1976 SSPC Joe Niekro

 

The card, in brief: Not a whole lot to say about the front, except I really like the ones where you can see the lampposts from the Shea Stadium parking lot.

The player, in brief: Knuckleballer Joe Niekro pitched for 22 years for seven teams. His best seasons were with the Astros, with 20-win seasons in 1979 and 1980. Overall he was 221-204 with 1,747 strikeouts in 702 games.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he coached for the Twins and Rockies. He died of a brain aneurysm in 2006.

My collection: I have 48 of his cards, from 1968 to 1988. I would be interested in trading for 1967 Topps #536.