Philip Henry "Phil" Niekro, nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage of and skill with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. Niekro's 318 career victories are the most by a knuckleball pitcher, and he ranks 16th on the overall all-time wins list. He also won the National League Gold Glove Award five times. Phil and his brother Joe Niekro amassed 539 wins between them, the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history. Phil Niekro's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record, and his longevity is attributed to the knuckleball, which, while a difficult pitch for pitchers to master, is easy on the arm and often baffles hitters due to its unpredictable trajectory. He is also the uncle of former first baseman and pitcher Lance Niekro. The baseball field in Phil's hometown of Bridgeport, Ohio has been named Niekro Diamond in honor of Phil and Joe Niekro. Niekro was the last MLB pitcher to have both won and lost 20 or more games in the same season; with the 1979 Braves, Niekro finished with 21 wins and 20 losses. 

April 1st, 1939 in Blaine  /  Died:   Dec 26th, 2020 - aged 81, illness