[16] Niekro revealed a nail file in his pocket. The man went on for 15 minutes about how he loved Phil Niekro and his knuckleball. Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". WebA lot of folks are talking about Phil Niekro these days. Three days before he died, in hospice care for the cancer that would take him, Phil Niekro made one last call to his catcher, Bob Uecker - the one who made everyone This is my first call-up. I talked to him for about 15 minutes. Donations in his memory can be made to Edmondson Telford Child Advocacy Center, 603 Washington St. SW, Gainesville, Ga., 30501. Niekro was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio,[1] and attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia. Joe, best known for his time with the Houston Astros franchise, pitched in parts of two seasons with Atlanta back in the '70s. [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. Something a Milwaukee minor league catcher learned the hard way as both were coming up through the system. Joe passed away at the age of 61 in 2006 and Phil passed away following a long battle with cancer at the age of 81 in 2020. Phil Niekro, a pitcher who used his signature knuckleball to fool generations of hitters and craft a Hall of Fame career, died Saturday night in his sleep, the Braves [22], A sidearm pitcher, his pitching featured the knuckleball, which frustrated major league hitters. But in 2021 the Braves saw something they liked in J.J. during a camp for undrafted free agents. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, JENNIE: Augusta Players getting ready for Seussical, JENNIE: Downtown group plans April clean-up days, JENNIE: MCG Urogynecologist discusses intimate problems, JENNIE: Local chef expands creative talents to include, JENNIE: Golf Tournament for Easterseals East GA Autism, Niekro continues dominance, GreenJackets win again, Niekro, GreenJackets stay hot Friday night in Columbia, Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro, Our Testing Lab loved these 14 products in March, Cookware Mothers Day gifts for the foodie mom, Help your dog take the leap with the best dog steps, Plans to rebuild old skating rink and carpet shop, City leaders and water professionals encourage boating, Waynesboro Police Dept. Its just so cool. Talk about a weird assist: 253 on a strikeout. Soon after Joe died, J.J. became much more protective of his mother, Debra. It hit me in the shinguard, bounced out to Clete Boyer at third base and he threw out the runner at first. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of former Major League first baseman Lance Niekro. He then fulfilled his wish to retire as a Brave. He struggled early in his career before picking up the knuckleball. His son believes his fathers talent mightve been His uncle Phil, J.J. said, just loved baseball and could entertain anyone. He said, yes, he did. Didnt make it as a starter until the following season. [1], Between 1977 and 1979, Niekro was the league leader in complete games, innings pitched and batters faced. The one who always made the world laugh when talking about his adventures with the knuckleball. 4/09/2021 at 8:08 PM 4/09/2021 at Niekro is related to a pair of former Braves pitchers: he's the son of Joe and the nephew of Phil. 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. [1], From 1971 to 1973, he combined for a record of 4436. 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. Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA, High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH), Debut: J.J. Niekro is the son of Joe Niekro and the nephew of Phil Niekro. Phil Niekro was a legendary Hall of Fame pitcher who was known for his knuckleball pitch who mostly played for the Braves. Three days before he died, in hospice care for the cancer that would take him, Niekro made one last call to his catcher. Joseph Franklin Niekro was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. If anyone should tell the story of Phil Niekro and the pitch that made him a Braves folk hero, its rightly those former teammates on the receiving end of his dancing knuckleball. I remember (Hall of Fame second baseman Joe) Morgan came to the park one day and saw (Niekros) name in the lineup, and he went in and told (manager) Sparky Anderson he didnt want to hit off him cause it put him in a slump for two days. Bats: Right Throws: Right. J.J. says the Lord had one more surprise: The Braves sending him to Augusta to begin his pro career. He throws a four-seam fastball, two types of sliders he recently developed a sweeping slider and a change-up. Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. Joe threw harder than his brother Phil and could set up batters nearly as effectively with his fastball in combination with his excellent changeup. Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, and grew up in Lansing, Ohio, the son of Henrietta (Klinkoski) and Philip Niekro. 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. All these years later, what else was there to do but laugh about it? He was strong enough that I understood everything that he was saying. On October 1, with the Braves clinging to a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Niekro beat the San Diego Padres almost single-handedly by throwing a complete game shutout and hitting a two-run home run. Joe soon died of a brain aneurysm, leaving behind a family that included his brother, the now-late Braves Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Knowing Knucksie he could have pitched every day and never bitched about it.. [11] In his three seasons with New York, he went 1415 with a 4.58 ERA in 188.2 total innings. