Phil Niekro, a knuckleballer who pitched mostly for the Braves, passed away on December 26, 2020 at age 81.
Niekro pitched for the Braves from 1964-1983, but did not become a starter until midway through the 1967 season. That year, he led the NL with a 1.87 ERA.
He had a career-best 23 wins in 1969, and led the NL in wins in 1974 (20) and 1979 (21). Niekro also had a league-high 262 strikeouts in 1977, and won 5 Gold Gloves between 1978 and 1983.
After 20 seasons with the Braves, he was (incredibly) released after the 1983 season. The Yankees quickly signed him and he reeled off two 16-win seasons with them, including his 5th trip to the All-Star game.
Niekro played the final 2 seasons of his 24-year career with the Indians, Blue Jays, and Braves.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. He is the 7th member of the Hall to pass away in 2020.
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