Joe Niekro, RIP
Still in the busy season here, but one timeout for some sad news to pass on. Former Astros pitcher, Joe Niekro passed away last night. Add a black band to that rainbow jersey.
Maybe not the most earth-shattering loss, but Niekro was among those Astros that I greatly admired. He was a solid, reliable, and yet unremarkable member of those late-70s, early-80s teams. In 1979 and 1980, Niekro was the only pitcher on the team to log back-to-back 20-win seasons and the only starter to even register 20 wins each year - a feat that has to be noted in the context that those were two years we had a few aces named Ryan and Richard (though JR did go down midway through the 1980 season and clearly would have shattered a few records had he finished it the way he started it).
The Astros of that era made me the baseball fan I am today - one who loves a good pitcher's duel, stingy defense, and a lot of baserunning. Give me a 2-1 game with less than a dozen combined hits any day of the week. I always loved watching Niekro pitch. The dance of the knuckleball was a unique form of entertainment in and of itself and I never had the same enjoyment while watching his brother pitch. From Niekro's delivery of it to Alan Ashby's ultimate handling of it - or maybe it was the headache induced by the rainbow uniforms. I dunno. Maybe it was all magical.
Thanks for the many, many great memories, Joe. Now maybe we can get an answer as to whether or not he'll get to pitch in the All Star game going on in heaven.
Pretty funny when Niekro appeared on the Letterman show after receiving a 10-game suspension for using an emory board... miss that old-school baseball! :)
Letterman's "Top 10 Excuses" when Niekro appeared on the show - August 6, 1987:
10. The emory board is a new super-grip popsicle stick.
9. I only used it to apply Vaseline to the ball.
8. I needed it to scrape dried wads of chewing tobacco off the bullpen telephone.
7. Delicate double-knit uniforms easily snagged on rough nails.
6. I was using it to make a statue of commissioner Ueberroth.
5. I used it as a bookmark for my dugout copy of Shirley MacLaine's autobiography.
4. Rules of fair play are for saps and squares.
3. I've been hypnotized by evil dogs.
2. It was all William Casey's idea.
1. I like to give pedicures to ballboys.
Source: Joe Niekro.com - stats & pictures