On August 26, the first time Victor Martinez caught Wakefield, he used a first baseman's glove, instead of a regular catcher's mitt. However, since a typical major league starting rotation exceeds the length of a series against any one opponent, one way a manager can mitigate this disadvantage is to adjust his team's pitching rotation so as to eliminate (or at least minimize) games in which a knuckleballer would pitch against teams with a preponderance of fast baserunners. [30], On December 26, 2020, Niekro died in his sleep at age 81. The four pitchers in the hall of fame include Phil Niekro, Ted Lyons, Jesse Haines, and Hoyt Wilhelm. The nice thing about Phil Niekro is, he doesn't look his age. Keep up with headlines and events at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and see who will be taking their place in history next. 5/08 - initial page AKA This grip is also called knuckler, dancer, or floater. The fluttering knuckler danced throughout the summers in the Atlanta heat, and by his late 30s Niekro became an absolute workhorse averaging 335 innings a season from 1977 through 1979 and becoming the last pitcher to post back-to-back seasons of at least 300 innings pitched. But because the pitch is so difficult to throw, even on a good day, you want to reduce as many variables as possible. As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the knuckles, hence the name of the pitch. Atlanta Braves pitcher Phil Niekro is seen in a 1968 photo. When thrown well with little to no spin, the ball feels like it slips out of your palm. It features the Knucksie Sandwich, made with barbecue pork and cole slaw atop a corn muffin, said to be his favorite. Born: "In the last century, no pitcher threw more than Phil's 5,404 innings. They clawed against each other as mound opponents, with Joe defeating his big brother 5-4 in their careers. Day trip or a week-long adventure. Biographical Information [] "It actually giggles at you as it goes by." - Rick Monday, discussing Niekro's famous knuckleball Phil Niekro was, by several years, the last man born in the 1930s to be playing Major League Baseball. "It comes flying in there dipping and hopping like crazy, and you just can't hit it.". Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. The two things about Phil Niekro that I remember most - MLB
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