Joe Niekro Has Been the Astros Franchise Wins Leader for 25 Years! His Total MLB WIns Exceed Those of 16 Great Starting Pitchers in the HOF at Cooperstown.
Sometime in the next couple of weeks, Roy Oswalt may tie and surpass Joe Niekro as the all time leader in pitching wins for the Houston Astros before he then moves on via a trade to a contending club. That trade may not happen, but it seems likely and right for all concerned at this point in time that it will.
Whether the Oswalt trade happens or not, whether Roy breaks Joe’s Houston record before he goes or just stays, it’s high time we put the contributions of the late Joe Niekro in perspective and see that the time to retire his Astros uniform #36 is not maybe. Not ten years from now. Not five years down the road. But now. Right Now. 2010 Now. Before this season of so much good time to tend the garden of honoring our ball club’s past slips quietly into history. Now is the time to get it done.
Most of you know the bare bones that support the body of work that qualifies Joe Niekro for the number retirement honor, but let’s cover them briefly for those who don’t know:
(1) 144 Franchise Wins. In his eleven seasons as a Houston Astro (1975-85), Joe Niekro compiled more wins than any other pitcher in Houston MLB franchise history. Now Roy Oswalt stands right behind Joe with 143 wins, If Oswalt ties or breaks the record, he won’t be breaking a record that’s only stood for six months to two years. Joe Niekro has held the wins record for a quarter century – ever since he passed Larry Dierker for the honor in 1985 on his way via a deal that would send him to the New York Yankees that same season.
(2) First Back-to-Back Twenty Win Seasons. Joe Niekro rolled in 1979-80. The crafty right handed knuckleballer, who mixed his signature pitch with an excellent fastball and tough change, became the first pitcher in franchise history to win twenty or more games in consecutive seasons. His 21 wins and 5 shutouts in 1979 both led the National League. His performance got him on the 1979 All Star team and his production won him the The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year for 1979 Award. He also finished second to Bruce Sutter in the Cy Young Award voting.
(3) Joe Pitched Houston to It’s First Division Crown in 1980. After the Astros dropped their last three games of the 1980 season and fell into a tie with the Dodgers for the division lead in the NL West, Joe Niekro got the call from Manager Bill Virdon to pitch a one-game playoff in LA that would decide the division crown and send the winner on to the playoffs. Niekro gave up six hits in pitching the Astros to a 7-1 win and their first playoff appearance. Joe then defeated the Phillies, 1-0, in Game Three of the NLCS that the Astros ultimately lost in five outings.
Phil Niekro, Bill McCurdy, Joe Niekro (2005)
(4) Induction into Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, 2005. Joe Niekro was inducted into the the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, just a little more than a year prior to his sudden death from a brain aneurysm at his home in Florida. This is also around the time I got to know Joe a little personally due to my work at the time as Board President of the TBHOF. He was a fine fellow, as is his brother, Cooperstown Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. – For their careers, the Niekros are the winningest brother pitchers in MLB history. Both men excelled due to the knuckle ball pitch they learned from their father. Phil Niekro knuckled 318 career wins; Joe registered 221. Their Niekro tab of 539 victories is approached only by the 529 wins put together by brothers Gaylord (314) and Jim (215) Perry in their major league careers.
(5) Joe Niekro’s Place Among the Pitching Greats of Baseball History. Here’s where we get into the less obvious reason why the Astros should honor joe Niekro by retiring his number 36. Get this. – When you really look at the pitching record of Joe Niekro, you are looking at a guy who easily could’ve also gotten the nod for the Hall of fame at Cooperstown and joined with his deserving brother Phil. Joe Niekro’s 221 career wins for his entire MLB career (1967-88) are greater in number than the totals for fifteen predominately starting pitchers who did get the nod for induction into the HOF at Cooperstown.
Again, Joe Niekro won 221 major league games – more than the following fifteen Hall of Fame starters: Chief Bender (212), Jack Chesbro (198), Stan Covaleski (215), Dizzy Dean (150), Don Drysdale (209), Lefty Gomez (189), Jesse Haines (210), Addie Joss (160), Sandy Koufax (165) Bob Lemon (207), Rube Marquard (201), Hal Newhouser (207), Dazzy Vance (197), Rube Waddell 193), and Ed Walsh (195).
Will 2010 be Joe Niekro's Next Rainbow Year? This time at Minute Maid Park?
If Joe Niekro were alive today, he would be the first in line to shake the hand of Roy Oswalt for becoming the career leader in pitching wins for the Astros, if that is to be. Joe Niekro was all class. And he was an even greater pitcher than his lifetime acknowledgements reveal.
