Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, a 300 game winner famous of his unpredictable knuckleball, has died at the age of 81, the Associated Press reports.
Niekro played for four teams during his 24-year Major League career, which included two stints with the Braves–when the team was located in Milwaukee and then moved to Atlanta. He also played for the Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays.
Niekro’s career was likely extended because of his mastery of the knuckleball, a unique pitch that is unpredictable because there’s little or no spin. In 1979, he became the only player in the post-war era to win and lose 20 games in one season.