What is Joe Niekro famous for?
Joe Niekro. Joseph Franklin Niekro (November 7, 1944 – October 27, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.
Is Joe Niekro related to Phil Niekro?
Joe Niekro is, of course, the younger brother of longtime MLB pitcher Phil Niekro. Another knuckleballer best known for his 21 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Phil went 268-230 with a 3.35 ERA in 864 games and 716 starts from 1964-87.
What team did Johnny Niekro sign with?
Niekro was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round of the 1966 amateur draft, but he did not sign with the club. On June 7, he was drafted in the third round of the draft by the Chicago Cubs.
What happened to Joe Niekro in 1987 in the MLB?
MORE: That time an MLB player got a hit for two teams, in two cities, on the same day On this day in 1987, Twins knuckleballer Joe Niekro was ejected after umpires determined he was trying to scuff balls, presumably to give his signature pitch a bit more movement.
Did Phil and Joe Niekro play together?
Joe Niekro tragically died in 2006 Joe and Phil combined for an eye-popping 539 victories in their career. They are considered one of the best sibling duos in baseball history. Although he retired as the all-time winningest pitcher in Astros history, the team still has not retired Niekro's No.
How many teams did Joe Niekro play for?
Joe NiekroStrikeouts1,747TeamsChicago Cubs (1967–1969) San Diego Padres (1969) Detroit Tigers (1970–1972) Atlanta Braves (1973–1974) Houston Astros (1975–1985) New York Yankees (1985–1987) Minnesota Twins (1987–1988)Career highlights and awards14 more rows
Is Joe Niekro still alive?
October 27, 2006Joe Niekro / Date of death
What teams did Phil Niekro play for?
Toronto Blue Jays1987Atlanta Braves1987, 1964 – 1983Cleveland Guardians1986 – 1987New York Yankees1984 – 1985Phil Niekro/All teams
Who threw the best knuckleball?
Phil NiekroPhil Niekro is probably the best known knuckleball pitcher. He took the mound for nearly a quarter of a century using the arm-saving pitch. Between 1964 and 1987, Niekro racked up 318 wins (the most by a knuckleball pitcher), struck out over 3,000 and had a ERA of 3.35.
What was in Joe Niekro's pocket?
On this day 30 years ago, Twins pitcher Joe Niekro got tossed from a game against the Angels after he was discovered scuffing the ball with an emery board and sandpaper in his pockets—and after a decidedly lame attempt to get rid of them without anyone noticing.
What did Phil Niekro died of?
CancerPhil Niekro / Cause of deathATLANTA -- Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81. Niekro passed away in his sleep on Saturday night. The suburban Atlanta resident had a longtime battle with cancer. Niekro was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1997.
What happened to Phil Niekro?
Phil Niekro, the Hall of Fame pitcher who confounded batters with his fluttering knuckleballs for 24 seasons, winning 318 games, mostly with mediocre Atlanta Braves teams, before retiring at the ripe age of 48, died on Saturday. He was 81. His death, after a struggle with cancer, was announced by the Braves.
Is Phil Niekro in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
1997Phil Niekro / Hall of fame inductionPhil Niekro finished his career with five All-Star Game selections, five Gold Glove Awards and 716 games started, which ranks No. 5 on the all-time list. Niekro was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
Who was the oldest MLB player ever?
Satchel PaigeThe oldest person ever to play in the MLB was Satchel Paige, who, at the age of 59, made one token major league appearance twelve years after his Major League career had ended.
Who was the knuckleball pitcher for the Braves?
Baseball funnyman Bob Uecker, who was Phil Niekro's personal catcher with the Braves in 1967, has been quoted as saying "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling, then go pick it up."...Notable knuckleballers.GGames pitched•Cy Young Award winner5 more rows
What does the IV mean on the Braves jersey?
four World Series championshipsThe left sleeve of the jersey includes the Roman numeral “IV” in gold above a star, “signifying the franchise's four World Series championships” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/7).
Is Phil Niekro in the Hall of Fame?
1997Phil Niekro / Hall of fame inductionPhil Niekro finished his career with five All-Star Game selections, five Gold Glove Awards and 716 games started, which ranks No. 5 on the all-time list. Niekro was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. He passed away on Dec.
How many MLB pitchers throw a knuckleball?
The knuckleball pitcher has vanished from the major leagues, an artifact like paper tickets and contact hitters. Of the 617 men to throw a pitch in the majors this season through Wednesday, according to Fangraphs, only four have thrown a knuckleball — and all four were position players.
Is JJ Niekro related to Phil Niekro?
For fans, Joe and Phil Niekro are two of the most successful pitchers ever to play the game – and the winningest brother duo in baseball history. For J.J., they're Dad and Uncle Phil.
Who did the Astros trade in 1985?
September 15, 1985: Traded by the Houston Astros to the New York Yankees for players to be named later and Jim Deshaies. The New York Yankees sent Neder Horta (minors) (September 24, 1985) and Dody Rather (minors) (January 11, 1986) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade. November 12, 1985: Granted Free Agency.
Who researched 1915-1969 salary?
Additional 1915-1969 salaries researched via Baseball Hall of Fame contract archives by Dr. Michael Haupert of UW-LaCrosse. Salaries for mid-season call-ups or traded players may not be shown. Salaries converted to alternate years using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data courtesy of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Board .
