How Phil Niekro Fared Against The SF Giants

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro passed away on Saturday at the age of 81. As many look back on his storied career, how did he fare against the SF Giants?

MLB legend Phil Niekro died in his sleep on Saturday. He was 81 years old. A member of the 1997 Hall of Fame class, Niekro was easily the most successful knuckleballer of all-time. While he did not make his big-league debut until he was 25, Niekro pitched in parts of 24 seasons and accrued 318 wins and over 5,400 innings pitched.

After his career, Niekro is most famous for his work as the general manager and manager of the Colorado Silver Bullets, an all-female professional team that spanned from 1994-1997. The team improved every season until they folded following their first winning season. However, with no major sponsor willing to support the franchise, the team folded.

As many reflect on Niekro’s illustrious life and career, it seemed worth looking back on how he fared against the SF Giants. Niekro spent the vast majority of his career in the National League and often faced off against the Orange and Black. In fact, Niekro only made more appearances against the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers than the Giants.

Niekro made 73 appearances (62 starts) against the Giants. He completed 24 complete games, four shutouts, and 477.1 innings in those trips to the mound. His final 3.07 ERA helped him post a strong 30-16 record.

Later in his life, Niekro would work with his nephew, Lance Niekro, who would be drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2000 MLB Draft. Niekro appeared in four seasons with the Giants from 2003-2007, hitting .246/.288/.421 with 17 home runs.

The entire Around the Foghorn team sends our condolences to Phil Niekro’s loved ones.