FILE – In this 1970 file photo, Atlanta Braves’ Phil Niekro poses for a photo. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. He was 81. (AP Photo/File)