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Or write about sports? Many current pitchers throw a curveball using a grip with the index finger touching the ball with the knuckle or fingertip (also called a spike curve). He was the master of the most uncontrollable pitch baseball has ever seen an offering so confusing that its name, the knuckleball, is actually a misnomer. Phil Niekro, the Hall of Fame pitcher who confounded batters with his fluttering knuckleballs . Niekro learned his knuckler as a 12-year-old from his coal miner father in Ohio. [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. On March 2, 2010, she trained with Tim Wakefield at the Boston Red Sox minor-league training facility. Burroughs struck out, giving the Yankees an 8-0 victory and Niekro his milestone. "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. He reinvented pitching by adding this slow, crazy moving pitch. He returned to Louisville in 1962 and had a 96 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. [9] He appeared in 37 games, finishing with a 1412 record and 15 complete games. Niekro passed away on Dec. 26, 2020, at the age of 81. "Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks," said former New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer. The nice thing about Phil Niekro is, he doesn't look his age. Find out more. Show your love of the game and play a part in preserving past and ensuring the future of the Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. [20] On September 27, he made his final start of his career, pitching three innings and surrendering five runs in the no-decision. According to Adair, the 150ms minimum human reaction time may be too slow to adjust to a knuckleball's changing direction.[2]. Geno Petralli of the Texas Rangers in 1987 while trying to catch knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough, and tied again in 2013 when Ryan Lavarnway of the Boston Red Sox had four in the first inning, catching knuckleballer Steven Wright in Wright's first major league start. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. 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. 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. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). He appeared in relief three times, earning two saves. 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. Reserve your tickets, map your route, and work out all the details for your arrival in Cooperstown. MISTER KNUCKLEBALL MASTER YOU WILL BE MISSED. This change adds a deflecting force to the baseball, making it difficult for batters to hit but also difficult for pitchers to control and catchers to catch . First called up by Milwaukee in 1964, Niekro seesawed between the majors and minors, a pitcher struggling to find a niche and willing catchers. I don't think of his Hall of Fame plaque. Sun 27 Dec 2020 13.34 EST. Following his baseball career, he managed the Colorado Silver Bullets, an all-women baseball team in the late 1990s. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a . [10] Another reason for the difficulty of the knuckleball is due to the network effect. It was a career summed up by his dedication to a pitch that can be as confounding as it is unhittable. If you have any question, please contact me at knuckleballnation@gmail.com, Monday Friday: 10am 9pmSaturday: 10am 4pm, Copyright OceanWP Knuckleball Nation. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. With the Braves Niekro earned 268 of his career 318 . A pitch thrown completely without spin is less desirable, however, than one with a very slight spin. 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. On August 26, the first time Victor Martinez caught Wakefield, he used a first baseman's glove, instead of a regular catcher's mitt. "Catching Niekro's knuckleball was great," said Uecker, now a Hall of Fame announcer. After the season, the Braves released him.[11]. Phil Niekro pitched a no . Joe Niekro. Niekro p Phil Niekro achieved . The baseball field where he played at Bridgeport High School's Perkins Field athletic complex was renamed "The Niekro Diamond" in 2008 after Phil and his brother, fellow major league pitcher Joe Niekro. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He did not throw his trademark knuckleball throughout the game until the final hitter;[13] to former AL MVP Jeff Burroughs. Coaches are quick to banish the pitch after one bad outing. It was Oct. 6, 1985, the final day of the season. By ESPN.com news services. 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. His longevity is attributed to his knuckleball, which is a difficult pitch to master but is easy on the arm and often baffles hitters due to its unpredictable trajectory. [50], This article is about the baseball pitch. Additionally, Ted Lyons, another member of the Hall of Fame, relied heavily on the knuckleball after injuring his arm in 1931. But Niekro, who pitched for the Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays for 24 seasons, was more . He finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting in both 1978 and 1979, and made his third All-Star appearance in 1978, as well as winning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1978 to 1980. Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA, High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH), Debut: [15], After two seasons in New York, Niekro pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1986. Many people, including pros, think that the pitch is thrown with fingertips dug into the seams. (Age 48-179d) Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. Even a ball thrown without rotation will "flutter", due to the "apparent wind" it feels as its trajectory changes throughout its flight path.[5]. He set a major league record by playing 24 seasons in the major leagues without a World Series appearance. April 1, 1939 Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season, View Player Bio Keep up with headlines and events at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and see who will be taking their place in history next. 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 this March 29, 2007, photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. It hit me in the shinguard, bounced out to Clete Boyer at third base and he threw out the runner at first. "He simply destroys your timing with that knuckleball," said Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. [] You get beaten down to learn another @baseballhall friend #PhilNiekro passed away. [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]. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. https://www.mlb.com/ He took the mound for nearly a quarter of a century using the arm-saving pitch. (Voted by BBWAA on 380/473 ballots) inFlowery Branch,GA, Buried: Born: 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Share 4.9. De knuckleball is n van de worpen waarvan een honkbalwerper zich in een wedstrijd kan bedienen. