Phil Niekro, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher Phil Niekro, who spent the bulk of his 24-year career with the Atlanta Braves using a knuckleball, passed away in his sleep last night following a battle with cancer. He was 81.

Niekro becomes the seventh member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to die in 2020. Indeed, just last night, the MLB Network aired a special Icons Lost in tribute to Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford and Joe Morgan. Hours later another member would fall.

An Ohio native, Niekro would sign out of high school with the Milwaukee Braves in 1958. Niekro would not reach the majors until the 1964 season. With the help of Bob Uecker of all people, Niekro put himself on the map in 1967 when he led the NL in ERA with 1.87. In 1969, by this time pitching in Atlanta, Niekro won a career high 23 games en route to the inaugural NL West title and finished runner up in NL Cy Young balloting to - you might have guessed it - Tom Seaver. 

Between 1967 and 1986, Niekro was double digit in wins every season except for the strike shortened 1981 season. On a personal note, I saw Niekro pitch that season in the first very first big league game I attended in Montreal. The Braves won 5-4 in 12 innings although Niekro was not involved in the decision.

In 1979, Niekro started 44 games and had a record of 21-20. He is the last MLB pitcher to start more than 40 games in a season as well as win and lose 20 games in a season. Indeed, Niekro lost 20 games in a season twice in his career and led the NL in losses four straight seasons (1977-1980).

Niekro earned his 300th career win in a New York Yankees uniform shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays on the last day of the 1985 season. On that day, Niekro eschewed throwing the knuckleball until striking out his former Braves teammate Jeff Burroughs to end the game. At the time, Niekro was the oldest pitcher in MLB history to toss a shutout (a record bested by Jamie Moyer in 2010).

After stints with the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays, Niekro finished his big league career with the Braves in 1987. In all, Niekro went 318-274 with a 3.35 ERA with 3342 strikeouts (7th on the all-time MLB list) with 5 NL All-Star Game selections and 5 Gold Gloves. Niekro twice led the NL in wins, led the NL in games started, complete games and innings pitched four times apiece.

Following his big league career, Niekro spent several years managing the Colorado Silver Bullets - an all-female baseball team. 

Niekro's younger brother Joe also had a distinguished career as a knuckleballer and was teammates with his brother in Atlanta in 1973 and 1974 and with the Yankees in 1985. Their combined 539 wins is the most for a pair of brothers in big league history. The younger Niekro passed away in 2006. 

Phil Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 in his fifth year on the ballot. I leave you with his Hall of Fame induction speech. R.I.P.