48 Braves At Astros, June 18, 1967, Can You Hit Phil Niekro's Knuckleball

28 August 2023

Album art features pitcher Phil Niekro.

The Knuckleball… a pitch that is turbulent, unpredictable, and rarely mastered. One player who did was Phil Niekro. With 318 career victories he currently sits 16th on the All-time Winners list, the highest of any knuckleball pitcher.

Of course the knuckelball is a fickle mistress. Niekro may have had three 20-win seasons, but he also had two 20-loss seasons as well; and to top it all off he is the sole MLB pitcher to pick up 20 wins and 20 losses in a single season, throwing 21-20 for the Atlanta Braves in 1979.

With 24 seasons under his belt, there's a lot games to choose from. For today's classic, we're heading back to 1967, as the Braves visit the Houston Astros.Phil Niekro is on the mound, facing a pitching duel with the Astro's Don Wilson

Behind the microphone are Gene Elston, Loel Passe, and Harry Kalas to take you through the game.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on June 18th, 1967.