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades . He finished the 1985 season with a 1612 record, the final time he won 15 or more games in a single season. 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. As I discussed earlier, there are a few different ways to grip the knuckleball. 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. 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. 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. "We are . [10], In 1970, he went 1218 with a 4.27 ERA in what turned out to be a down year. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. and he is still predominantly recognized as the premier knuckleball pitcher in the game's history. Niekro joined Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson . Phil, Trying to hit him, said Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer, is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks.. When you start off learning the knuckleball, it can be frustrating. Phil Niekro shares a story with Braves fans during A Night at the Museum at the Hall of Fame. 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. Do you have a blog? As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the knuckles, hence the name of the pitch. 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. His success eventually forced the team to take a chance on a knuckleballer as a starting pitcher. No pitcher since the dead-ball era spent more time on a major league mound. Popular categories from this store. "[1] Bouton said, "Catchers hate it. The four pitchers in the hall of fame include Phil Niekro, Ted Lyons, Jesse Haines, and Hoyt Wilhelm. [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. This is a difficult task. Uecker acknowledged he did a lot of chasing. This modern pitch is unrelated to the knuckleball. But because the pitch is so difficult to throw, even on a good day, you want to reduce as many variables as possible. 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. He would say later that he wanted to prove he was a pitcher, not just a knuckleballer. Heck, the pitch comes and goes when it feels like it and, get this, you never really master it. 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. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame and gave him a nickname that stuck for the rest of his life. I don't think of his 318 wins. His younger brother Joe was also a Major League pitcher, who won more than 200 games. 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. As with many knuckleball pitchers, age proved no barrier to Niekro. Amazingly, he won 121 games over the age of 40 thanks to his knuckleball. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. (Age 25-014d, The knuckleball is radically different from any other pitch in a pitcher's arsenal, being less predictable and difficult to control. I feel like I'm surrounded by family, Niekro said of his many trips to Cooperstown. 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. However, Cicotte called the shine ball "a pure freak of the imagination", claiming that he did this to disconcert hitters and that the pitch was still a knuckleball. [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. As I discussed earlier, there are a few different ways to grip the knuckleball. He would teach his sons, Phil Jr. and Joe, the pitch when they were youngsters. These include the flutterball, the floater, the dancer, the butterfly ball (the name for the pitch used by French language game commentators employed by the Montreal Expos), the ghostball, and the bug. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The knuckleball is also employed by cricket fast bowlers Zaheer Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Andrew Tye as their slower delivery. In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball which he used to pitch well into his 40s. During the 1945 season, with talent depleted by call-ups to fight in World War II, the Washington Senators had a pitching rotation which included four knuckleball pitchers (Dutch Leonard, Johnny Niggeling, Mickey "Itsy Bitsy" Haefner, and Roger Wolff) who combined for 60 complete games and 60 wins, carrying the Senators to second place. [1] Niekro retired at the end of the season. 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. Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, and Jesse Haines, three pitchers who primarily relied on the knuckleball, have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Niekro was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and served on the Museums Board of Directors since 2009. And I always get questions about this, Why cant I use three fingers? Talk about a weird assist: 253 on a strikeout. Thats a long phrase, but it is an important one to learn, A solid knuckleball grip with no fatal flaws. $5.98 + $1.98 shipping. ASSOCIATED . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Aug. 30, 1987 12 AM PT. There will be a period when they will beat the daylights out of you. However, young pitchers with smaller hands tend to throw the knuckleball with their knuckles. Phil Niekro (19392020), legendary knuckleball pitcher. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. The resulting motion of the pitch more closely resembles a curveball, which explains the combination name. [6] According to physicist Robert Adair, due to the physiological limitation of human reaction time, a breaking knuckleball may be impossible to hit except by luck. He reinvented pitching by adding this slow, crazy moving pitch. Now you have to apply even pressure using three fingers. Many thanks to him. (A common phrase for hitting a knuckleball is "if it's low, let it go; if it's high, let it fly"; meaning that a batter should attempt to hit a knuckleball only if it crosses the plate high in the strike zone due to lack of break.) Only Cy Young, "Pud" Galvin and Walter Johnson pitched more innings than Niekro's 5,404. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. Philip Henry Niekro (/nikro/ NEE-kroh; April 1, 1939 December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie",[1] was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. Where was Phil Niekro born? Phil Niekro was a legendary Hall of Fame pitcher known for his knuckleball pitch, who played for the Braves most of his career. Phil Niekro was 6-1 (185 cm) tall. 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 . "They may not be intimidated by them, but they sure are thinking about them before they go into the box.". ATLANTA (AP) Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. 