Phil Niekro

Position: Pitcher

Bats: Right • Throws: Right

6-1, 180lb (185cm, 81kg)

Born: April 1, 1939 in Blaine, OH us

Died: December 27, 2020 in Flowery Branch, GA

Buried: Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA

High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH)

Last Game: September 27, 1987 (Age 48-179d)
vs. SFG 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 SO, 6 BB, 5 ER

Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1997. (Voted by BBWAA on 380/473 ballots)
View Phil Niekro's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).

Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season

Agents: Bruce Church

Full Name: Philip Henry Niekro

Nicknames: Knucksie

Pronunciation: \NEE-kro\

View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen

View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Relatives: Brother of Joe Niekro; Uncle of Lance Niekro

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SUMMARY

Career

WAR

95.9

318

274

ERA

3.35

864

716

5404.0

3342

WHIP

1.268

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Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	RA9	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
1959	20		2 Teams	2 Lgs	D--D	MLN	9	2	.818	4.86	6.00	33	2	5	0	0		87.0	82	58	47	6	53		64	2	0	5		1.552	8.5	0.6	5.5	6.6	1.21
1959	20	1.0	McCook	NESL	D-	MLN	7	1	.875	3.12	3.46	23	0		0	0		52.0	35	20	18	5	29		48	1	0	4		1.231	6.1	0.9	5.0	8.3	1.66
1959	20	-0.6	Wellsville	NYPL	D	MLN	2	1	.667	7.46	9.77	10	2	5	0	0		35.0	47	38	29	1	24		16	1	0	1		2.029	12.1	0.3	6.2	4.1	0.67
1960	21		2 Teams	2 Lgs	A-AAA	MLN	7	4	.636	2.86	3.91	44	3		0	0		94.1	77	41	30	2	61	9	52	3	0	14		1.463	7.3	0.2	5.8
1960	21	-6.2	Louisville	AA	AAA	MLN	1	0	1.000	3.60	4.50	6	0					10.0	11	5	4	1	9				0			2.000	9.9	0.9	8.1
1960	21	-2.9	Jacksonville	SALL	A	MLN	6	4	.600	2.77	3.84	38	3		0	0		84.1	66	36	26	1	52	9	52	3	0	14		1.399	7.0	0.1	5.5	5.5	1.00
1961	22	-0.9	Austin	TL	AA	MLN	4	4	.500	2.95	3.68	51	1		0	0		110.0	100	45	36	6	53	10	84	1	1	9		1.391	8.2	0.5	4.3	6.9	1.58
1962	23	-3.0	Louisville	AA	AAA	MLN	9	6	.600	3.86	4.59	49	1		1	0		98.0	111	50	42	5	41	5	48	4	0	3		1.551	10.2	0.5	3.8	4.4	1.17

