Finally, this site includes affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking one of my links. Good fingernails are important. When people ask me who was an influencer and an example to you that helped you in your career, Knucksie is the first guy I think of, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions Tim Tucker. Since the pitch has little to no spin, the airflow around the ball moves the ball in all sorts of directions. Phil Niekro did not reach the majors for good until he was 27. Niekro started the opener and was leading 1-0 with two outs in the fifth inning when rain delayed the game. Please follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisCGarcia and on his In-House Consigliere Blog. Yet the Braves would not commit to Niekro as a starter. Seams catch on skin and send the ball spinning. This sports news got our attention this week: The Baltimore Orioles have hired Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro to teach three of the team's minor league pitchers how to throw the knuckleball a pitch that can make even the best hitters look helpless. Phil Niekro achieved baseball immortality when he was picked . The dedicated catcher works in between games catching knuckleballs, which allows the full-time catcher to get more comfortable catching this pitch. It worked so well for young Phil in pickup games with neighborhood kids including John Havlicek, the future N.B.A. A breeze, a loose stitch, a bit of humidity: Such little things can add up to create a bit of chaotic movement that fools batters. Just because someone in our opinion may not look or speak the part of an outstanding lawyer or business leader doesnt mean they are incapable of being an outstanding lawyer or business leader. Joe Niekro showing the proper fingertip grip. That poor kid, limited to one pitch hes in the Hall of Fame now. The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. This is one of the most common misconceptions about the knuckleball. Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Willie Stargell compared its flight to "a butterfly with hiccups. " So, Nathan says, there's "not a push to throw it and teach the pitch at an early age.". When I was a catcher, I couldnt catch him; when I was an opposing player, I couldnt hit him; and the last two years, Ive found out I cant manage him, Torre had said. Prior to joining Microsoft, Dennis worked as an in-house counsel for Accenture and IBM. Not only did he have incredible success as a pitcher, but since the knuckleball did not exact a toll on his pitching arm like other harder thrown pitches do he was able to be even more valuable, durable and versatile to his teams by pitching on short rest, pitching many complete games, serving as both a starter and a relief pitcher and pitching in the major leagues for an incredible 24 seasons. Recognize the Key Skill of Getting Things Done: Throughout Mr. Niekros career he was not a flashy pitcher, he played on many low-performingAtlanta Braves teams in a small market and was overshadowed by other great power pitchers during his generation like Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, etc.who received more attention, more accolades, more Cy Young Awards and more World Series trophies than he did. On a related note, the knuckleball is essentially extinct. In addition, he won 121 games after he turned 40 which is a major league record. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted [2] If a knuckleball does not change direction in mid-flight, however, then it is easy to hit due to its lack of speed. Richard Drew / AP file Link copied Phil Niekro, Knuckleball. My name is Greg Kristan, and I'm the owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC. Though Niekro was lined up to start the seasons final game in Toronto, he debated skipping his turn given that nothing was at stake for the Yankees. When Mr. Niekro was 40 years old in 1979 he threw 23 complete games - nowadays it is rare to see a pitcher even throw 1 or 2 complete 9 inning games during a typical season. He reinvented pitching by adding this slow, crazy moving pitch. Braves scout Bill Maughn signed the 19-year-old Niekro for a $500 bonus and $275 a month, but the Braves held off on starting his career until the following spring. And all of this is discussed at length in the hour-long instructional DVD Knuckleball Nation! No major league team has gone out of its way to teach the knuckleball. Phil Niekro owns one of, if not, the best knuckleball in MLB history. The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. The Houston Astros scored on him three times. Before the ninth, manager Billy Martin sent Joe out to catch his warm-up pitches; the brothers embraced on the mound, and then Phil bounced his first knuckleball of the day off of Joes leg. Phil Niekro is the seventh member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to die this year. It speculates that the appearance of abrupt shifting may be due to the unpredictability of the changes in direction.