Joe Niekro
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Joseph Franklin Niekro was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1967 to 1988 for seven different teams, primarily for the Houston Astros.
Niekro in 1976
Emery ball
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An emery ball is an illegal pitch in baseball, in which the ball has been altered by scuffing it with a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper. This technique alters the spin of the ball,
Joe Niekro
…history with 539 victories. Phil had ended his career the previous season. While pitching for the Twins earlier in the 1987 season, Niekro was caught ball scuffing. Umpire Tim Tschida told the story in 2021, "Niekro already was a known ball scuffer, of course, and rather than tossing balls out of play, I was putting…
Russ Ford developed the emery ball.
Ray Keating was caught using the emery ball.