Least We Forget: RIP Phil Niekro
 

That's 7 Hall-of-Famers lost this year...what a horrible year.

Niekro was my grandmother's favorite.

5,404 Innings pitched...fourth all-time.

22,677 batters faced...fourth all-time.

716 starts...fifth all-time.

318 wins...sixteenth all-time.

3,342 strikeouts...eleventh all-time.

1,809 walks...third all-time.

97.0 WAR for pitchers...eleventh all-time.

274 losses...fifth all-time (with some terrible teams!)

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Watched a short bio interview of Phil years ago and never forgot his story of being signed by the Milwaukee Braves back in the 1950's. A Braves scout visited the Niekro home in a small mining town in southeast Ohio. The scout told Phil's dad that the Braves were very high on his son and wanted him to sign to a contract for five hundred dollars! The old man, a low-wage miner all of his life, balked at that figure and said to the scout, "I'm sorry, but I just don't have that kind of money."

I guess Joe and Phil are fluttering them past Lou Gehrig and Jackie Robinson right about now. The Niekro brothers combined for 539 total wins, the major league record for the most wins by a pair of brothers. RIP.

My late fathers favorite player. Dad threw a nuckler himself and taught me how to throw it in middle school. We were able to meet him at a card show in Raleigh in the 90's and Dad got his autograph on a ball and an 8x10 (which I have know inherited since Dad passed)

Can’t get away with this in the big ballpark in the sky

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_u4pMAlx0