[9]. On July 4, he threw a four-hit complete game victory against the Cubs and brother Joe, a 22-year-old rookie. He founded the Futility Infielder website (2001), was a columnist for Baseball Prospectus (2005-2012) and a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated (2012-2018). If a seam is liable to catch a finger at any point as you release the ball, change your grip. Another way to throw the knuckler is to use your middle finger to guide the ball and use your thumb to stabilize the pitch. Tim Wakefield learned the knuckleball in the minor leagues. He had a presence that just transcended what you encounter every day in the clubhouse, Dickey who won the Cy Young in 2012told the New York Times Tyler Kepner. Additionally, Ted Lyons, another member of the Hall of Fame, relied heavily on the knuckleball after injuring his arm in 1931. He made his fifth and final All-Star team, and on July 4 in Arlington, notched the 3,000th strikeout of his career by whiffing the Rangers Larry Parrish, becoming the ninth pitcher to reach that milestone. Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which ended in 1987 at age 48 after he made one final start with the Braves. On August 26, the first time Victor Martinez caught Wakefield, he used a first baseman's glove, instead of a regular catcher's mitt. He made only one start over his first three years in the big leagues but finally blossomed as a starter in 1967 the Braves second year in Atlanta when he went 11-9 and led the National League with a 1.87 ERA. While the Yankees re-signed both Niekro brothers on January 8, 1986, they released Phil at the end of spring training. Good fingernails are important. He lived in the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch, where a main thoroughfare bears his name. Niekro, fearing that he too would wind up working in a coal mine or a steel mill, begged for another chance, and he had a backer in Birdie Tebbetts, a legendary scout and former manager then serving as the Braves executive vice president. After giving up a two-out double to pinch-hitter Tony Fernandez and then a loud foul ball against former teammate Jeff Burroughs, he broke out the knuckler and got the final two strikes for win number 300, becoming the 18th pitcher to reach that milestone and, at 46 years and 188 days, surpassing Satchel Paige as the oldest pitcher to throw a shutout (Jamie Moyer would later eclipse him on that front): I figured if theres anyway Im going to win my 300th game by striking the guy out, I was going to do it with the pitch that won the first game for me, he told reporters afterwards while admitting that he would have traded the milestone for a game that meant something in the pennant race.. Again, these guys got to the show, but they didnt stick. This change adds a deflecting force to the baseball, making it difficult for batters to hit but also difficult for pitchers to control and catchers to catch; umpires are challenged as well, as the ball's irregular motion through the air makes it harder to call balls and strikes. Phil Niekro shows his knuckleball grip to Pedro Martinez and Ivan Rodriguez at the 2014 Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown. Throw it hard and trust your grip. Hes one of 10 pitchers to attain the dual milestones of 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts six of them cohorts from That Seventies Group and ranks 16th overall on the all-time list for the former and 11th for the latter. The website Fangraphs, which tracks every pitch, counted only three pitchers who threw the knuckleball in 2020: Erik Kratz, Todd Frazier and Bryan Holaday, position players moonlighting as pitchers at the end of blowouts. Clyde King, a special assignment scout for the Yankees (and soon their general manager), had managed Niekro in Atlanta in 1974-75, sold George Steinbrenner on what his presence could mean to the staff. Trying to hit that thing is a miserable way to make a living.. Historically, the term "knuckle curve" had a usage that was different from what it has in the game today. 229 Washington Street, Suite 306 But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a . There will be a period when they will beat the daylights out of you. Mr. Niekros longevity in a game that can be unforgiving for players who lose their timing, great eyesight, speed and ability to throw as they age is simply remarkable. And if you can throw a ball without any spin at 65-plus miles-per-hour, than youve got a great knuckleball grip. He had a presence that just transcended what you encounter every day in the clubhouse, Dickey said. