Joe Niekro, a knuckleball pitcher who came from obscurity to become the Houston Astros’ all-time winner, died Friday.
Niekro, 61, suffered a brain aneurysm Thursday night at his home in Plant City, Fla., and died Friday at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.
The younger brother of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, Joe Niekro pitched 22 seasons in the majors, beginning in 1967 with the Cubs.
He retired in 1988 with a lifetime record of 221-204. The Niekro brothers had 539 combined wins and are the most successful brother combination in baseball history.
Niekro came to the Astros in 1975, purchased from the Atlanta Braves for $35,000. Before joining the Astros, Niekro had been with four clubs with a career record of 58-63.
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With the Astros in 1975-85, he was 144-116, passing Larry Dierker for the franchise lead in victories with his 138th win in 1985.
“In my opinion,” said Alan Ashby, who was a catcher for Niekro for much of his career in Houston, “he was the heart and soul of the pitching staffs of those teams in the 1970s and ’80s.
“This was a complete shock to hear about Joe. He was way too young and way too full of life.”
Astros President Tal Smith, who was general manager of the club in 1975-80, remembered Niekro as a consummate big-game pitcher and, more importantly, a player everyone enjoyed as a teammate and friend.
“Obviously, Knucksie [Niekro] was an accomplished pitcher, but he was a super guy, everybody loved him,” Smith said. “He had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party.
“I truly never heard anything disparaging about Joe. If you didn’t like him, you didn’t like people.”
Niekro was born on Nov. 7, 1944, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He was drafted in the third round by the Cubs in 1966 and was in the majors by 1967, going 10-7 as a 22-year-old rookie. The Cubs traded him to the Padres in 1968.
Niekro’s son, Lance, 27, is a first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. In addition to Lance, Niekro is survived by a daughter, Natalie; his second wife, Debbie; and a 9-year-old son.