1997 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1997 followed the system in use since 1995. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and elected Phil Niekro. The Veterans Committee met in closed sessions and selected three people from multiple classified ballots: Nellie Fox, Tommy Lasorda, and Willie Wells. A formal induction ceremony was held in Cooperstown, New York, on August 3, 1997.
1997 BBWAA inductee Phil Niekro
Image: Nellie Fox 1953
Philip Henry Niekro, nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Niekro is generally regarded as the greatest knuckleball pitcher of all time.
Niekro with the Atlanta Braves in 1974
Niekro in 1984.
Niekro signing an autograph in 1982
Niekro in 2013