Baseball pitcher noted for perfecting the knuckleball, a pitch that is difficult to control but equally difficult for batters to hit. Niekro spent most of his career with the Atlanta Braves when they were arguably the worst team in the National League. In light of this fact, his 318 career wins are a remarkable stat. In 1979, he had the distinction of both winning and losing 20 games, a testament to a man who worked well into the later innings of a ballgame. He retired after the 1987 season at the age of 48!