Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81 Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81 after a long fight with cancerATLANTA -- Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. 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. Niekro didn't make it to the big leagues until 1964, when he pitched 10 games in relief for the then-Milwaukee Braves. He went 21-20 with a 3.39 ERA for a dismal Braves team that finished 66-94. “There’s nobody around who can teach how to throw a knuckleball,” Niekro said in the ESPN interview.

Source: ABC News December 27, 2020 18:15 UTC