1964	25	-0.1	Denver	PCL	AAA	MLN	11	5	.688	3.45	4.13	29	21		13	1		172.0	172	79	66	19	45	3	119	3	0	7		1.262	9.0	1.0	2.4	6.2	2.64
1964	25	-3.2	MLN	NL	Maj	MLN	0	0		4.80	6.00	10	0	2	0	0	0	15.0	15	10	8	1	7	0	8	1	0	1	66	1.467	9.0	0.6	4.2	4.8	1.14
1965	26	-2.3	MLN	NL	Maj	MLN	2	3	.400	2.89	3.86	41	1	21	0	0	6	74.2	73	32	24	5	26	3	49	3	0	9	324	1.326	8.8	0.6	3.1	5.9	1.88
1966	27	1.4	Richmond	IL	AAA	ATL	3	4	.429	3.67	4.50	17	4		2	0		54.0	43	27	22	5	16	4	36	1	0	2		1.093	7.2	0.8	2.7	6.0	2.25
1966	27	-0.8	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	4	3	.571	4.11	5.72	28	0	10	0	0	2	50.1	48	32	23	4	23	5	17	2	0	3	224	1.411	8.6	0.7	4.1	3.0	0.74
1967	28	0.6	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	11	9	.550	1.87	2.78	46	20	20	10	1	9	207.0	164	64	43	9	55	3	129	7	1	19	827	1.058	7.1	0.4	2.4	5.6	2.35
1968	29	1.6	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	14	12	.538	2.59	2.91	37	34	3	15	5	2	256.2	228	83	74	16	45	3	140	5	3	16	1019	1.064	8.0	0.6	1.6	4.9	3.11
1969	30	3.0	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	23	13	.639	2.56	2.94	40	35	4	21	4	1	284.1	235	93	81	21	57	7	193	5	0	15	1143	1.027	7.4	0.7	1.8	6.1	3.39
1970	31	3.9	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	12	18	.400	4.27	4.86	34	32	1	10	3	0	229.2	222	124	109	40	68	2	168	6	2	6	980	1.263	8.7	1.6	2.7	6.6	2.47
1971	32	4.6	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	15	14	.517	2.98	3.75	42	36	4	18	4	2	268.2	248	112	89	27	70	6	173	3	1	8	1101	1.184	8.3	0.9	2.3	5.8	2.47
1972	33	5.9	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	16	12	.571	3.06	3.57	38	36	1	17	1	0	282.1	254	112	96	22	53	3	164	5	3	10	1150	1.087	8.1	0.7	1.7	5.2	3.09
1973	34	6.7	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	13	10	.565	3.31	3.78	42	30	7	9	1	4	245.0	214	103	90	21	89	4	131	5	0	11	1023	1.237	7.9	0.8	3.3	4.8	1.47
1974	35	7.8	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	20	13	.606	2.38	2.71	41	39	1	18	6	1	302.1	249	91	80	19	88	3	195	6	4	6	1219	1.115	7.4	0.6	2.6	5.8	2.22
1975	36	8.9	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	15	15	.500	3.20	3.75	39	37	2	13	1	0	275.2	285	115	98	29	72	3	144	11	2	15	1160	1.295	9.3	0.9	2.4	4.7	2.00
1976	37	9.6	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	17	11	.607	3.29	3.86	38	37	1	10	2	0	270.2	249	116	99	18	101	7	173	8	4	14	1157	1.293	8.3	0.6	3.4	5.8	1.71
1977	38	10.7	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	16	20	.444	4.03	4.52	44	43	1	20	2	0	330.1	315	166	148	26	164	12	262	8	3	17	1428	1.450	8.6	0.7	4.5	7.1	1.60
1978	39	11.0	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	19	18	.514	2.88	3.47	44	42	1	22	4	1	334.1	295	129	107	16	102	5	248	13	3	11	1389	1.187	7.9	0.4	2.7	6.7	2.43
1979	40	11.8	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	21	20	.512	3.39	4.21	44	44	0	23	1	0	342.0	311	160	129	41	113	8	208	11	4	18	1436	1.240	8.2	1.1	3.0	5.5	1.84
1980	41	12.7	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	15	18	.455	3.63	3.89	40	38	2	11	3	1	275.0	256	119	111	30	85	3	176	3	1	9	1137	1.240	8.4	1.0	2.8	5.8	2.07
1981	42	13.3	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	7	7	.500	3.10	3.62	22	22	0	3	3	0	139.1	120	56	48	6	56	2	62	1	0	2	578	1.263	7.8	0.4	3.6	4.0	1.11
1982	43	14.3	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	17	4	.810	3.61	4.07	35	35	0	4	2	0	234.1	225	106	94	23	73	1	144	3	1	4	969	1.272	8.6	0.9	2.8	5.5	1.97
1983	44	15.5	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	11	10	.524	3.97	4.20	34	33	0	2	0	0	201.2	212	94	89	18	105	3	128	2	3	6	888	1.572	9.5	0.8	4.7	5.7	1.22
1984	45	16.6	NYY	AL	Maj	NYY	16	8	.667	3.09	3.55	32	31	1	5	1	0	215.2	219	85	74	15	76	0	136	3	0	2	916	1.368	9.1	0.6	3.2	5.7	1.79
1985	46	17.6	NYY	AL	Maj	NYY	16	12	.571	4.09	4.50	33	33	0	7	1	0	220.0	203	110	100	29	120	1	149	2	2	5	955	1.468	8.3	1.2	4.9	6.1	1.24
1986	47	18.8	CLE	AL	Maj	CLE	11	11	.500	4.32	5.39	34	32	1	5	0	0	210.1	241	126	101	24	95	1	81	6	2	9	951	1.597	10.3	1.0	4.1	3.5	0.85
1987	48		3 Teams	2 Lgs	Maj	ATL	7	13	.350	6.30	6.43	26	26	0	2	0	0	138.2	163	99	97	22	66	1	64	4	3	10	637	1.651	10.6	1.4	4.3	4.2	0.97
1987	48	19.8	ATL	NL	Maj	ATL	0	0		15.00	15.00	1	1	0	0	0	0	3.0	6	5	5	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	20	4.000	18.0	0.0	18.0	0.0	0.00
1987	48	19.4	CLE	AL	Maj	CLE	7	11	.389	5.89	6.04	22	22	0	2	0	0	123.2	142	83	81	18	53	1	57	4	2	9	561	1.577	10.3	1.3	3.9	4.1	1.08
1987	48	19.4	TOR	AL	Maj	TOR	0	2	.000	8.25	8.25	3	3	0	0	0	0	12.0	15	11	11	4	7	0	7	0	1	1	56	1.833	11.3	3.0	5.3	5.3	1.00
Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	RA9	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
Majors (24 seasons)					Majors		318	274	.537	3.35	3.89	864	716	83	245	45	29	5404.0	5044	2337	2012	482	1809	86	3342	123	42	226	22677	1.268	8.4	0.8	3.0	5.6	1.85
Minors (6 seasons)					Minors		43	25	.632	3.55	4.39	223	32	5	16	1		615.1	585	300	243	43	269	31	403	14	1	40		1.388	8.6	0.6	3.9
All Levels (28 Seasons)							361	299	.547	3.37	3.94	1087	748	88	261	46	29	6019.1	5629	2637	2255	525	2078	117	3745	137	43	266	22677	1.280	8.4	0.8	3.1

AAA (4 seasons)					Minors		24	15	.615	3.61	4.34	101	26		16	1		334.0	337	161	134	30	111	12	203	8	0	12		1.341	9.1	0.8	3.0
AA (1 season)					Minors		4	4	.500	2.95	3.68	51	1		0	0		110.0	100	45	36	6	53	10	84	1	1	9		1.391	8.2	0.5	4.3	6.9	1.58
A (1 season)					Minors		6	4	.600	2.77	3.84	38	3		0	0		84.1	66	36	26	1	52	9	52	3	0	14		1.399	7.0	0.1	5.5	5.5	1.00
D- (1 season)					Minors		7	1	.875	3.12	3.46	23	0		0	0		52.0	35	20	18	5	29		48	1	0	4		1.231	6.1	0.9	5.0	8.3	1.66
D (1 season)					Minors		2	1	.667	7.46	9.77	10	2	5	0	0		35.0	47	38	29	1	24		16	1	0	1		2.029	12.1	0.3	6.2	4.1	0.67