"Ueck told me if I was ever going to be a winner to throw the knuckleball at all times and he would try to catch it," Niekro said. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. Philip Henry Niekro was born on April 1, 1939, in Blaine, Ohio. His brother Joe Niekro even pays him . Phil Niekro's big league career was never about speed. 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. Friend, teammate, father and husband. When done correctly, the float serve is hard for opponents to predict where the ball will end up, thus rendering it hard to pass. Rich in anecdotes and interviews, this book shares the unique stories of Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, and many others. 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. All three fingers. "[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. He finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award that year. 1965 Topps Clay Carroll, Phil Niekro #461. [15], After two seasons in New York, Niekro pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1986. 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. I don't think of his knuckleball. He reinvented pitching by adding this slow, crazy moving pitch. Because there are so few knuckleball pitchers, the resources for learning and improving the knuckleball are few compared to more common pitches. Ferrell knew knuckleballs: he had the task of being the Washington Senators catcher in 194445, when the Senators had four knuckleball pitchers in their starting rotation. Share In November 2008, it was announced that 16-year-old knuckleballer Eri Yoshida was drafted as the first woman ever to play in Japanese professional baseball for the Kobe 9 Cruise of the Kansai Independent Baseball League. Phil Niekro weighed 180 lbs (81 kg) when playing. (Jean Fruth/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Cleveland Indians uniform cap worn by Phil Niekro facing the Detroit Tigers on June 1, 1987, when he gained his 314th career win, making the Niekro brothers the all-time brother-combined leaders in wins with 530 - B-98-87 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro pitching as Atlanta Brave, 1981 - BL-2710-2000 (Rick Pilling/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Niekro remembered for mastery of the knuckleball, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. 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. The fingers that stabilize the ball shouldnt be on any seams. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. [39], One of the main proponents of this shooting technique was Brazilian playmaker Juninho Pernambucano, who popularised it in particular during his time with Lyon in the mid 2000s;[40] however, it is commonly thought to have been invented by compatriot Didi,[37][41][42] although Italian forward Giuseppe Meazza before him is also credited with using the technique. He took the mound for nearly a quarter of a century using the arm-saving pitch. Regardless of how the ball is gripped, the purpose of the knuckleball is to have the least possible amount of rotational spin. [10], Coaches have also been seen as a barrier to succeeding with the knuckleball. Niekro was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and served on the Museums Board of Directors since 2009. 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 . But that was nothing new. [7] He pitched for several minor league teams at several levels for the next few years, appearing mostly as a relief pitcher. When I think of Phil Niekro, two things come to mind. Knuckleball paved Phil Niekro's path to Hall. $5.98 + $1.98 shipping. Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA, High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH), Debut: He played most of his many seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves alongside brief stops with the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Cleveland. 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. Niekro's 318 career victories are the most by a knuckleballer and rank 16th on MLB's all-time wins list. It was a career summed up by his dedication to a pitch that can be as confounding as it is unhittable. 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. He was kind, a gentleman, family man, master of his trade and teamate 84-85. You do not push a knuckleball with the fingers. He returned to Louisville in 1962 and had a 96 record. Avoid the seams. Even a ball thrown without rotation will "flutter", due to the "apparent wind" it feels as its trajectory changes throughout its flight path.[5]. (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro (left) greets members of Team Knucksie, including Alan Trammell (center), before the 2015 Hall of Fame Classic Game in Cooperstown. He missed the 1963 season due to military service. 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]. 5/08 - initial page AKA This grip is also called knuckler, dancer, or floater. Carroll would go on to become a two-time All-Star reliever for the Cincinnati Reds and would notch 143 saves over his career. [1] That season, Phil and Joe Niekro were NL co-leaders in wins. Phil Niekro Phil is probably the best known knuckleball pitcher. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Shipping speed. He looks much older. The nice thing about Phil Niekro is, he doesn't look his age. I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission. In-person Lessons at the Knuckleball Academy, Knuckleball Grip, Part 3: Depth of the Baseball. [36] This technique has also been described as the "dry leaf" or "dead leaf" ("folha seca" in Portuguese),[37] the "tomahawk",[38] or even "the accursed" ("maledetta" in Italian). Not many pitchers start out with it, and you can't expect to pick it up overnight. [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. Biographical Information [] "It actually giggles at you as it goes by." - Rick Monday, discussing Niekro's famous knuckleball Phil Niekro was, by several years, the last man born in the 1930s to be playing Major League Baseball. "Catching Niekro's knuckleball was great," said Uecker, now a Hall of Fame announcer. He would go on for two more decades living inside hitters' heads. Former catcher Bob Uecker, who caught for Phil Niekro, said, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up. This is due to both the knuckleball's low average speed and its erratic movement, which force the catcher to keep focusing on the ball even after the runners start stealing their next bases. Tim Wakefield argues that "The problem is that [baseball] is so radar gun-oriented." Niekro was the king of the knuckleballers, ranking first in victories and strikeouts (3,342). National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro a longtime pitcher for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves who was known for his blistering knuckleball died in his sleep . The team was eliminated from the playoffs after losing the next two games. How tall was Phil Niekro? "Catching Niekro's knuckleball was great. 