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Hall of Fame knuckleballer Niekro dead at 81

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro passed away Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 81 years old.

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 21 of his 24 big league seasons with the Braves, was more than simply durable. His 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts are a testament to a pitcher who was often untouchable.

https://www.mlb.com/news/phil-niekro-dies-at-81

Niekro was the most popular Atlanta Braves player of all time.

Last year, Mrs. SSS and I attended a Frank Sinatra tribute show at a 400 seat theater here. Knucksie was sitting about three or four rows from the front (Mrs. SSS and I were in the cheap seats in the balcony) and at one point the singer call him out and spent a few minutes telling stories about him. Niekro then got the longest ovation of the day.

RIP. I didn't think it possible, but 2020 just got a bit worse.