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Braves Legend Phil Niekro Dies At Age 81

Braves Legend Phil Niekro Dies At Age 81

The best knuckleball pitcher of all time died on Saturday night following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Hall of Famer Phil Niekro pitched for 24 years — with 20 of those seasons being spent with the Atlanta Braves.

Niekro ultimately won 318 games, which put him at 16th all time. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

“We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend, Phil Niekro,” the Braves said in a statement.

“Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities. It was during those community and fan activities where he would communicate with fans as if they were long lost friends.”

Niekro was 81 years old.

Michael Kyaw

Michael Kyaw, initially a PR Manager, built up a valuable network of connections in the sports world that he then utilized to become an influential sports business reporter. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Fansided, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.

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