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for all the latest updates. This use of a "specialist" catcher continued into the 2008 season following the signing of Kevin Cash, and 2009 saw George Kottaras fulfill this role. And todays two tips are all about reducing those variables. in Political Science from Binghamton University and his J.D. Mr. Niekro had an incredible career as he won 318 games (and he won his300th game with my beloved NY Yankees) as a pitcher and he did so in a highly unconventional fashion. But that knuckleball doesnt knuckle, either, when you get tired.. Phil Niekro Interview: How to Throw Knuckleball, Bob Uecker Braves On Deck with Tyler Redmond 4.35K subscribers Subscribe 46 Share 3.7K views 4 years ago Phil Niekro gave me a few minutes. Toad Ramsey of the Louisville Colonels in the old American Associationhis pitch likely resembled the knuckle curveand Eddie Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox, who in 1908 was nicknamed "Knuckles", are two possible creators of the pitch. The knuckleball is radically different from any other pitch in a pitcher's arsenal, being less predictable and difficult to control. Geno Petralli of the Texas Rangers in 1987 while trying to catch knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough, and tied again in 2013 when Ryan Lavarnway of the Boston Red Sox had four in the first inning, catching knuckleballer Steven Wright in Wright's first major league start. Working regularly as a starter for the first time, he posted a 3.45 ERA in 172 innings, with 13 complete games out of 21 starts, no small feat given all that we now know about pitching at altitude. They gather every year, except for this cruel one, in the village where they are immortal. Throwing a knuckleball pitch puts less strain on your arm than a standard pitch. "It's seen as a 'trick pitch.' MORE: The inside story of Phil Niekro's final game with the Braves Niekro served his suspension and returned to the Twins just in time for Minnesota's stretch run. [23], Among position players making pitching appearances, those who have utilized the knuckleball include Wade Boggs,[24][25] Danny Worth,[26] Alex Blandino,[27] and Ernie Clement. He was as much a part of these 300 wins as I was. His father lived for three more years. Though the team won its final game to finish with its first winning record in 1997 (23-22), the Coors Brewing Company discontinued its sponsorship, and they folded. I didnt know there were knuckleball pitchers in the big leagues, Niekro said a few years ago. He was 81. Also Phil speaks on the relationship between him and his brother, Joe Niekro.Phil also hits on his legendary KnuckleballGet To Know Them Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9zLYO5bM7cLl1wWMlKmhB-ESjOvOy8d0Rick Camp Game Special Edition:https://youtu.be/xBeT4ybxfQoTwitter:https://twitter.com/bubblegum_jesus#Niekro #PhilNiekro #BobUecker In volleyball, the float serve involves hitting the volleyball in such a way to minimize the rotation of the ball, causing unpredictability in the ball's movement. Jim Bouton, the author of Ball Four, loved telling the story of meeting Niekro in Kearny, Neb., in 1959, when they were both 20 years old and just starting their pro careers. Indeed, Bouton's famous best-selling book Ball Four (1970), while scandalous at the time for its unvarnished and often uncomplimentary portrayal of player behavior and coaching small-mindedness, is primarily a tale of the ups and downs of trying to hang on in the major leagues as a knuckleball pitcher.[29]. title, collecting a win in the clincher on the second-to-last day of the season against the Reds. Brother Joe and son John were both enlisted as coaches. As I reflect upon Mr. Niekros career, heres some learnings for us as lawyers and business professionals: Be Authentic and a Maverick: Mr. Niekros highly successful baseball career was premised upon doing something entirely different from his peers by throwing his signature knuckleball pitch. Some knuckleball pitchers like to hold the ball with their knuckles as they throw, while others use their fingertips. "I think the hardest thing for me is just the alone-ness that you feel sometimes because nobody else really does it," said Wakefield. Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, and Jesse Haines, three pitchers who primarily relied on the knuckleball, have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Phil Niekro showing his grip at the Baseball Hall of Fame As I discussed earlier, there are a few different ways to grip the knuckleball. Philip Henry Niekro Jr. was born on April 1, 1939 in Blaine, Ohio, an unincorporated community near the Ohio-West Virginia border, and grew up in nearby Lansing, a town of just 634 people as of 2010. However, Danny Mendick of the Chicago White Sox, an infielder, did throw a few knucklers this year via their 1st career pitching appearance during a blowout game. After another postponement, Niekro returned for Game 2, but Torre pinch-hit for him in the top of the seventh inning with a 3-2 lead, and the Cardinals rallied late for a win en route to a three-game sweep. Im going to take him my hat and give him my baseball. Another disadvantage is if the pitcher cant throw the pitch perfectly, the pitch will not move as much. The ball has to be gripped with two (carefully manicured) fingernails and sort of pushed toward the plate. Put yourself into a position to give yourself a chance and use two fingertips. [18], When originally developed, the knuckleball was used by a number of pitchers as simply one pitch in their repertoire, usually as part of changing speeds from their fastball. Cito Gaston, who would later cross paths with Niekro as a teammate in Atlanta and as the hitting coach in Toronto, grounded out for the final out. As of 2004[update], only about 70 Major League Baseball pitchers have regularly used the knuckleball during their careers, and its use has become rarer over time. Ed Summers, an Indianapolis teammate of Cicotte who adopted the pitch and helped develop it, modified it by holding the ball with his fingertips and using the thumb for balance. Now you have to apply even pressure using three fingers. Phil Niekro, the man, was in many ways the opposite of the signature pitch that made him one of baseball's legendary hurlers over a 24-year Hall of Fame career. Phil Niekro did not reach the majors for good until he was 27. The knuckleball is on the verge of extinction, and with the passing of Phil Niekro in 2020, who could pass on the proper grip over the years, the claim that knuckleballers will never appear again is supported. He caught on with the Indians, and put up a league-average-ish season while helping 28-year-old Tom Candiotti establish himself as a formidable knuckleballer in his own right. He never caught for Dickey again. "[10], In 1991, Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell was quoted as saying, "I think the knuckleball is fading out." Unlike other pitchers where the sequence has a pattern, like a traditional curveball, a knuckleball can dramatically drop at the last second or even stay nearly flat and land in the middle of the strike zone. Alas, in the final days of 2020, Niekro joined an all-too-inclusive subset of Hall of Famers, passing away on Saturday at the age of 81 after a long bout with cancer. Hall of Famer that he never saw the need for other pitches. Created by the act of throwing a ball, the ball's trajectory is significantly affected by variations in airflow caused by differences between the smooth surface of the ball and the stitching of its seams. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Seams have texture. Phil and Charlie and Wake, they all would share how important it is to perpetuate the craft, Dickey, who won the 2012 National League Cy Young Award while with the Mets, said by phone on Sunday. ? [5] Avoid Unconscious Bias: I remember watching Mr. Niekro pitch during the early 1980s when he was with the Braves courtesy of the TV station TBS at that time and when he played with my New York Yankees in 1984 and 1985. The former position player ended up winning 200 games. Phil Niekro, who rode his knuckleball to 318 wins and a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame, has died at 81 of cancer. But the careers of Zink and Fernandez were short. Niekro also mentored knuckleballers such as Tim Wakefield, Steve Sparks, and R.A. Dickey, as well as nephew Lance Niekro, who after spending parts of 2004-07 playing for the Giants made an unsuccessful bid to return to the majors as a pitcher. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s . Phil Niekro, a pitcher who used his signature knuckleball to fool generations of hitters and craft a Hall of Fame career, died Saturday night . The lower physical strain also fosters longer careers. I work for three weeks to get my swing down pat and Phil messes it up in one night, said Pete Rose. Not many pitchers start out with it, and you can't expect to pick it up overnight. Smith, the virtuoso shortstop, spoke by phone this month before the departure of yet another grand old man of the game. Oh, it would tick him off! [10], Coaches have also been seen as a barrier to succeeding with the knuckleball. He was not an overnight success. While the pitch has many advantages, there are also disadvantages of the pitch. R. A. Dickey argues that, "for