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Phils family, friends and the many fans he earned throughout his life in our National Pastime., Niekro was one of HOF's great ambassadors. Just to say that Im a Niekro, I am in baseball and Im doing exactly what they thought I would be doing.. 1979 also saw the Niekro brothers tie for the wins leader in Major League Baseball, marking this the only year that two brothers shared this statistic. By the early 1940s, the Niekro family had moved to nearby Lansing, Ohio, about seven miles west of Wheeling, West Virginia. Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro, the greatest pitcher of the first quarter-century of Atlanta Braves baseball, died late Saturday at age 81. By the early 1940s, the Niekro family had moved to nearby Lansing, Ohio, about seven miles west of The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. His aunt lives in the Augusta area. Trying to hit that thing is a miserable way to make a living. [17] Tschida revealed in 2021 that "[Joe] had a hunk of sandpaper trimmed and glued to the palm of his left hand. If I hit it, I hit it. Its been a blast so far, J.J. Niekro said. He allowed one hit while striking out one and allowing no runs. Joe and Phil Niekro hold the record for most wins by two brothers with 539 - 221 by Joe and 318 by Phil. He was 81. They had gouges the size of a half-dollar. He won the National League Gold Glove Award five times, was selected to five All-Star teams, and led the league in victories twice and earned run average once. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. He also made the National League All-Star team in 1979, a season in which he led the league with his 21 wins and five shutouts, won the TSN Pitcher of the Year Award, and ended second in voting for the Cy Young Award behind Bruce Sutter. Jamie Moyer ranks second in both categories with 105 wins and 1551 1/3 innings. It meant the world to me.. [3][4] He was of Polish descent. Web Philip Henry Niekro, 1939 41 - 2020 1226 . Common to all those who caught Niekro and knew him best as a ballplayer was just what a fine teammate and decent fellow he was. He blossomed into a dominant pitcher as he perfected his knuckleball in Houston, going 2111 in 1979 and 2012 in 1980, to become the first Astros pitcher to win 20 games in consecutive seasons. Two sons, Philip Henry Jr. and Joseph Franklin, would follow. His son believes his fathers talent mightve been overlooked. Phil Niekro, a pitcher who used his signature knuckleball to fool generations of hitters and craft a Hall of Fame career, died Saturday night in his sleep, the Braves announced Sunday. vs. SFG 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: In 1980, Houston had a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, then lost their last three games of the regular season in Los Angeles, to force a one-game playoff. 1964 s 1987 kztt Phil 318 gyzelmet aratott (a legtbbet cslks dobval), 3000 feletti gyzelmet aratott, s ERA-rtke 3,35 volt. For J.J., theyre Dad He finished the 1985 season with a 1612 record, the final time he won 15 or more games in a single season. [21], At the age of 48, Niekro was the oldest player in major league history to play regularly until Julio Franco played at age 49 in 2007. Bob Uecker: He told me that he was ready. Over more than a decade of serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hall of Fame, his wisdom, his compassion, and his love for the game proved to be invaluable in helping us shape our decisions. After Joe Niekro died, Phil became like a father to J.J. He used to throw it so hard, and he never knew where it was going to wind up and neither did you. Along with Al Santorini, he led the Padres in wins with eight. Niekro was one of HOF's great ambassadors. WebHe was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of former Major League first baseman Lance Niekro. He pitched six innings of Game 2 and left with a 32 lead. The brother I try to keep the underdog mentality, the guy on the bottom of the totem pole, J.J. said. The legendary knuckleballer had been battling cancer in recent years. The world was always slow to come around to the son of an Ohio coal miner. Some games when he went out there, if he kept shaking you off and you didnt put down something else other than a knuckleball, hed throw whatever he wanted to throw anyway. After the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966, Niekro was still working in relief. And they may all have deserved a medal. How do I be better?, You wont find J.J. on top prospect lists. [1], In 1983, he went 1110 and won his fifth Gold Glove Award. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. At 46 years, 188 days, Niekro became the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout in the major leagues. J.J. and his friend played video games at the friends house, the final moments before he would experience a cruel tragedy. And he was dying. And Cesar Geronimo got a hit. If I dont, I dont.. The Braves finished 3rd, 4th, and 5th in their division. All Rights Reserved. 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