Asked if hes comfortable talking about his fathers death and its impact on his life, J.J. doesnt hesitate. Both his parents died before he turned five. Phil Niekro attended Bridgeport High School with childhood neighbor John Havlicek, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. Phil Niekro Sr. played baseball on the sandlots of the coalfields, in the Mine Workers League. "In the last century, no pitcher threw more than Phils 5,404 innings. Find out more. Joe died of a brain aneurysm in 2006. But never forget it was the knuckleball that made him special and turned opposing hitters inside-out. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. As J.J. Niekro has spent this week at the clubs Spring Training complex, he has regularly seen pictures and tributes to his uncle Phil, who passed away on Dec. 27, 2020. More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. [7] He went 15-14 that year, having a 3.48 ERA while starting a league high 38 games and pitching 263.2 innings. It was the sixth and final time he faced 1,000 batters. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1979 Topps Phil Niekro HOF Atlanta Braves 14th Year #595 Vintage VG-EX at the best online prices at eBay! [5] He reached the 1,000 strikeout plateau on April 19, doing so on a strikeout bunt by Vance Law. Niekro was traded along with Gary Ross and Frankie Librn from the Cubs to the expansion San Diego Padres for Dick Selma on April 24, 1969. He went seven innings but allowed four runs on seven hits in a 42 loss to the Montreal Expos. Wed obviously always liked that.. The Joe Niekro Foundation, created by his daughter Natalie, is committed to supporting patients and families, research, treatment and awareness of brain aneurysms, AVMs, and hemorrhagic strokes. Joe, best known for his time with the Houston Astros franchise, My father was a coal miner in Eastern Ohio, Niekro explained. All these years later, what else was there to do but laugh about it? 1 pick, The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce launches, Victims in Ala. birthday party shooting IDd, Shooting at Burke County block party injures 4, Aggravated Assault suspect sought after incident, Local nonprofits struggle with rising costs, Woman missing for 2 days found alive in underwater, South Carolina State Trooper shot in Bamberg County, Ana speaks with United Health Care and how they are, Parents falsely accused of child abuse tell their, Local golf cart business customizes golf carts with, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In all, a record 1,263 amateur free agents were chosen. It felt like closure. We both said almost at the same time it was really an honor to be a part of Niekros career that way. "[15], The officiating crew came out to the mound during a game against the California Angels on August 3, 1987. 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. He went 1111 with a 4.32 ERA. ATLANTA -- Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81. He did not appear on Baseball America's top 500 draft prospects list. Now the Braves have another Niekro. At 46 years, 188 days, Niekro became the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout in the major leagues. He underestimated Niekros resilience in the 1982 National League Championship Series, after his Game 1 start against St. Louis was rained out just short of an official game, Niekro shutting out the Cardinals to that point. J.J. remembers his dad and uncle talking in such a way that would lead you to believe they enjoyed playing in Atlanta more than anywhere theyd been in their careers. Joe soon died of a brain aneurysm, leaving behind a family that included his brother, the now-late Braves Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. And I asked him if he actually said that or felt that way. Or write about sports? He appeared in Game 2 of the 1981 National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching eight scoreless innings, although Joe Sambito ended up being the winning pitcher for the Astros as they won in the 11th inning, though the Dodgers would win the series in five games. Philip Niekro (Joshua), John Niekro ( He went 49 with a 6.26 ERA in 96+13 innings. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Lance Niekro, a former big leaguer and J.J.s half-brother, painted a picture of the paths J.J. could have taken following his fathers death. Knuckleballer Phil Niekro, the beloved Braves legend, had a 17-4 record that year at age 43. I remember (Hall of Fame second baseman Joe) Morgan came to the park one day and saw (Niekros) name in the lineup, and he went in and told (manager) Sparky Anderson he didnt want to hit off him cause it put him in a slump for two days. Bats: Right Throws: Right. He was of Polish descent. They were the NLs only 20-game winners in 1979. Niekro passed away in his sleep on Saturday night. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Bruce Benedict: I was talking to Dale (Murphy, the two-time MVP who broke in with the Braves as a catcher) a couple days ago. Niekro was a teammate in Spahns last year with the Braves, 1964, and Glavines first, in 1987. And the answer is yes, he is. Something a Milwaukee minor league catcher learned the hard way as both were coming up through the system. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Some poignant. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lot of 3 1994 SEALED Coors Baseball Cards Phil Niekro Vivian Holm at the best online prices at eBay! One of those undrafted free agents, right-hander J.J. Niekro, happens to share a familial link with one of the biggest names in franchise history. A couple of days before Phil Niekro died, J.J. held his uncles hand and looked into his eyes. Why did they chop the last mansion on Peachtree into pieces? Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri give Kenya a Boston Marathon sweep, USWNT standout Julie Ertz joins Angel City FC on a one-year contract. But to become the man they were and assume the Niekro characteristics, J.J. had to mature sooner than any kid should. Three days before he died, in hospice care for the cancer that would take him, Phil Niekro made one last call to his catcher, Bob Uecker - the one who made everyone The man was practically an historic landmark. Common to all those who caught Niekro and knew him best as a ballplayer was just what a fine teammate and decent fellow he was. [14] At the time of his release, Joe and his brother Phil were the leading brother combination in baseball history with 539 victories. J.J., 23 years old, pitched in parts of five seasons at Florida Southern, a college located in Lakeland, Florida. His total of 5,404+13 innings pitched is the most by any pitcher in the post-1920 live-ball era. Niekro, born in Blaine, Ohio, on April 1, 1939, was the proud scion of a family dynasty of sorts. The youngest Niekro loves the game just as much as those who came before him. He appeared in relief three times, earning two saves. I just try to treat everyone the same way, J.J. said. Joe Niekro's son Lance Niekro played in the major leagues as a first baseman; another son, J.J. Niekro, a conventional pitcher, began playing in the Braves' system in 2021. He spent the next season with the Class AA Austin Senators. [19], On September 23, 1987, Niekro signed again with his old team, the Atlanta Braves. I know that. