Phil Niekro, a pitcher who used his signature knuckleball to fool generations of hitters as well as craft a Hall of Fame career, died Saturday night in his sleep after a long battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced Sunday. He was 81.
Niekro, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, was one baseball's most prolific and durable pitchers, using his "butterfly" pitch to win 318 games in a career that spanned 24 seasons, 20 of those years with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves.
"We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend, Phil Niekro," said the Braves in a prepared statement.