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By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports activities Author
ATLANTA (AP) — Baseball Corridor of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched effectively into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled massive league hitters for greater than 20 years, principally with the Atlanta Braves, has died after an extended combat with most cancers, the crew introduced Sunday. He was 81.
The Braves stated Niekro died Saturday night time in his sleep. He lived within the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Department, the place a foremost thoroughfare bears his identify.
Niekro gained 318 video games over his 24-year profession, which resulted in 1987 at age 48 after he made one last begin with the Braves.
Identified for a pitch that befuddled hitters and catchers — heck, Niekro did not even know the place it was going — he was a five-time All-Star who had three 20-win seasons with Atlanta.
Niekro additionally pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays late in his profession.
“We’re heartbroken on the passing of our treasured buddy,” the Braves stated in an announcement. “Knucksie was woven into the Braves material, first in Milwaukee after which in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the sphere and later was at all times the primary to hitch in our group actions. It was throughout these group and fan actions the place he would talk with followers as in the event that they had been lengthy misplaced mates.”
A statue of Niekro delivering his trademark pitch is situated exterior of Truist Park, the Braves’ stadium.
Niekro did not make it to the massive leagues till 1964, when he pitched 10 video games in reduction for the then-Milwaukee Braves. He made just one begin over his first three years within the massive leagues however lastly blossomed as a starter in 1967 — the Braves’ second yr in Atlanta — when he went 11-9 and led the Nationwide League with a 1.87 ERA.
With a fluttering knuckleball that required catchers to put on an outsized mitt, Niekro went 23-13 because the Braves gained the primary NL West title in 1969.
He additionally had 20-win seasons in 1974 and 1979, regardless of pitching for a crew that fell on exhausting instances after its look within the inaugural NL Championship Collection, the place the Braves had been swept in three video games by New York’s Amazin’ Mets.
Niekro additionally led the league in losses 4 straight seasons, shedding 20 video games in each 1977 and ’79.
He completed with a profession document of 318-274 an a 3.35 ERA. Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame in 1997.
His youthful brother, Joe, additionally had an extended baseball profession with an arsenal that included the knuckleball. He gained 221 video games over 22 years within the massive leagues, making the Niekros baseball’s winningest set of siblings, with a complete of 539 victories, simply forward of Gaylord and Jim Perry.
Joe Niekro died in 2006 at age 61.
Observe Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work could be discovered at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
Extra AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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