be intimidated by them, but they sure are thinking about them before they go into the box.". He missed the 1963 season due to military service. 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". vs. SFG 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: A successful knuckleball shot will move, dip, or wobble in the air unpredictably, making it difficult for the goalkeeper to save. http://www.courtsidetweets.comPhil Niekro of the New York Yankees wins his 300th game in Toronto against the Blue Jays! Share He was the only player elected that year; Tony Prez and Don Sutton were among the notable eligible players who were not elected that year. The Boston Red Sox, in their 2004 world championship season, had Mirabelli regularly catching in place of Jason Varitek when Tim Wakefield was pitching. Updated pitcher list, and average pitch speed for Dickey/Wakefield. Perplexed catchers and managers wary of passed balls and wild pitches were reasons often cited for Niekro's extended stay in the Braves' minor league system. Phil, Trying to hit him, said Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer, is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks.. Because the speed of any prospect's pitch is one of the quickest and easiest metrics in judging the skill of the prospect, the knuckleball, which is thrown slower than any other pitch, gets overlooked. In 1979, Phil, pitching for the Braves, and Joe, for the Astros, tied for the most victories in the National League, with 21 each. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. 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. By all accounts, Niekro, like Murphy and legendary former Braves manager Bobby Cox Niekro's manager from 1978-81 and the general manager when the Braves brought Niekro back in 1987 are . "I think the hardest thing for me is just the alone-ness that you feel sometimes because nobody else really does it," said Wakefield. By the end of 1987, his final season, Niekro ranked 10th among major leaguers in number of seasons played. However, the Cardinals scored two late runs after Niekro left the game and would eventually sweep the series. pic.twitter.com/bGjFBMJZrL, Full Obituary: Atlanta Journal Constitution. Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA, High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH), Debut: 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. in speed, and things like that." . [14], Another factor contributing to the rarity of the knuckleball is the difficulty of throwing the pitch. 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. [2] It was his third and final 20-win season and his second and final 20-loss season. We present them here for purely educational purposes. On Sunday we learned that Phil Niekro, the greatest knuckleball pitcher in baseball history, had died of cancer the day before at age 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. There are other prominent knuckleball pitchers like Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who had a very effective knuckler and knuckle curve, and Cy Young Award winning pitcher R. A. Dickey. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1997. He would go on for two more decades living inside hitters' heads. The asymmetric drag that results tends to deflect the trajectory toward the side with the stitches. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Shipping speed. [10], In 1970, he went 1218 with a 4.27 ERA in what turned out to be a down year. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the knuckles, hence the name of the pitch. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. Two later pitchers, Jesse Haines and Freddie Fitzsimmons, were sometimes characterized as knuckleball pitchers even by their contemporaries, but in their cases it again refers to a harder-thrown, curving pitch that would probably not be called a knuckleball today. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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 looks much older. Niekro was a five-time All-Star and pitched a no-hitter in 1973 against the Padres. 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. Some knuckleballers have continued to pitch professionally well into their forties: Tim Wakefield, Hoyt Wilhelm, R. A. Dickey, Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti, and the brothers Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro. I was not going to get myself so high. Phil's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record. [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. 5.0. In 24 seasons with the Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays, Niekro was 318-274 with a 3.35 ERA. December 27, 2020, 9:39 AM. He finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award that year. Twenty years after he broke into the majors, 45-year-old starter Phil Niekro deals a knuckleball against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium, Aug. 8, 1984. 1965 Topps Clay Carroll, Phil Niekro #461. ASSOCIATED . As of 2021, four primary knuckleball pitchers are in the Baseball Hall of Fame today. Phil Niekro showing his grip at the Baseball Hall of Fame. [10] Another reason for the difficulty of the knuckleball is due to the network effect. 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. 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 . He went 1111 with a 4.32 ERA. Niekro was a five-time All-Star and pitched a no-hitter in . Phil Niekro, 300-game winner and Hall of Famer, passed away on Dec. 26 at the age of 81. Our hearts go out to Nancy Niekro, the kids and grandkids. A trip to Cooperstown has something for baseball fans and everyone else. 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. R. A. Dickey argues that, "for most managers, it takes a special manager to be able to really trust it the bad and the good of it. He was known for his knuckleball, and had a career record of 318-274. They all sit behind home plate." Bob Uecker During 24 big league seasons, Phil Niekro rode his knuckleball to 5,404 innings pitched - the most of any pitcher who started his career in the live ball era. Phil Niekro, a pitcher who used his signature knuckleball to fool generations of hitters and craft a Hall of Fame career, died Saturday night . Do you have a blog? In addition, the lack of backspin does shorten the length of the delivery, and also tends to make the ball skid off the pitchfaster than it would come off a normal delivery.[35]. 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. By Jim Murray. 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. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Position the Ball Niekro was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and served on the Museums Board of Directors since 2009. It was Oct. 6, 1985, the final day of the season. AMA! 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. He always represented his sport extraordinarily well, and he will be deeply missed. His success eventually forced the team to take a chance on a knuckleballer as a starting pitcher. 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. 