A Pair of Aces

This week, David and Elliott head to the mound with a pair of Hall of Fame Hurlers: the master of the knuckle ball Phil Niekro, and one of the pioneers of modern relief pitchers Rollie Fingers.

Episode Segments:

Sports and Torts: Rollie Fingers
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Sports and Torts: Phil Niekro
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Rollie Fingers During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics (1968–76), San Diego Padres (1977–80) and Milwaukee Brewers (1981–85). In 1992, he became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Fingers is also one of only a few MLB players to have his number retired by more than one club (Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers). During his career, Fingers was known just as much for his neatly groomed handlebar mustache as he was for his hard biting sinker. Rollie's Website

Phil Niekro Phil nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage of and skill with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. Niekro's 318 career victories are the most by a knuckleball pitcher, and he currently ranks 16th on the overall all-time wins list.[1] He also won the National League (NL) Gold Glove Award five times. Phil and his brother Joe Niekro amassed 539 wins between them, the most combined wins by brothers in baseball history. Phil Niekro's 121 career victories after the age of 40 is a major league record, and his longevity is attributed to the knuckleball, which, while a difficult pitch for pitchers to master, is easy on the arm and often baffles hitters due to its unpredictable trajectory. He is also the uncle of former first baseman and pitcher Lance Niekro. The baseball field in Phil's hometown of Bridgeport, Ohio has been named Niekro Diamond in honor of Phil and Joe Niekro. Niekro was the last MLB pitcher to have both won and lost 20 or more games in the same season; with the 1979 Braves,Niekro finished with 21 wins and 20 losses. His third and final 20-win season came in 1979; it was also the second and final year that he lost 20 games. Phil's Career Stats