Phil Niekro Win Record

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, and grew up in Lansing, Ohio, the son of Henrietta (Klinkoski) and Philip Niekro. He was of Polish descent. He attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, and was a boyhood friend of Basketball Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek. The baseball field where he played at Bridgeport High School's Perkins Field athletic complex was renamed "The Niekro Diamond" in 2008 after Phil and his brother, fellow major league pitcher Joe Niekro. The brothers were the sons of a coal miner who had pitched semi-pro baseball and learned to throw a knuckleball from another coal miner. He taught the boys the pitch in the backyard. In addition, Phil played American Legion Baseball. Niekro signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 for $250 (equivalent to $2,761 in 2025). He pitched for several minor league teams at several levels for the next few years, appearing mostly as a relief pitcher. While he was briefly promoted to the Class AAA Louisville Colonels in 1960, he spent the rest of that season pitching for the Jacksonville Braves. He spent the next season with the Class AA Austin Senators. He returned to Louisville in 1962 and had a 9–6 record. He missed the 1963 season due to military service.

In Their Own Story

The knuckleball was never a pitch that obeyed. It fluttered, dove, and sometimes refused to be caught. Catcher Bob Uecker once said, 'The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up.' For Phil Niekro, that unpredictability was his weapon. On October 1, 1982, with the Braves fighting for a division title, the 43-year-old Niekro took the mound against the San Diego Padres. He threw a complete game shutout, scattering hits and keeping the Padres off balance all afternoon. Then, in the bottom of the fourth inning, he stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run, providing all the offense he would need. The Braves won the game and held onto their one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a moment that captured everything about Niekro: the quiet dominance, the unexpected power, and the ability to deliver when it mattered most.

Reader's Guide

Niekro debuted with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. He led the league with a 1.87 ERA in 1967. In 1969, his first All-Star season, he had a 23–13 season with a 2.56 ERA, finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award balloting to Tom Seaver. The Braves went to the playoffs, where Niekro was 0–1 with four earned runs allowed in an eight-inning appearance against the New York Mets. On August 5, 1973, Niekro threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, the first for the Braves since moving to Atlanta. In 1974, Niekro led the league in wins (20), complete games (18), and innings pitched (302.1). In 1979, the 40-year-old Niekro led the league in both wins (21) and losses (20). He remains the last MLB pitcher to win and lose 20 games in the same season. On October 6, 1985, Niekro earned his 300th career win with a shutout win over the Toronto Blue Jays. At 46 years, 188 days, Niekro became the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout in the major leagues. He finished the 1985 season with a 16–12 record. After two seasons in New York, Niekro pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1986. On August 9, 1987, Niekro was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. After going 0–2 in three starts, the Blue Jays released Niekro. On September 23, 1987, Niekro signed again with his old team, the Atlanta Braves. On September 27, he made his final start of his career, pitching three innings and surrendering five runs in the no-decision. Niekro retired at the end of the season. At the age of 48, Niekro was the oldest player in major league history to play regularly until Julio Franco played at age 49 in 2007. He set a major league record by playing 24 seasons in the major leagues without a World Series appearance. His total of 5,404+1⁄3 innings pitched is the most by any pitcher in the post-1920 live-ball era.

Did You Know?

• Niekro is generally regarded as the greatest knuckleball pitcher of all time.
• As of today, Niekro ranks 16th on MLB's all-time wins list with 318 career victories; as of today, he is the only knuckleballer to win 300 or more major league games.
• Niekro and his younger brother Joe amassed 539 wins between them; as of 2013, the Niekros had the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history.
• As of 2023, Niekro also holds the major league record with 121 career victories after the age of 40.
• Niekro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.