“Catching Niekro’s knuckleball was great. I got to meet a lot of important people. They all sit behind home plate.” — Bob Uecker
During 24 big league seasons, Phil Niekro rode his knuckleball to 5,404 innings pitched – the most of any pitcher who started his career in the live ball era. But Niekro, who pitched for the Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays for 24 seasons, was more than simply durable. His 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts are a testament to a pitcher who was often untouchable.