It would be both fitting and an act of class for the Astros organization to retire # 36 before this season ends. Joe Niekro is not going to be any more deserving if we wait any longer. He’s deserving now – and he has been justly deserving for a very long while. It’s time to recognize him with the kind of honor that would really be noticed at this point in history. It would be a shame to go into the upcoming 2012 50th anniversary of the franchise celebration with #36 not already hanging from the rafters at Minute Maid Park – and waiting until 2012 is an embarrassing thought in itself.
Please, Astros. Do it now. Retire #36 before this 2010 season ends. A lot of devoted Joe Niekro fans would show up for that one. There’s no question in my mind.
While we are building for the future. Let’s stop long enough to honor someone appropriately who was a major part of our first winning taste of victory. His name was Joe Niekro. His number was 36.
Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Joe Niekro
The Pecan Park Eagle 
July 13, 2010 at 1:40 pm |
Bill, thank you so much for saying what I have been trying to push for so long. There is no question that Dad is deserving of this honor and I hope that your message will finally make those that control this decision understand why Joe Niekro is so deserving of this.
July 13, 2010 at 1:54 pm |
Nat:
The pleasure is mine here, but you and I are not alone in this conclusion. My point today goes to the fact that Joe Niekro’s qualifications for an honor on this level are beyond question – and they have been so for a very long time. Hopefully, the club will act to take care of this situation asap. The Astros do not need to go into their 2012 50th anniversary celebration with the matter of Joe Niekro unattended – or only taken up through some kind of anniversary after-thought plan.
Now is the time to retire #36 in the name of Joe Niekro.
July 13, 2010 at 2:27 pm |
Having grown up
in Joe’s hometown and my parents being good friends with Joe and his family,I must agree. Joe had many accomplishments within the Astros organization,but lets not forget who or what he,along with Phil done off the field of baseball. A true sportsman,loving father who Never forgot his family roots. And as a silly sidenote, increased the sale of nail files across the country.
July 13, 2010 at 3:19 pm |
Now is the time to retire #36. It is time to honor Joe Niekro. If he cut his finger, he bled Astros stripes. He was a kind and caring man but a fierce competitor. His Ohio roots taught him to be tough. Big Brother Phil was his mentor and biggest fan next to Ivy, his mom and his father. Tal Smith was with the Astros back then and knows of his accomplishments. I hope Tal will tell Drayton of all he did to up the image of Astros baseball. When John McMullen sold the club to Drayton, much of that history went away. Drayton is very much a family man and the Astros are his extended family. If you look back on many of the pitchers in Cooperstown, Joe has more wins.
Come on Astros, do the right thing and hang #36 in its rightful place. He was the Astros representative to the Polish community and still is too this day.
July 13, 2010 at 4:10 pm |
“It would be both fitting and an act of class for the Astros organization to retire # 36 before this season ends. Joe Niekro is not going to be any more deserving if we wait any longer.”
Well said.
July 13, 2010 at 6:24 pm |
Retiring my dads number is long overdue. He loved his time in Houston and always said that they were not only his best years professionally, but also the best years of his personal life. He absolutely loved everything about the Astros and Houston. He was very disappointed that his number had not been retired and once told me that he was not sure if he would go if they did retire it (although I know he would have). Retiring the number is not an option, it is mandatory, and thanks to the long delay my dad will not be able to attend, but he will be looking down from Heaven and saying IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!
July 13, 2010 at 7:15 pm |
I remember when I was trying to convert a new baseball fan, I wanted to take them to the dome to see an Astros win. As a 10 year old that was an important gig.
I had a lot of good choices, Nolan Ryan, Vern Ruhle (JR had sadly fallen to his stroke, but Ruhle had picked up right where JR left off). In the end I went with the knuckleballer, and he rewarded me with one of his 11 complete games that year.
Sadly my friend never did pick of the love of the great game, but he is still a good friend, and we had a great time.
RIP Joe
July 13, 2010 at 8:04 pm |
It was an honor watching Joe pitch for the Astros. It goes to show that a
“Great” pitcher doesn’t have to throw a ball through a brick wall to be a
winner. Joe was a winner on and off the field. His #36 would look great
hanging from the RAFTERS.
July 13, 2010 at 8:08 pm |
Dear Bill,
Thank you for writing this outstanding article on one of the “greatest Astros” ever – Joe Niekro. Joe was not only a great pitcher, he was a great man, and a competitor like no other. He loved the Astros, the city of Houston and the Astros fans – he routinely referred to as “the greatest fans in the game”.
