ATLANTA – Phil Niekro, a Hall of Fame player who played in the late 1950s with a tone that has confused major league players for more than two decades, especially with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long battle with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81 years old.
The brave man indicated that Niekro died in his sleep on Saturday night. He lived in Flowery Branch, a suburb of Atlanta whose main boulevard bears his name.
Niekro won 318 games during his 24-season career, which ended in 1987 at the age of 48, after a final start with the Braves.
Known for a pitch that got hitters and catchers in trouble, Niekro was a five-time All-Star and had three 20-win seasons with Atlanta.
Niekro also played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays at the end of his career.
“We are saddened by the death of our esteemed friend,” the Braves said in a statement.
A statue of Niekro throwing his signature is in front of Truist Park, the house of the Braves.
Niekro did not reach the major leagues until 1964, when he released 10 relief games for the then Milwaukee Braves. He started only once in the first three years of his major, but finally made his debut in 1967 – the second year of the Braves in Atlanta – when he was 11-9 years old and led the National League with one. 1.87 ERA.
With a ball that forced the receivers to use a bigger-than-normal mascot, Niekro was 23-13 years old when the Braves won their first NL West title in 1969.
However, Niekro also led the main losses for four consecutive seasons, suffering 20 setbacks in both 1977 and 1979. He finished his career with an overall record of 318-274 and an ERA. of 3.35. Niekro was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.