Phil Niekro, noted knuckleballer.
A right-hander, like his brother, Phil Niekro (pronounced NEEK-row) threw a total of 5,404 innings, placing him No. 4 on the major league career list, without ever incurring a sore arm, allowing him to endure in Major League Baseball far longer than most other players.
He tied Andy Messersmith in the National League for the most victories in 1974, when he was 20-13, and he tied Joe for the most wins in 1979, when he went 21-20 (also losing the most games in the league). Joe was 21-11 that season with the Houston Astros.
Phil, who retired after the 1987 season, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. But for all of his achievements, he never made it to a World Series, his Braves teams reaching only the National League Championship Series twice, losing both times. Phil pitched for four teams and Joe for seven. They were teammates with the Braves in 1973 and ’74 and briefly with the Yankees in 1985.
Barry Lopez, noted writer.
Finally, Michael Alig is burning in Hell. He was one of the late 80’s NYC “club kids”. But he’s burning in Hell because he killed Andre Melendez.
Mr. Melendez, who was also known as Angel, was missing for months before his dismembered corpse washed up on Staten Island, which is when people began to believe Mr. Alig’s frequent claims that he had killed Mr. Melendez.
They had argued about money one night and, prosecutors and investigators said at the time, Mr. Alig, while under the influence of heroin, had murdered Mr. Melendez and dumped his remains in the Hudson River.
Mr. Alig pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 1997, as did an accomplice, Robert Riggs. Mr. Alig served 17 years. He was released from prison in 2014 at the age of 48 and was met by friends and supporters.
I am 60 years old now, and I remember listening to my old AM transistor radio late at night when Detroit was on the west coast. In the early 70’s, Joe Niekro played for the Tigers, and I was a fan of his. I remember when the Tigers won the world series in 1968, and coming home from school, in 3rd grade, hurrying to get home and watch the current game, since this was before the world series was all played at night in order to ensure prime time television dollars.
I do miss the simplicity of those times, even though I remember the social upheaval of the Vietnam war,and the racial strife, the deaths of well known people like Bobby Kennedy, ML King, etc.
Living in West Michigan, my family has always been fans of the Detroit professional sports teams. My dad always took the 4 boys, my twin brother, and two older brothers, to a Tiger game every summer. We always went to a twi-night double header, to see two games.
Best wishes and have a great new year.