Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81

ATLANTA » Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers.

Heck, he didn’t even know where it was going most of the time.

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.

Knucksie.

The longtime stalwart of the Atlanta Braves rotation died after a lengthy fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81.

The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. He lived in the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch, where a main thoroughfare bears his name.

He was the seventh Hall of Famer to die this year, the most sitting members to pass away in a calendar year, according to spokesman Jon Shestakofsky. The others were Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver

“These names, and these men, will be remembered forever in Cooperstown,” Shestakofsky said.

Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which finally ended in 1987 at age 48 after he made one final start for the Braves. The right-hander was a five-time All-Star who had three 20-win seasons with Atlanta.

Dale Murphy, who won two straight NL MVP awards as a teammate of Niekro’s, was among those who mourned his death.

“Knucksie was one of a kind,” Murphy wrote on Twitter. “Friend, teammate, father and husband. Our hearts go out to Nancy Niekro, the kids and grandkids. So thankful for our memories and time together. We’ll miss you, Knucksie.”

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, this year’s NL MVP, described himself as “heartbroken.”

“An amazing pitcher but an even better man!” Freeman said on Twitter. “Thanks you Phil for all the laughs and wonderful memories over the years.”

Niekro also pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays late in his career.

Incredibly, he had 121 wins after his 40th birthday.