Niekro’s body looks fairly fit here, but his face is much older. “Catching Niekro’s knuckleball was great. But he looks pretty stiff, and that body looks avuncular at least. Now, we know that Niekro was young(ish) on his 1967 card and really old on this 1987 Topps card. Your email address will not be published. 1979 World Series in Baseball Cards … One Per Game. Phil Niekro is a MLB baseball player. Here we see old Phil, entering his age-30 season already, following through with his mouth open. Leave your email address below to sign up for our newsletter and access to occasional freebies like our "Ken Griffey, Jr., Master Checklist" of more than 8000 Junior cards ... start tracking YOUR collection today! So, this would have been a more conventional two-fer rookie card had Niekro not already scored an RC the year before. I mean, he has his hands over his head, at least. The knuckler is coming at you in brilliant black-and-white on this 5″ x 7″ card, complete with a tractor in the background. Your email address will not be published. Jay Publishing produced 12-card picture packs for a number of Major League teams from 1958 through 1965, with a switch from san serif to serif font breaking the run in two. Not ancient, maybe, but old. Heck, he can’t even get out of the dugout on his Donruss card, and I’ve known plenty of grandfathers who look better than Phil in these shots. Could very well be. That really warped my understanding of age and time because cards of players like Niekro, Gaylord Perry, Doyle Alexander, and Tommy John made me think I would look 59 by the time I turned 40. (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro - Baseball Hall of Fame biographies, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main Street,Cooperstown, NY 13326Phone: 1-888-HALL-OF-FAME | 607-547-7200 | Fax: 607-547-0398, "Trying to hit him is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks. teammate Chris Short, though … no, Niekro is the headliner. He was already in his 30s, though, by the time he reached superstardom, so collectors spent most of his career watching gray hair become grayer, and that funky knuckleballer’s motion become stiffer. They all sit behind home plate.” — Bob Uecker During 24 big league seasons, Phil Niekro rode his knuckleball to 5,404 innings pitched – the most of any pitcher who started his career in the live ball era. He would win 32 games with New York over two seasons, including his 300th on Oct. 6, 1985. that you won't find anywhere else. To round out Niekro’s first decade in the Major Leagues, Topps rolled out this classic baseball pose as part of their 1969 set. While he was on the mound hammering stuff down (flutteringly), collectors were pulling this nifty 1967 Topps Niekro card from packs. Here is what Niekro’s Topps, Fleer, and Donruss cards look like from that year: Niekro is old here. BL-6545.89 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro posing with his plaque during the 1997 Hall of Fame Weekend. We need to go back and see what Niekro was up to a bit earlier. Seemed the Braves were hedging their bets, hoping at least one of the Phils would pay off. Hit the "Tweet" button at the top ↑ 2. To my eyes, it looks grandfatherly. I’ve definitely known grandfathers who look this old or younger. Four years apart, Phil Niekro and Nolan Ryan, two of baseball’s best pitchers, gained entry into the 3,000 strikeout club, each accomplishing the feat on Independence Day. 1979 Topps Ron Oester Rookie Card — and Happy Birthday! Thank you for your interest in Wax Pack Gods! And he looks pretty much the same in 1975 and 1976. Heck, you may have even thought — upon first laying eyes on his cardboard — that the card companies had taken to making pasteboards of pitching coaches. I also know he got sorta lit up in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Mets and Tom Seaver, giving up nine runs in eight innings, though only four of them earned. Scroll down and check out his short and medium hairstyles. It’s part of why I like them both, though. Can't get enough sports card nostalgia? Your email address will not be published. 1. Niekro signed as an amateur free agent with the Milwaukee Braves way back in 1958 when he was just 19 years old. Why People Have A Crush On Phil Niekro And it’s really not a very good photo. During 24 big league seasons, Phil Niekro rode his knuckleball to 5,404 innings pitched – the most of any pitcher who started his career in the live ball era. Growing up, my parents refused to tell me how old they were and my main point of reference for how old adults looked at certain ages were baseball cards. But it wasn't until three years later when the team – now in Atlanta – finally committed to giving Niekro regular work. I got to meet a lot of important people. On Jan. 6, 1997, Phil Niekro was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Maybe. We use cookies to improve your experience. He responded with an 11-9 record and an big league-best 1.87 ERA – and was on his way to becoming a star. Leave your email address below to sign up for our newsletter and occasional goodies (e-books, articles, etc.) Cleveland Indians uniform cap worn by Phil Niekro facing the Detroit Tigers on June 1, 1987, when he gained his 314th career win, making the Niekro brothers the all-time brother-combined leaders in wins with 530 - B-98-87 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro pitching as Atlanta Brave, 1981 - BL-2710-2000 (Rick Pilling/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Phil Niekro (left) greets members of Team Knucksie, including Alan Trammell (center), before the 2015 Hall of Fame Classic Game in Cooperstown. Posted by Adam Hughes | Baseball Cards, Players | 6 |, (Check out our other player card posts here.). Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, These Donruss Rated Rookies Just Didn’t Rate the Hype, The Flaky Al Kaline Baseball Card that Made the Tigers Slugger a TV Star. But at least Carroll was a cardboard virgin! I mean, Niekro is pitching off a Major League mound, and the picture is far enough away and grainy enough that you can’t really see any wrinkles. ". In both 1968 and 1969 the Major League Baseball Players Association issued stamps and an accompanying album of 216 players — that’s nine for each of the 24 Major League teams. So, let’s use the bisection method to figure this out, starting with his 1977 Topps card: This is a tough call. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume you're OK with that. Halfway between 1977 and 1987 is 1982. Still, a classic 1960s card of a budding star. Still, his eyes are bright … his skin is tanned and mostly taught … his hair is bushy in an Incredible Hulk sort of way and could at least pass for blonde. Well … I do know Niekro was on the cusp of his first 20-win season, as he went 23-13 with a 2.56 ERA to help the Braves win the first-ever National League West crown. This is a really gray area (hardy-har-har) …. The world of baseball and baseball cards is loaded with unrealistic expectations. I got to meet a lot of important people. 1964 Topps Baseball Phil Niekro Rookie $26.00 (7 Bids) End Date: Wednesday 10/21/2020 07:49:34 EDT Bid now | Add to watch list 1975 TOPPS PHIL NIEKRO # 130 PSA 8 $17.85 End Date: Friday 11/13/2020 22:42:42 EST Bid now | Add to watch list 1965 Topps #461 Braves Rookie Stars (Phil Niekro RC) VGEX $19.98 End Date: Monday 11/09/2020 20:31:01 EST Bid now | Add to watch list 1965 Topps Baseball Set Break #461 Braves Rookie Stars Phil Niekro VG $26.99 (12 Bids) End Date: Saturday 10/17/2020 10:23:43 EDT Bid now | Add to watch list 1968 Topps #257 Phil Niekro, Braves, HOF, PSA 8 $47.95 End Date: Saturday 10/24/2020 17:34:41 EDT Buy it now | Add to watch list. If your first exposure to Phil Niekro came through his baseball cards in the 1980s, then you probably think of him as an old man. Atlanta was swept out of the post-season both years, and Niekro never saw October baseball again. (Jean Fruth/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Phil Niekro of the Atlanta Braves pitching. So middle age didn’t come to Niekro in 1967, either, but his first real taste of Big League success did — he led the National League with a 1.87 ERA and a 179 ERA+, because ERA+ was really big stuff in the late 1960s. We use cookies to improve your experience. Either way, both of them featured Phil Niekro and Phil Roof, though the former didn’t exhaust his rookie status until 1965. And, from 1966-68, they made baseball cards (postcards) that were tied to Coca-Cola giveaways in some way. Lot Of 5 Signed Phil Niekro Baseball Cards Braves Yankees Indians With HOF 97, 1949 Bowman Baseball Cards – 12 Most Valuable, Bruce Sutter Made His Hall of Fame Pitch from the Best 1981 Topps Baseball Card. But the Milton Bradley cards are pretty neat considering they came as part of an actual game that let you play baseball right there on your tabletop, and that there are 296 cards in the set. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Required fields are marked *. It’s the same transformation you see with most longtime players, but it’s all exaggerated in Niekro’s case …. I’ve definitely known grandfathers who look this old or younger. Atlanta Braves, Lot Of 5 Signed Phil Niekro Baseball Cards Autographs Atlanta Braves With HOF 97. Originally issued in sheets, most of the singles you’ll find today were at some point cut by hand (and, presumably, scissors) from their sticky-paper brethren. Years from now, someone walking through Saint Anthony’s Cemetery in Blaine, Ohio, may wonder about the tombstone for Ivy and Phil Niekro Sr., the one with a … Relive your cherished baseball memories and favorite moments from your team with your personalized membership card. From 1977-79, Niekro averaged an incredible 336 innings pitched per year to go with an average of 19 wins per season and a 3.43 ERA. Now, we know that Niekro was young(ish) on his 1967 card and really old on this 1987 Topps card. Of course, Niekro got his own burlap-bordered card in the 1968 Topps set, a closer-up version of the Dexter shot, sort of. And that gold chain around his neck doesn’t look completely out of place. Want to see a video version of this article? It all depends on what your vision of a grandfather is, of course, but we can step through the cardboard ages to make a pretty decent determination. Dickey is only the most recent example of the extraordinary rewards that can come from the knuckleball. At the age of 71, Phil Niekro finally got his first solo card in the 1966 Topps set. Truth be told, even if you knew of Niekro earlier in his career, you probably still thought of him as an old man when he was throwing his knuckler off Major League mounds during a 24-year run that netted 318 victories and a plaque in Cooperstown. But Niekro, who pitched for the Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays for 24 seasons, was
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