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4 unusual facts about Phil Niekro


Phil Niekro

After the end of his professional baseball career, Niekro managed the all-women Colorado Silver Bullets baseball team.

At 46 years, 188 days, Niekro became the oldest pitcher to pitch a shutout in the major leagues; this record stood for nearly 25 years before Jamie Moyer (47 years, 170 days) bested the feat in May 2010; for Niekro, this complete-game shutout would be his 300th win.

Niekro tutored his nephew, Lance Niekro, to throw a knuckleball after Lance's unsuccessful stints as a power-hitting first base prospect with the San Francisco Giants.

Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, and was a boyhood friend of Basketball Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek.


John Havlicek

He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and one of his boyhood friends was Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro.

Niekro brothers

The Niekro brothers, Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro, were Major League knuckleball pitchers.

Wild pitch

R.A. Dickey, Phil Niekro, Walter Johnson, and Kevin Gregg all hold the modern-era single inning wild pitch record with four.


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