Ex-Astros knuckleballer Joe Niekro dies at 61

Ex-Astros knuckleballer Joe Niekro dies at 61

Ah, shucks. Rest in peace, Joe. He was one of my favs from that era. He owned the mound and he was fun to listen to when the game was over. I don't care if he did carry a nailfile, he was good for the Astros while he pitched here. 61 is too young to die, but at least he went out quickly and hopefully never knew what hit him. That's pretty much all we can ask for when our 9 innings come to a close.