As a consistent and winning pitcher for the Astros, Joe was at times – overshadowed by other pitchers on the staff, he didn’t mind at all – as long as the team was winning and he could take the mound every fifth day. Make no mistake about it -Joe Niekro was the heart and soul of those great Astros teams that he played on for 10 years.
As great as his accomplishments were on the field, off the field – Joe’s charity work in Houston and willingness to help any worthy cause spoke volumes about his character and compassion for others in the community. He represented the Astros Organization with total class and honor in every way, shape and form.
His contributions to the Astros Organization are many, his thrilling starts and wins in some of the biggest games in Astros history will never be forgotten.
It is time for the Astros Organization to put Joe Niekro’s #36 where it belongs – in retirement.
Note to Drayton McLane: Mr. McLane, as Astros fans we do not question your love for the Astros or your integrity – we are simply counting on them. Please do the right thing and retire #36 this year.
July 14, 2010 at 12:17 am |
Joe deserves the honor not only as a player but as a great human being and loyal Astro. He made the most of his God given talent.I never heard a bad word about the guy but the catcher did need a special bigger mitt to catch that knuckleball…..great article larry joe
July 14, 2010 at 3:52 am |
Bill:
Solid piece of work – agree 100% with your opinion to retire Joe Niekro’s # 36 immediately – a proper honor and tribute to an outstanding ML Pitcher gone on from our era – age bracket (bucket?)… one of the true artists of the game from the mound – Niekro’s record speaks volumes on his talents and pitching ability – why wait to bestow such an award? I saw him pitch a couple of times when we lived in Houston and still remember those games, attended with my Father, who was a great student of the game.
PAC – Belton, TX
July 14, 2010 at 2:12 pm |
If you would like to see the Astros retire Joe Niekro’s uniform number 36, please make your comments here and invites your friends to check out the column and leave their own voices of support as printed comments here.
July 14, 2010 at 6:43 pm |
Just as with retiring J.R. Richard’s number, the decision ultimately rests with the Astros. There are many who feel the Astros have too many retired numbers as it is, considering they have just one NL pennant and no Worlds Championships.
But Joe’s number is just as qualified as any other pitcher they’ve retired. In some ways, he’s even more qualified because he won 144 games without the blazing fastball that the others had. He couldn’t overpower opponents. He had to baffle them. In some ways, Joe’s success is an example of determination over talent which, in itself, deserves recognition as a lesson for every kid who wasn’t born with a 95-mph heater.
July 14, 2010 at 7:46 pm |
Fans may not recall what a pressure-packed game Joe had to pitch after the Astros lost those last 3 season games to the Dodgers in ’80… Arch rival, playing in their park, all the pressure on our team. Joe, (like Roy O in 2005 in St. Louis after the Pujols HR) won the most important game in franchise history. He was clutch and he carried the team to their historic win. If I’m not mistaken, our local Astro and other clutch and class guy, Art Howe, hit a HR in that game to give Joe some breathing room.
Big Fan of Joe Niekro, Art Howe and the Astros. Retire #36 now and honor him and his dedicated family.
Damon Leonetti
July 14, 2010 at 8:49 pm |
Joe was & is a class act. He pulled the fat out of the fire for the ‘Stros a couple of times. He also never seemed to lose his snese of humor. Retire his number!
July 15, 2010 at 2:05 pm |
Retiring Joe’s number is long overdue, and there is no time like the present to get it done. He was a craftsman, and watching him pitch was a pleasure.
July 16, 2010 at 2:51 am |
Bill,
Your words are right on!!
After his faith, love of family, friends and life, the heart and soul of Joe Niekro were the Houston Astros and the city of Houston. Believe me, I know. He gave all he had in every clutch situation and was a winner in every sense of the word. Win or lose – He was an Astro “threw and threw”.
Now, the Astros can be a winner in the game of life by doing the right and honorable thing in retiring #36.
Drayton McLane – The bat is in your hands. Hit a home run for the Astros and city of Houston and you, too, can be an MVP – just like Joe Niekro!
We’re counting on you. Please give us your support in retiring #36.
July 16, 2010 at 12:53 pm |
I couldn’t agree more. Knucksie belongs up there.
July 16, 2010 at 3:40 pm |
Bill
I think it is a great idea to retire Joe’s #36. I know you would not be for this if it were not a worthy cause. I also think they should retire that # 21. He hits a grand slam every day.
John Mason London, England
July 16, 2010 at 10:46 pm |
Joe Niekro clearly deserves to have his number retired. He won the biggest game in the team’s history and his record for most wins has survived for a quarter of a century. What else is needed?
Most of which has been written about the Astros this year has been negative. Something positive like the retirement of Niekro’s number would be a welcome change.
