1976 SSPC Phil Niekro

 

The card, in brief: It's always weird to me to see Phil Niekro when he was young, and he's not even that young in this photo. He was 36 years old, finishing his 12th season. And yet, he was only halfway through his career.

Playing career, in brief: Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro was arguably the best knuckleball pitcher of all time. He won 318 games in his 24-year career. The ace of the Braves' staff from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, he won the 1967 NL ERA title and had three 20-win seasons, leading the league in wins twice. He stuck out 3,342 batters, including an NL-high 262 in 1967. 

Post-playing career, in brief: After his career he famously managed the all-female Colorado Silver Bullets. He also occasionally advised young knuckleball pitchers, and worked for a sporting goods company. He died of cancer in 2020.

My collection: I have 58 of his cards, from 1967 to 1988. I would be interested in trading for 1964 Topps #541, 1965 Topps #461, and 1966 Topps #28.