» June 25, 1967: Ernie Banks slams two 2-run homers to back rookie Joe Niekro's 3-hitter, and the Cubs win 80 over the Astros to sweep. Bill Hands hurls a 5-hitter in the opener to win, 4–1. Banks' 1st blast breaks up a pitching duel with Bo Belinsky and his 2nd caps a 5-run 7th.
» June 21, 1968: It's been a bad week for the Cubs, but they end their scoreless streak at 48 innings, tying a ML mark set in 1906, beating the Reds, 3–2, behind Joe Niekro. George Culver is the losing pitcher, allowing the Cubs 1st score in the 3rd inning when he gives up a walk with the sacks full. The five straight shutout losses also ties a league mark. The streak started on June 15, the final eight innings of a loss to Atlanta; 1–0 loss to Phil Niekro in 11 inn; 1–0 loss to Cards Nelson Briles; 4–0 one hitter to Steve Carlton; 1–0 loss to Bob Gibson. During the drought, Fergie Jenkins allows one run in 18 inn and got loss and no decision.
» May 31, 1969: The Expos collect just five hits off San Diego's Joe Niekro, losing 6–2, for their 15th straight loss. Al Ferrara leads the Padres with a pair of two run homers, while Coco Laboy homers in the 7th for the Expos' only runs.
» July 13, 1969:
In the 3rd meeting between the two brothers, San Diego's Joe Niekro defeats his brother Phil Niekro of the Braves 1–0. Joe is 2–1 over Phil.
» July 2, 1970: Detroit's Joe Niekro no-hits the Yankees until Horace Clarke singles in the 9th inning. The Tigers win 5–0. This is the 3rd time in the month that Clarke has broken up a no-hitter, having spoiled bids by KC's Jim Rooker (June 4th) and Boston's Sonny Siebert (June 19th).
» May 23, 1971: With 53,337 on hand Mickey Lolich and Les Cain, with three innings from Joe Niekro, notch shutouts as the Tigers sweep a doubleheader from the Senators 5–0 and 11–0. The loser in the opener is Denny McLain, making his first appearance in Detroit since being traded. Al Kaline and Norm Cash each hit 2-run homers off Denny, with Cash adding another pair, one with the sacks full, in the nitecap.
» September 13, 1971: Frank Robinson of the Orioles homers in each game of a doubleheader split with Detroit, becoming the 11th member of the 500-HR club with his 2nd shot. The O's win the opener, 9–1, behind Dave McNally's 13th consecutive win. The Tigers use 17 hits to win the nitecap, 10–5, for Scherman, who pitches eight 2/3 innings in relief of Joe Niekro.
» August 7, 1973:
Two days after Phil Niekro's no-hitter, the Braves purchase Joe Niekro, Phil's pitching brother, from the Tigers.
» April 6, 1975: The Astros purchase P Joe Niekro from the Braves.
» May 29, 1976: The only home run of Joe Niekro's 22-year career comes at the expense of brother Phil Niekro as the Astros tie the Braves in the 7th, then win 4–3.
» November 7, 1979: Reliever Bruce Sutter, who had a 2.23 ERA and saved 37 of the Cubs' 80 victories, wins the NL Cy Young Award by a 72-66 margin over the Astros Joe Niekro.
» September 17, 1980:
The Reds Mario Soto stops Houston, 7–0, beating Joe Niekro, who gives up a grand slam to Ray Knight. Houston and Los Angeles are tied for 1st (82-62) with 17 games left on the schedule.
» October 6, 1980: The Astros finally win, whipping the Dodgers 7–1 in a one-game playoff at Dodger Stadium. Art Howe drives in four runs with a home run and two singles and Joe Niekro wins his 20th game of the season to put Houston in the post-season for the first time since entering the major leagues in 1962.
» July 5, 1982: Pittsburgh's first two hitters, Omar Moreno and Johnny Ray, hit homers of Houston's Joe Niekro. Niekro settles down and wins, 6–4.
» July 2, 1985: Houston's Joe Niekro wins his 200th career game 3–2 over the Padres. Joe and Phil Niekro join Jim Perry and Gaylord Perry as the only pitching brother combinations to win at least 200 games per pitcher.
» August 23, 1985: Joaquin Andujar becomes baseball's first 20-game winner this season, beating Atlanta 6–2 for the Cardinals. Andujar is the first National League pitcher to post consecutive 20-win seasons since Joe Niekro in 1979-80.
» September 15, 1985: The Yankees trade minor league pitcher Jim Deshaies and two other minor leaguers to be named later to the Astros for 40-year-old Joe Niekro, reuniting the Niekro brothers as teammates for the first time since 1974 with the Braves.
» June 4, 1986: Joe Niekro no-hits the Angels for 7 2/3 innings before Gary Pettis doubles, and Niekro combines with Al Holland for an easy 11–0 one-hitter. Dave Winfield homers twice for the Yankees.
» June 1, 1987: Phil Niekro wins his 314th career game as Cleveland beats Detroit 9–6, moving the Niekro brothers (Phil and Joe Niekro) past Gaylord Perry and Jim Perry into first place on the all-time brothers' victory list. The Niekros have now combined for 530 career wins.
» June 6, 1987: Needing a replacement for the injured Don Mattingly, the Yankees reluctantly trade knuckleballer Joe Niekro to the Twins for C Mark Salas. Salas, not knowing that he's been traded, pinch hits a homer in the 9th to tie the game with the Rangers. He stays in, adds a single in the 11th, and the Twins win 3–2 in the 13th when Steve Lombardozzi's 2-out single scores Tom Brunansky from 1B.
» August 3, 1987: Twins Joe Niekro is caught with a file on the mound and is ejected during the 4th inning of Minnesota's 11–3 win over California. He will be suspended for 10 games by American League president Bobby Brown, who doesn't buy Niekro's story that he had been filing his nails on the bench and stuck the file in his back pocket when the inning started.
» August 10, 1987: Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross becomes the 2nd pitcher in eight days to be ejected for scuffing the baseball when umpires discover sandpaper in his glove during the 5th inning of a 4–2 win over the Cubs. Like Joe Niekro, Gross will be suspended for 10 games, and won't get his glove returned until August, 1991.
» January 22, 1988: As a result of the Players' Association's 1985 collusion suit against the owners, arbitrator Thomas Roberts declares seven players no-risk free agents until March 1st, giving them a chance to sign with other clubs despite already having contracts. The seven are Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk, Donnie Moore, Joe Niekro, Butch Wynegar, Tom Brookens, and Juan Beniquez.
» May 4, 1988: Joe Niekro, 43, is released by the Twins, joining Steve Carlton and Tippy Martinez as the 3rd veteran pitcher to be released by the club since Opening Day.
» August 1, 1998:
In a 5–4 loss to the Diamondbacks, Brewers RHP Bronswell Patrick hits a 5th inning home run, off Felix Rodriguez. It's the first homer by a Milwaukee pitcher since Skip Lockwood connected off Detroit's Joe Niekro on August 11, 1971.
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