July 17, 2010 at 11:35 pm |
Agreed. Joe Niekro = Astro Legend = Number Retired = #36 Enshrined
Currently, the Astros have five retired pitchers glorified at Minute Maid; Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Larry Dierker, Don Wilson, and Jim Umbricht. Here’s how their Astro stats stack up to one another in the major pitching categories (excluding Mr. Umbricht as he was properly recognized for other reasons). The intention here is not to suggest Ryan, Scott, Dierker or Wilson do not deserve the honor, but only to show Knucksie does.
ERA Wins Strikeouts
Nolan Ryan – 3.13 Joe Niekro – 144 Nolan Ryan – 1866
Don Wilson – 3.15 Larry Dierker – 137 Larry Dierker – 1487
Joe Niekro – 3.22 Mike Scott – 110 Mike Scott – 1318
Larry Dierker – 3.28 Nolan Ryan – 106 Don Wilson – 1283
Mike Scott – 3.30 Don Wilson – 104 Joe Niekro – 1178
Outside of stats, Joe made contributions to baseball fans beyond calculation. As well, his legacy continues to support the Astros and Houston through the Joe Niekro Foundation which raises funds for local hospitals through the annual Knuckleball at Minute Maid Park.
July 18, 2010 at 12:42 am |
Rick Kasper left this comment at another Joe Niekro column site I wrote today on the 1980 playoff victory by Joe and the Astros over LA:
“Its been a long over due show of Respect for Joe Niekro.
Maybe not retire the number but the mans jersey.
“YES indeed.”
Rick Kasper
July 18, 2010 at 3:58 am |
Barbara Ann Chops also left this comment at the Joe Niekro column site I wrote today on the 1980 playoff victory by Joe and the Astros over LA:
“Absolutely, at least the jersey. He did have a love of the game.”
Barbara Ann Chops
July 18, 2010 at 8:02 pm |
I remember driving from Hempstead, Tx and listening to the one game playoff with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It would be an understatement to say that I was concentrating on my driving as I listened to the game and fist pumping on every strike that Mr. Joe Niekro threw on that historic day. I was unaware that I was not the only one listening to the game, it suddenly became apparent that many of the other drivers headed in the same direction (home to Houston) were tuned in to the game as well. And, suddenly we were all connected together in the moment of the game and cheering on every pitch that Joe Niekro threw at the Dodgers without speaking to one another but we all knew we were listening to the game and rooting for the home team. In the end, the Astros prevailed over the Dodgers and Mr. Niekro had become responsible for one of the Astros most significant wins in their history.
He has the statistics to warrant this honor. His wins are so significant that Roy Oswalt wants to exceed this milestone before he leaves the Astros.
Clearly, Mr. Niekro has earned the respect to have his number 36 retired and enshrined along with the numbers of other departed Astros players.
July 19, 2010 at 12:13 am |
Retiring numbers were meant for all-time Hall of Fame greats. Lou Gehrig. Sandy Koufax. Not for a mid-level star, however beloved. Are we now supposed to retire three or four numbers per decade? What if we Astros fans actually had a glorious history — should we retire 30 or 40 numbers? Anyone who makes an all-star team once or twice? I love Niekro as much as the next guy but is he really up to having his number retired, so that no one ever again in history is worthy of wearing his number? Aren’t we inflating his historical importance just a little bit?
July 21, 2010 at 2:53 am |
Jack,
My thought is the all-time great players (i.e. Gehrig, Koufax,) are honored at the highest echelon, the Hall of Fame. Was Joe Niekro one of the top three pitchers in baseball history? No. Was he one of the top three pitchers in Astros’ history? Yes. If you compare Joe’s stats to those already retired at Minute Maid then he more than deserves the recognition. Plus, he was a legend in Houston. He loved the fans and the fans loved him back.
Respectfully,
Luke
July 20, 2010 at 2:01 pm |
A great athlete. There is no question that he is one of the greats!
July 28, 2010 at 6:26 pm |
Past time to retire Niekro’s number….what else is there to say that hasn’t already been said over and over again. I had the honor of working for the Astros during his time there.. He is most deserving of his number to hang in the rafters of Minute Maid….
It is a simple request, one that can be honored!
July 29, 2010 at 2:11 pm |
[…] http://bill37mccurdy.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/its-time-to-retire-joe-niekros-astros-36/ […]
November 21, 2014 at 8:56 pm |
online casino
Its Time to Retire Joe Niekros Astros #36 | The Pecan Park Eagle
April 23, 2019 at 5:25 am |
Great post! We are linking to this particularly great content on our website.
Keep up the great writing.