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. 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! 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. Phil Niekro Phil is probably the best known knuckleball pitcher. In this March 29, 2007, photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. Friend, teammate, father and husband. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. He set a major league record by playing 24 seasons in the major leagues without a World Series appearance. Because there are so few knuckleball pitchers, the resources for learning and improving the knuckleball are few compared to more common pitches. 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 . Phil Niekro signs autographs for fans in Cooperstown at the 2011 Hall of Fame Parade of Legends. Phil, trying for a fifth time to win No. 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. [2] Because they cannot discuss pitching with non knuckleball-using teammates, they often share tips and insights even if on competing teams, and believe that they have a responsibility to help younger players develop the pitch. [1] In 1966, Niekro split time again between the Braves and their minor league system, going 43 with a 4.11 earned run average (ERA). Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for all the latest updates. After work hours guitarist, DJ, record label owner and New York style pizza aficionado. [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. Not many pitchers start out with it, and you can't expect to pick it up overnight. MISTER KNUCKLEBALL MASTER YOU WILL BE MISSED. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s . Phil Niekro owns one of, if not, the best knuckleball in MLB history. Self-guided tour or VIP experience. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. [16] He started the 1987 season with the Indians, going 711 in 26 starts. [10], Coaches have also been seen as a barrier to succeeding with the knuckleball. It speculates that the appearance of abrupt shifting may be due to the unpredictability of the changes in direction.[9]. Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. 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.'" He was kind, a gentleman, family man, master of his trade and teamate 84-85. 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. The Hall said in an announcement Sunday that Niekro died overnight. [14] Niekro struck Burroughs out to end the game. 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. "We are . If staying in the majors could be owed to the knuckler, the same factor might also explain Niekro's initial difficulty in reaching the big leagues. Nobody likes to warm up with you." Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. For the 2012 documentary film, see, position players making pitching appearances, Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, "The Physics of Baseball: Knuckleball Research", "I am 2-time NL MVP Dale Murphy, former MLB player for the Braves, Phillies and Rockies. [2] If a knuckleball does not change direction in mid-flight, however, then it is easy to hit due to its lack of speed. [2] Other accounts attribute the pitch's creation to Charles H. Druery, a pitcher in the Blue Ridge League. 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. Since it typically only travels 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113km/h),[7] far slower than the average major league fastball 85 to 95 miles per hour (137 to 153km/h), it can be hit very hard if there is no movement. He pitched six innings of Game 2 and left with a 32 lead. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. His 23 victories that season earned him second place in the National League Cy Young Award vote. Phil Niekro was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1997. "[26], After the end of his professional baseball career, Niekro managed the all-women Colorado Silver Bullets baseball team. [33] It was tied by Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who rode his knuckleball to 318 victories, was the seventh Hall of Famer to pass away in 2020. . Pinstripes look just fine on Phil Niekro. 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. "Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks," said former New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer. ATLANTA (AP) Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. Find out more. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. When you start off learning the knuckleball, it can be frustrating. As a mentor, leader and friend, Phil brought out the best in all of us in Cooperstown. A paper presented at the 2012 Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association argues, based on PITCHf/x data, that knuckleballs do not make large and abrupt changes in their trajectories on the way to home plateor at least, no more abrupt than a normal pitch. Niekro joined Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver as Hall of Famers who died in 2020 -- the most ever to pass away in a calendar year, according to Hall of Fame spokesman Jon Shestakofsky. This grip can also include digging the fingernails into the surface of the ball. He would teach his sons, Phil Jr. and Joe, the pitch when they were youngsters. A pitch thrown completely without spin is less desirable, however, than one with a very slight spin. Many thanks to him. A reporter once noted that Phil is 48 but you'd never know it. Phil Niekro owns one of, if not, the best knuckleball in MLB history. Vic DeLucia/The New York Times. The Hall of Fame knuckleballer died at 81 years old after a battle with cancer, his former team announced Sunday. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades . Aug. 30, 1987 12 AM PT. It hit me in the shinguard, bounced out to Clete Boyer at third base and he threw out the runner at first. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. (Voted by BBWAA on 380/473 ballots) [15], After two seasons in New York, Niekro pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1986. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. 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. [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. Dont do it. 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). All three fingers. [30] The "knuckleball catcher" is equipped with an oversized knuckleball catcher's mitt,[31] similar to a first baseman's glove; Doug Mirabelli, formerly of the Red Sox, used a softball catcher's mitt. [12] Niekro was given the nickname "Knucksie" during his career. [1] Niekro retired at the end of the season. [12] He won 16 games in 1984 and made his fifth and final All-Star appearance. How much did Phil Niekro weigh when playing? He found both in 1967, when he was united with Bob Uecker, a veteran reserve backstop with many quips and sage advice. [3] In 1917, Druery taught the pitch to Eddie Rommel who became successful with it for the Philadelphia Athletics.[4]. [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. They hold the record for most combined wins by siblings in a career with 539.