Hall Of Famer Phil Niekro, Known For His Knuckleball, Dies At 81

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Phil Niekro is seen in a 1968 photo. The Hall of Fame knuckleballer died at 81 years old after a battle with cancer, his former team announced Sunday.

Associated Press

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Associated Press

The Two-Way
The Knuckleball Can Devastate, So Why Don’t All Pitchers Throw It?

As a child, Niekro learned his unique pitching style from his father — and then he decided to throw that pitch exclusively while in the minor leagues, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to which Niekro was inducted in 1997.

In 2013, the Baltimore Orioles hired Niekro to teach its minor league pitchers how to throw the knuckleball. As NPR’s Mark Memmott explained at the time, the relatively slow speed of the knuckleball places less stress on a pitcher’s arm — and therefore can help prolong a pitcher’s career.

«Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr., said in a statement. «But even more than his signature pitch and trademark durability, Phil will be remembered as one of our game’s most genial people. He always represented his sport extraordinarily well, and he will be deeply missed.