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. Phil's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record. The first is selection bias in scouting. pic.twitter.com/bGjFBMJZrL, Full Obituary: Atlanta Journal Constitution. vs. SFG 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 SO, 6 BB, 5 ER. http://www.courtsidetweets.comPhil Niekro of the New York Yankees wins his 300th game in Toronto against the Blue Jays! Phil Niekro showing his grip at the Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. Carroll would go on to become a two-time All-Star reliever for the Cincinnati Reds and would notch 143 saves over his career. In 1969, his first All-Star season, he had a 2313 season with a 2.56 ERA,[1] finishing second in the National League Cy Young award balloting to Tom Seaver. 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. Remembering Phil Niekro, King of the Knuckleballers (1939-2020) by Jay Jaffe. [1] That season, Phil and Joe Niekro were NL co-leaders in wins. Niekro and his family supported the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic". Brothers Joe (left) and Phil Niekro squared off against one another on July 4, 1967 in a game won by Phil's Atlanta Braves against the Chicago Cubs, 8-3. Bases loaded, nobody out, a lead slipping away. AP2007. 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. Phil Knucksie Niekro used his expertise with the knuckleball pitch to win 318 games during a Hall of Fame career. 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. He taught the boys the pitch in the backyard. Who throws the best knuckleball? 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 . "I led the league in ERA [1.87], and he led the league in passed balls.". Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland in 2017. A statue of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, the winningest knuckleball pitcher in major league history, adorns the Atlanta Braves' Truist Park Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Atlanta. [7] He pitched for several minor league teams at several levels for the next few years, appearing mostly as a relief pitcher. Jim Bouton said, "coaches don't respect it. [19], On September 23, 1987, Niekro signed again with his old team, the Atlanta Braves. But there are overwhelming similarities between the grips of the great knuckleball pitchers; guys like Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, RA Dickey and the like. Friend, teammate, father and husband. View Phil Niekro's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). All rights reserved. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 . Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Ralph Kiner compared Niekro's special pitch to "watching Mario Andretti park a car". How many seasons did Phil Niekro play? It speculates that the appearance of abrupt shifting may be due to the unpredictability of the changes in direction.[9]. 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. 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 . [18] After going 02 in three starts, the Blue Jays released Niekro. 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. 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. 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. Cicotte was widely reported to throw both the knuckleball and a variant on the spitball known as a "shine ball" (because he would "shine" one side of a dirty ball by rubbing it on his uniform). After he was notified, Niekro said, "Giving a description of today's phone call is impossible. In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. Niekro, often referred to by his knuckleball . "We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend, Phil Niekro," the Braves said in a statement. He pitched in the major leagues from 1964 to 1987. Phil Niekro Phil is probably the best known knuckleball pitcher. And if you can throw a ball without any spin at 65-plus miles-per-hour, than youve got a great knuckleball grip. (Doug McWilliams/National baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). Pitching coaches often struggle with knuckleball pitchers due to a lack of experience with the pitch. Signed in 1958, he didn't break through for good for nearly a decade. I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission. The Boston Red Sox, in their 2004 world championship season, had Mirabelli regularly catching in place of Jason Varitek when Tim Wakefield was pitching. [22], A sidearm pitcher, his pitching featured the knuckleball, which frustrated major league hitters. [1] Niekro's playoff loss came against Seaver. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Richard Drew / AP file. in Blaine, OH It features the Knucksie Sandwich, made with barbecue pork and cole slaw atop a corn muffin, said to be his favorite. [14], Another factor contributing to the rarity of the knuckleball is the difficulty of throwing the pitch. The Hall of Fame knuckleballer died at 81 years old after a battle with cancer, his former team announced Sunday. He was known for his knuckleball, and had a career record of 318-274. However, since a typical major league starting rotation exceeds the length of a series against any one opponent, one way a manager can mitigate this disadvantage is to adjust his team's pitching rotation so as to eliminate (or at least minimize) games in which a knuckleballer would pitch against teams with a preponderance of fast baserunners. 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. His pitching coach? 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. Other prominent knuckleball pitchers have included Joe Niekro (Phil's brother), Charlie Hough, Dave Jolly, Ben Flowers, Wilbur Wood, Barney Schultz, Tom Candiotti, Bob Purkey, Steve Sparks, Eddie Rommel, Tim Wakefield, Steven Wright, and Dickey. "[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. "There aren't many hitters who like facing knuckleball pitchers," Niekro said. Niekro was a five-time All-Star and pitched a no-hitter in 1973 against the Padres. "It actually giggles at you as it goes by," said former outfielder Rick Monday. Then sentiment finally took over with two outs in the ninth. After work hours guitarist, DJ, record label owner and New York style pizza aficionado. us, Died: [1] He was released by the Yankees before the 1986 season started. Rookie Status: 2. [2] Other accounts attribute the pitch's creation to Charles H. Druery, a pitcher in the Blue Ridge League. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced on Sunday. His longevity was greatly aided by his reliance on the knuckleball, which puts far less stress on a pitcher's throwing arm than a standard repertoire of pitches. Seams catch on skin and send the ball spinning. I got to meet a lot of important people. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? [12] Niekro was given the nickname "Knucksie" during his career. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Did not play in major or minor leagues (Military Service), Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses, Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please.