most managers, it takes a special manager to be able to really trust it the bad and the good of it. As youd guess from those numbers, Niekros knuckler baffled hitters, making even All-Stars look foolish. Since it typically only travels 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113km/h),[7] far slower than the average major league fastball 85 to 95 miles per hour (137 to 153km/h), it can be hit very hard if there is no movement. Follow him on Twitter @jay_jaffe and Mastodon @jay_jaffe. Former knuckleballer and pitching coach Charlie Hough says that the increased rarity of the knuckleball is due to scouts increasingly looking only for the best arm. The little spin that takes place on the ball creates erratic and unpredictable motion. Additionally, Niekro led the NL in WAR in both 1978 (with a career-high 10.0) and 79 (7.4), with three second-place finishes and one fourth-place finish in that span. Since the pitch does not take as much stamina as throwing a fastball, pitchers can pitch deeper into the game without getting tired. (A common phrase for hitting a knuckleball is "if it's low, let it go; if it's high, let it fly"; meaning that a batter should attempt to hit a knuckleball only if it crosses the plate high in the strike zone due to lack of break.) He had three more years of close-but-no-cigar; Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt cut the line as the lone honorees in 1994 and 95, but then the fools in the BBWAA failed to elect anyone in 96, with Niekro receiving 68.3%, Tony Perez 65.7%, and fellow 300-game winner Don Sutton 63.8%, making for the writers first shutout since 1971. * Imminent Big Leaguers article. Improper grip using the knuckles instead of fingertips. If the pitching cant get the feeling right during a game, they wont have an effective outing. Dickey's 20-6 record and dramatic success last year with the New York Mets (he won the National League's Cy Young award, which goes to the best pitcher) and the news that the Orioles are making an effort to groom three knuckleballers gives Nathan hope that the pitch will catch on. As you serve your clients dont be fearful in being a so-called maverick who generates fresh ideas, is willing to think differently and is unafraid at throwing proverbial knuckleballs to opposing counsel that are hard for them to handle. ATLANTA -- Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81. All orgs will receive a full list. On September 8, he beat the As for the 299th win of his career. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for all the latest updates. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earne A pitch thrown completely without spin is less desirable, however, than one with a very slight spin. The further they get from the field, the stronger their sense of mortality. I remembered him and I thought, Oh, that poor kid, hes still in the minor leagues and I dont know how he hangs on, because Im on my way to the Hall of Fame, Bouton said, a few years before his death in 2019. He was the seventh Hall of Famer to die this year, the most . Niekro began his career with the Milwaukee Braves and ended it with the Atlanta Braves. The knuckleball grip has a few different variations to it, which makes the pitch unique. In November 2008, it was announced that 16-year-old knuckleballer Eri Yoshida was drafted as the first woman ever to play in Japanese professional baseball for the Kobe 9 Cruise of the Kansai Independent Baseball League. As of 2021, four primary knuckleball pitchers are in the Baseball Hall of Fam e today. A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. Niekro declined scholarship offers from the University of Detroit and West Virginia University in hopes of pursuing a career in professional baseball but drew no interest from nearby scouts until he attended a Milwaukee Braves tryout camp on an island in the Ohio River in July 1958, more than a year after graduation. Outside of owning this sports website, I also run my own SEO consulting agency, TM Blast LLC. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. In Corporate America where ageism is a reality, Mr. Niekros career reminds us that older workers can still provide high value to their organizations as their age and that their experience, guile, confidence and ability to mentor others are very important assets. After impressing Braves manager Bobby Bragan in the spring of 1964, he made the big club, joining a team that featured future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Torre, and Warren Spahn. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey of the Toronto Blue Jays won the 2012 Cy Young award for best pitcher in the National League after winning 20 games and losing just six for the New York Mets.