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 relief for . He spent the next season with the Class AA Austin Senators. [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. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. [18], When originally developed, the knuckleball was used by a number of pitchers as simply one pitch in their repertoire, usually as part of changing speeds from their fastball. In baseball terminology the pitcher and catcher together are known as a "battery", and having a catcher experienced in catching a knuckleball pitcher is preferable, so the trade of pitcher and catcher together is sometimes referred to as a "batteries included" trade. [10] This effect is increasing over time as the modern game continues to emphasize power in pitching and average pitch speed increases.[11]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The origins of the knuckleball are unclear. One 2007 study offered evidence for this conclusion. Do you have a blog? Phil Niekro was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1997. "I figured if there's any way I'm going to win my 300th game by striking the guy out, I was going to do it with the pitch that won the first game for me," Niekro said. 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 never knew how to throw a fastball, never learned how to throw a curveball, a slider, split-finger, whatever they're throwing nowadays," he said. 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. Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, and Jesse Haines, three pitchers who primarily relied on the knuckleball, have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. "He was a constant presence over the years, in our clubhouse, our alumni activities and throughout Braves Country and we will forever be grateful for having him be such an important part of our organization. Your pointer and middle fingertips throw the knuckleball. As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the knuckles, hence the name of the pitch. Sometimes young players will throw the knuckleball with their knuckles flat against the ball, giving it less spin but also making it difficult to throw any significant distance. On October 6, 1985, Niekro gained entry into the 300 win club with a shutout win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Nobody likes to warm up with you." 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He . Check out some of his b. Phil Niekro was preceded in death by Joe Niekro, who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm in 2006. Other names for the knuckleball have generally alluded to its motion and slower speed. The ball completes between one-quarter and one-half a rotation on its way from the pitcher to the batter; the position of the stitches changes as the ball travels, affecting the drag that gives the ball its motion, thus making its flight erratic. ATLANTA 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 Braves, has died . All rights reserved. While he was briefly promoted to the Class AAA Louisville Colonels in 1960, he spent the rest of that season pitching for the Jacksonville Braves. 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. I got to meet a lot of important people. Put yourself into a position to give yourself a chance and use two fingertips. 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. "We are . For example, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas went with Dickey when the pitcher was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in late 2012, and the team later signed Henry Blanco, who also caught for Dickey. The resulting motion of the pitch more closely resembles a curveball, which explains the combination name. His knuckleball led him to five All-Star selections, three 20-win seasons for the Atlanta Braves, the 300-win club, and ultimately, to Cooperstown. It features the Knucksie Sandwich, made with barbecue pork and cole slaw atop a corn muffin, said to be his favorite. [1] He was released by the Yankees before the 1986 season started. "It actually giggles at you as it goes by," said former outfielder Rick Monday. 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. Keep up with headlines and events at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and see who will be taking their place in history next. Talk about a weird assist: 253 on a strikeout. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Phil's family, friends and the many fans he earned throughout his life in our National Pastime.". Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities. Tom Candiotti, a notable knuckler in his time and a teammate of Niekro's with the 1986 Cleveland Indians, said that talking to Knucksie was "like talking to Thomas Edison about light bulbs.". The Hall of Fame knuckleballer died at 81 years old after a battle with cancer, his former team announced Sunday. [1], In 1983, he went 1110 and won his fifth Gold Glove Award. You get beaten down to learn another @baseballhall friend #PhilNiekro passed away. This grip can also include digging the fingernails into the surface of the ball. Do you have a sports website? Instead, you will feel like it "shoots" out as the ball leaves your fingertips. And traditionally, if you look at Tim Wakefield, Joe and Phil Niekro, Tom Candiotti, Wilbur Wood, Hoyt Wilhelm and all the guys that threw it, through their success they had guys who really believed in what it could do long-term and committed to giving them the ball every fifth day to do it.