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1967 to 1988 for seven different teams, primarily for the Houston Astros. I was not going to get myself so high. Legend has it that the only loss Phil took during his high school career came during his freshman season, when he lost a 1-0 game against Warren Consolidated High Schools Bill Mazeroski. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He was such a generous and loving man, he says, so I love to share his story whenever I can. The same can be said for his uncle, Phil, a Braves legend who died in 2020. [1], In 1980 and 1981, he went 1518 and 77 while leading the league in games started (38) and losses (18) in 1980. Niekro is survived by his wife, Nancy, sons Philip, John and Michael, and two grandchildren, Chase and Emma. September 27, 1987 Going down to warm up, he walked by me and I stopped him. Niekro is related to a pair of former Braves pitchers: he's the son of Joe and the nephew of Phil. In 1992, Joe Niekro was inducted in the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. J.J. said his uncle and dad were the same person. He told me, Chaser, Im getting tired, and I think Im going to go to sleep for a while. . Joe passed away at the age of 61 in 2006 and Phil passed away following a long battle with cancer at the age of 81 in 2020. By the early 1940s, the Niekro family had moved to nearby Lansing, Ohio, about seven miles west of His son believes his fathers talent mightve been overlooked. Pascual Perez was shelled in the Game 1 redux, while Niekro pitched strong in Game 2, leaving with the lead in a game the Braves would lose. Phil Niekro was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1997. ATLANTA Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with [8], Niekro led the league with a 1.87 ERA in 1967, earning an 119 record with 10 complete games and 9 saves. [1], On August 9, 1987, Niekro was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Darryl Landrum and a player to be named later,[17] who was later revealed to be Don Gordon. He won four Gold Gloves for fielding his position. If I hadnt have lost my dad I wouldnt be the type of guy I was today. First baseman Billy Gardner, son of Royal Manager Billy Gardner, was drafted by his fathers team; outfielder Richard Aldrete, brother of San Francisco outfielder Mike Aldrete, was drafted by the Giants; Bret Boone, a shortstop at El Dorado High School and son of Angels catcher Bob Boone, was selected by Minnesota; pitcher Jeff Darwin, brother of Houston pitcher Danny Darwin, was selected by Seattle, and pitcher Brian Wilkinson, brother of Seattle pitcher Bill Wilkinson, also was drafted by the Mariners. us, Died: Getting cut from a team he had served for more than two decades did not sit well. The team was eliminated from the playoffs after losing the next two games. Hed been a strike-thrower, said Ben Sestanovich, the Braves assistant general manager for player development. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Facing the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, he went seven innings while allowing two runs on eight hits in the 20 loss. He liked to be a regular guy every once in a while.. Phil's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record. He struggled early in his career before picking up the knuckleball. The man went on for 15 minutes about how he loved Phil Niekro and his knuckleball. Niekro and his younger brother Joe amassed 539 wins between them, the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history. 4/09/2021 at 8:08 PM 4/09/2021 at Even if I pitch the best game of my life, its like the next day, how do I come back? vs. SFG 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, and grew up in Lansing, Ohio, the son of Henrietta (Klinkoski) and Philip Niekro. The only draft pick the Braves haven't signed is prep outfielder Ty Evans, who happened to be their final selection in the class. These are their memories of their pitcher who died the day after Christmas at the age of 81. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Earl Averill Jr, son of Earl Dale Berra, son of Yogi Cavan Biggio, son of Craig Eddie Collins Jr, son of Eddie Vladimir Guerrero Jr, son of Vladimir Tony Gwynn Jr, son of Tony Chuck Lindstrom, son of Freddie Earle Mack, son of Connie Jimmy O'Rourke, son of "Orator" Jim When he won his 300th game as a Yankee, the story goes that he didnt throw his first knuckleball until the last hitter, striking out Jeff Burroughs on three of them. J.J. Niekro is the son of Joe Niekro and the nephew of Phil Niekro. Mark Bradley: Theres only one Knucksie, pitcher who died the day after Christmas at the age of 81, Phil Niekro is one of most-beloved Braves of all-time, Georgia Techs Kaleb Edwards to medically retire. [1], From 1975 to 1976, he went 1515 and 1711 and made a second All-Star appearance in 1975. "[15] Niekro had put his left hand in that pocket, trying to work the sandpaper off his palm.[15]. [1] He was released by the Yankees before the 1986 season started. [1] That season, Phil and Joe Niekro were NL co-leaders in wins. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Nancy, sons Philip, John and Michael and his two grandchildren Chase and Emma.. (Age 48-179d) Knowing Knucksie he could have pitched every day and never bitched about it.. Following his baseball career, he managed the Colorado Silver Bullets, an all-women's baseball team, in the late 1990s. That year, he pitched in the World Series, his only appearance in a World Series. Phil Niekro, Sr., name now Americanized, was born in 1913. His daughter, Natalie, Bob Uecker: He told me that he was ready. After Joe Niekro died, Phil became like a father to J.J. He remembers seeing the seniors on his Florida Southern College team cry after their final game, some of those tears flowing because a few guys knew they hadnt given their all to the game. , name now Americanized, was the sixth and final time he 1,000! 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