Who did the San Diego Padres trade for?
December 4, 1969: Traded by the San Diego Padres to the Detroit Tigers for Dave Campbell and Pat Dobson. August 7, 1973: Selected off waivers by the Atlanta Braves from the Detroit Tigers. April 6, 1975: Purchased by the Houston Astros from the Atlanta Braves for $35,000.
How old was Joe Niekro when he broke into the Cubs?
Joe Niekro Stats. Joe Niekro was born on Tuesday, November 7, 1944, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. Niekro was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 16, 1967, with the Chicago Cubs.
How many wins did Phil Niekro have?
Did you know that Joe (221 career wins) and Phil Niekro (318 career wins) combined for 539 Major League victories, the most successful brother combination in baseball history? Gaylord and Jim Perry were once the most successful brother combination in baseball history, until they were passed by The Niekros.
Who was the first pitcher to shut out the Padres?
San Diego shutout their opponents on April 9, April 10, and June 4, each time using the bullpen to secure the victory, but on June 27, 1969, Joe Niekro pitched the first complete game shutout by a Padres pitcher. Ten years later, Joe made history with in Houston after going 21–11 in 1979, then 20–12 in 1980, the first Astros pitcher ...
Who is Joe Niekro?
Joe Niekro is, of course, the younger brother of longtime MLB pitcher Phil Niekro. Another knuckleballer best known for his 21 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Phil went 268-230 with a 3.35 ERA in 864 games and 716 starts from 1964-87.
How many playoff games did Joe Niekro play?
Niekro only pitched in two playoff games, going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in those starts. In his fifth year on the ballot, Niekro received 80.3% of the votes in 1997 and entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame that summer. Joe Niekro tragically died in 2006.
How many innings did Joe Niekro pitch?
Niekro went 144-116 with a 3.22 ERA in an Astros uniform. He also pitched 18 scoreless innings in two playoff starts with the Astros from 1980-81, although Houston’s offense let Niekro down in the process. According to Baseball-Reference, Niekro totaled 28.7 Wins Above Replacement in his 22 seasons.
How old was Niekro when he died?
According to The New York Times, Niekro had a brain aneurysm in October 2006. He died at the age of 61 in Tampa, Fla.
When will Phil Niekro retire?
Phil Niekro is now 81, and he turns 82 in April 2020. Houston may want to consider retiring Joe Niekro’s number before his brother passes away.
Who was the Houston Astros pitcher who died?
The Tragic Death of Houston Astros Legend Joe Niekro. Longtime Houston Astros pitcher Joe Niekro and his brother, Phil, teamed up to give hitters fits for over 20 years. Starting pitchers who excelled at throwing the knuckleball, each brother had a large degree of success in the majors.
Who passed away after Phil Niekro?
Joe Niekro passed away less than a decade after Phil Niekro entered the Hall of Fame.
Why was Joe Niekro ejected?
On this day in 1987, Twins knuckleballer Joe Niekro was ejected after umpires determined he was trying to scuff balls, presumably to give his signature pitch a bit more movement. That's the short version. The long version is much more entertaining.
How many games did Niekro get suspended for?
The league found that a flimsy excuse and suspended him for 10 games. But Niekro was a good sport about the whole thing, later going on "Late Night With David Letterman" to poke fun at the situation while wearing a tool belt complete with an electric sander and various other nefarious, could-scuff-a-ball items. Watch:
Is it normal for a knuckleball pitcher to carry a sandpaper?
In the clip, as one would expect, Niekro continues to defend himself, explaining how it's perfectly normal for a knuckleball pitcher to carry around an emery board or sandpaper, even while on the mound. But even giving Niekro the benefit of the doubt, the whole thing was highly suspicious, amplified by his casual let's-get-rid-of-the-evidence tossing of the emery board (his explanation for the toss was pretty weak).
What team did Phil Niekro play for?
In addition, Phil played American Legion Baseball. Niekro signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 for $250 ($2,219 in current dollar terms). He pitched for several minor league teams at several levels for the next few years, appearing mostly as a relief pitcher.
Where was Niekro born?
Early life. Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio , and grew up in Lansing, Ohio, the son of Henrietta (Klinkoski) and Philip Niekro. He was of Polish descent. He attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, and was a boyhood friend of Basketball Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek.
How many wins did Phil Niekro have?
Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 . Niekro and his younger brother Joe amassed 539 wins between them, the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history. Phil's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record.
What is Niekro's favorite food?
The Gwinnett Braves ' home, Coolray Field, has a restaurant, Niekro's, named after him. It features the Knucksie Sandwich, made with barbecue pork and cole slaw atop a corn muffin, said to be his favorite. Niekro and his family support the students of Bridgeport High School with the proceeds from the annual golf tournament "The Niekro Classic".
How did Phil Niekro die?
On December 26, 2020, Phil Niekro died in his sleep at the age of 81. He had been diagnosed with cancer.
How old was Niekro when he retired?
Niekro retired at the end of the season. At the age of 48, Niekro was the oldest player in major league history to play regularly until Julio Franco played at age 49 in 2007. He set a major league record by playing 24 seasons in the major leagues without a World Series appearance. His total of 5,404.
How old was Niekro in 1979?
In 1979, the 40-year-old Niekro led the league in both wins (21) and losses (20). 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.
