Joe Niekro
| Birthdate | 11/7/1944 |
| Death Date | 10/27/2006 |
| Debut Year | 1967 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Astros, Braves, Cubs, Padres, Tigers, Twins, Yankees |
| Position | Pitcher |
The only HR Joe Niekro hit in 22 MLB seasons came off his brother, Phil. The knuckleballing Niekros won 539 games – a record for brothers.
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Joe Niekro won 221 games in his 22-year MLB career
Joe Niekro won 221 games in his 22-year MLB career
At times overshadowed by his older brother and Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, Joe Niekro was a fine pitcher in his own right.
An All Star and 20-game winner, Joe remains near the top of the Astros franchise leader board in most pitching categories. He finished his career with 221 wins.
Shown here is a pair of cards showing Joe Niekro with the Chicago Cubs from the infancy of his career. After getting dealt from the Cubs Joe bounced around to the Padres, Tigers, and Braves before embarking on an 11-year run in Houston where he became the franchise leader in career wins.
Joe played 22 big league seasons before retiring in 1988. He passed away at age 61 from a brain aneurism. Today a foundation that bears his name supports patients, families, research, treatment, and awareness of aneurisms.
The Niekro brothers were National League mainstays in the 80s
The Niekro brothers were National League mainstays in the 80s
This 1983 Donruss card featuring the Niekro brothers depicts them with the teams with which they’re most identified. Phil Niekro played for the Braves in 21 of his 24 big league seasons while Joe remains the Astros franchise leader in career wins.
Joe led the league in both games started and wild pitches in 1983 while Phil earned his fifth and final Gold Glove Award.
The Niekros own the record for most wins by a brother combination
The Niekros own the record for most wins by a brother combination
Phil Niekro’s 314th win on June 1, 1987 was momentous. It marked the 530th victory for the Niekro brothers and broke the previous record held by Jim and Gaylord Perry.
Joe earned the last win by a Niekro on April 12, 1988 to push the mark to 539. Shown here is a Topps record breaker card autographed by both brothers.
The other card is from the 1983 Super Veteran series that featured a picture of the players from early in their careers and from 1983, the year the cards were printed. Phil Niekro’s card has an image from his rookie year with the Braves who were in their penultimate year in Milwaukee.
