Phil Niekro

High school

Bridgeport High School

Pro team(s)

Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays

Hall of Fame

⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame

Philip Henry Niekro was born on April 1, 1939, in Blaine, Ohio — a tiny hamlet in Belmont County — and attended Bridgeport High School, just up the road from Martins Ferry. He signed with the Milwaukee Braves out of high school in 1958 without ever playing a college game, armed with the pitch that would define his career and create a legacy: the knuckleball. The pitch that flutters unpredictably toward the plate, baffling hitters and catchers alike, became Niekro's calling card for a quarter century in professional baseball. He spent the bulk of his career with the Braves organization (Milwaukee 1964–1965, Atlanta 1966–1983), winning 20 or more games three times and delivering his most remarkable season at age 40 in 1979, when he went 21-20 for an Atlanta club that went 66-94 — arguably one of the greatest individual pitching performances in modern baseball. After Atlanta, he pitched for the New York Yankees (1984–1985), Cleveland Indians (1986–1987), and Toronto Blue Jays (1987) before a brief return to Atlanta. He retired in 1987 at age 48 with 318 career wins — the most ever achieved primarily through the knuckleball. A five-time All-Star, Niekro was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. Born in Blaine, Ohio; attended Bridgeport High School.