Good morning, Athletics Nation!
The baseball world lost yet another all-time great last weekend. Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro died Saturday at the age of 81.
The longtime Braves star passed away in his sleep after a long battle with cancer, per MLB’s Mark Bowman.
Niekro debuted in the majors in 1964, and continued twirling his knuckleball until 1987 at age 48. His first two seasons came for the Milwaukee Braves, and then the team moved to Atlanta and he spent the next 18 years there. After brief stints with the Yankees, Indians, and Blue Jays, he returned to his original club and retired in a Braves uniform.