Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81

ATLANTA (AP) — 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 left him with a nickname that stuck for the rest of his life. Knucksie. The longtime stalwart of the Atlanta Braves rotation died after a long 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 die in a calendar year. Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver also died.

Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which ended in 1987 at age 48 after he made one final start with the Braves. The right-hander was a fivetime All-star who had three 20win 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.”

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.

“We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend,” the Braves said in a statement. “Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities. It was during those community and fan activities where he would communicate with fans as if they were long lost friends.”

A statue of Niekro delivering his trademark pitch is located outside of Truist Park, the Braves’ stadium.