J.J. Niekro hears one question a lot.
“I get stopped all the time during warm up and asked if I’m related to Phil or Joe,” said Niekro, the 24-year-old pitcher for the Augusta GreenJackets, part of the Atlanta Braves minor league farm system.
And the answer is yes, he is. J.J. Niekro is the son of Joe Niekro and the nephew of Phil Niekro.
Longtime Braves’ fans recognize those two names. Combined the Niekro brothers won 539 games. Phil Niekro, also known as Knucksie for his knuckle ball that confused hitters for 24 seasons, played for the Braves organization in Milwaukee and Atlanta for more than two decades.
Phil Niekro, who won 318 games, was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1997. His younger brother, Joe, J.J.’s dad, won 221 games in 22 seasons for various teams including the Braves at one time. He was also on the roster of the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates.
J.J. Niekro doesn’t mind the fan question at all. In fact, it’s one he doesn’t tire of and is proud to answer.
The men were “world class ballplayers and world class human beings,” he said.
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With baseball pitchers’ blood running through his veins, there was little chance of Niekro not being introduced to a baseball diamond early in his life.
“There are pictures of me in my cradle with a plastic baseball,” he said.
And he also picked up the pitching genes although he had a lot of coaching along the way. J.J. Niekro’s dad died when he was 8 years old. Joe Niekro was 61 when he suffered a brain aneurysm that took his life.
J.J. Niekro said his best pitch is a fastball changeup, but he does have a knuckleball in his arsenal.
That pitch he learned more from his uncle. When his dad died, J.J. Niekro’s hand was too small to be able to hold the ball in the right way to learn a knuckler. And the knuckleball requires a different motion to deliver. It’s more of a “push,” he said.
While he might not be the next “Knucksie,” J.J. said he’s already going by the nickname his family gave him. However ,his teammates have given him another “Sneaky Nieks.”
“I play pranks, and I know a lot of good dad jokes,” he said.
A sense of humor is also something he may have inherited from his famous major league relatives.
“Uncle Phil and my dad were both big jokesters,” he said.
Growing up Niekro admits, the Braves weren’t his favorite team, but playing for the Braves was a dream of his.
“The last game I ever watched with my dad was the Mets,” he said. “He said that David Wright was a good player.”
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That last game stuck with him for many years and so did the dream of playing the majors.
The COVID-19 pandemic and Tommy John surgery added some obstacles for the Florida Southern graduate, but Niekro remains undeterred.
Niekro said he was never the no. 1 prospect, never had the best fastball, but one thing he does have is a bulldog mentality to go after his dreams and get the job done. He signed with the Braves as an undrafted free agent.
He’s also enjoying playing in Augusta. He has family who live in Evans and the Plant City, Fla. native is close enough for other family to come see him play.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.
So far this season, most of Niekro’s action has come from the bullpen. He’s been utilized a lot as a reliever, but he got his first start May 7 against the Carolina Mudcats.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
