Phil Niekro
Throwing his last pitch when he was 48 years old, Phil Niekro fluttered and floated his knuckleball for almost a quarter of a century, winning 318 games and logging at least 200 innings in 20 seasons. He toiled for the Braves for parts of 21 years, bridging the gap between Warren Spahn and Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy and Tom Glavine. He and brother Joe won 539 games in the major leagues, the greatest total in history by siblings. Niekro won five Gold Glove awards and won at least 15 games on 13 occasions. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 866 |
1537 |
260 |
80 |
7 |
109 |
0 |
.169 |
.211 |
.183 |
.395 |
56.0 |
|
Where does Phil Niekro rank among baseball greats?
Phil Niekro ranks #29 among the Top 50 all-time at SP. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1974
In a season when teammate Hank Aaron eclipsed Babe Ruth's home run record, Niekro led the NL with 20 wins and was second in ERA (2.38), and shutouts (6). He paced the league in innings, games started and complete games. He also saved one game and drove in 10 runs on the season.
Factoids
No one ever played as many seasons as Phil Niekro (24), without appearing in the World Series.
Twice in his career, Phil Niekro hit into a triple play. Both times, the outs were recorded 5-4-3.
On May 8, 1976, the Pirates put up four runs in the first inning against Phil Niekro and the Braves, who came into the game with a 12-game losing streak. Owner Ted Turner, who was serving as manager at the time, climbed on top of the team's dugout, assumed a death pose, and lay flat on his back to show his displeasure. Atlanta lost their 13th straight.
The Magical 300th Win
Niekro notched his 300th win with the Yankees, on the final day of the 1985 season. He hurled an 8-0 shutout over the Blue Jays, becoming the oldest pitcher (at 46) to throw a complete game shutout. He was also the first man to win his 300th game in a New York Yankees' uniform. Niekro relied on his fastball (somewhere in the mid-80s), curve and slider until the final batter, when he finally threw a knuckleball.
For weeks, Niekro had been flying back to be by his father's side in the hospital. His father seemed near-death, and Phil and his brother Joe, as well as their mother, lingered at the bed for days. Finally, Phil wasn't sure what to do - return to the Yankees to pitch or stay? One day, his father was alert enough to scribble some words on a piece of paper. They read "Win - Hap..." Phil and Joe took it to mean that if Phil won his 300th game, his father would be happy. Phil flew off and tried a few times but lost. Finally he won it against Toronto.
During the game, Niekro's father and mother listened to the play-by-play at the hospital through a special feed provided by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. At one point in the game, Mr. Niekro raised himself up a bit and said, "Sonny boy is pitching a hell of a game."
When Phil and Joe returned (joe was a reliever for the Yankees), Phil presented the game ball to his father. His father made a miraculous recovery and lived for two more years.
Most Career Wins, Brothers
Phil (318) and Joe Niekro (221) = 539
Gaylord (314) and Jim Perry (215) = 529
Born
Philip Henry Niekro was born on April 1, 1939, in Blaine, OH.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
4 15,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1964
Tony Perez
Bert Campaneris
Don Kessinger
Paul Blair
Lou Piniella
Phil Niekro
Luis Tiant
Mel Stottlemyre
Mickey Stanley
Nicknames
Knucksie
Uniform Numbers
#35 (1964-1987)
Similar Players
Dutch Leonard, Hoyt Wilhelm
Related Players
Hoyt Wilhelm, Tom Candiotti, Joe Niekro
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1993 |
BBWAA |
278 |
65.7% |
1994 |
BBWAA |
273 |
60.0% |
1995 |
BBWAA |
286 |
62.2% |
1996 |
BBWAA |
321 |
68.3% |
1997 |
BBWAA |
380 |
80.3% |
|
No-Hitter
8/5/1973: For ATL (N) vs. SD (N), 9-0 at ATL. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1969 National League Championship Series
1982 National League Championship Series
Post-Season Notes
Niekro started Game One of the 1969 NLCS, taking the loss to Tom Seaver, 9-5, though Braves' reliever Cecil Upshaw owns part of the blame, coming into a one-run game in the eighth inning and allowing the Mets to rally for the win. In Game Two of the 1982 NLCS, Niekro again had some tough luck, leaving for Gene Garber in the 7th inning with a 3-2 lead. The Braves lost 4-3.
Awards and Honors
1978 NL Gold Glove
1979 NL Gold Glove
1980 NL Gold Glove
1982 NL Gold Glove
1983 NL Gold Glove
Milestones
- May 1, 1979: 200th Win...
- July 4, 1984: 3000th strikeout... Larry Parrish
- October 6, 1985: 300th Win...
Transactions
Signed as an amateur free agent by Milwaukee Braves (July 19, 1958); Released by Atlanta Braves (October 7, 1983); Signed by New York Yankees (January 5, 1984); Granted free agency (November 12, 1985); Signed by New York Yankees (January 8, 1986); Released by New York Yankees (March 28, 1986); Signed by Cleveland Indians (April 3, 1986); Traded by Cleveland Indians to Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Darryl Landrum and a player to be named later (August 9, 1987) - Cleveland Indians received Don Gordon (August 10, 1987); Released by Toronto Blue Jays (August 31, 1987); Signed by Atlanta Braves (September 23, 1987).
All-Star Selections
1969 NL
1975 NL
1978 NL
1982 NL
1984 AL
Replaced
Tony Cloninger, who suffered a serious injury and missed much of 1967 and 1968.
Replaced By
The Indians actually had Niekro (age 48), and Steve Carlton (42) in their 1987 rotation. Gradually throughout the season, the two veterans gave way to youngsters Darrel Akerfelds, Rich Yett, and Scott Bailes. On April 8, Niekro started against the Blue Jays and was relieved by Carlton, as Cleveland prevailed, 14-3. It was the first time two 300-game winners pitched for the same team in the same game.
Best Strength as a Player
Longevity. In 1984, 45-year old Niekro was a teammate on the Yankees of Jose Rijo, an 18-year old pitching phenom. Niekro had earned his first major league victory on the day Rijo was born.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Never getting on a pennant-winning team.
Learn More about Phil Niekro
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