I have always loved watching knuckleballers pitch and seeing hitters get so frustrated. Whether it was Tom Candiotti, the Niekro brothers, Steve Sparks, or Tim Wakefield - every pitch is a totally different experience.

Yesterday's news that Joe Niekro has died on a brain aneurysm is awful. I remember Joe working his magic in big games for the Astros. One of the best things about having a good knuckleballer is that not only does he win games and eat up innings, but he throw off a hitter's timing for a few days. Imagine seeing him one day, Nolan Ryan, and then Joaquin Andujar the next - talk about constrast in styles.

I was pretty surprised when Joe was traded to the Yanks, but it was very interesting to see how Yogi and Billy Martin decided to use both Niekro brothers in their rotation.

In addition to being a really great player and competitor, Joe was great toward his fans. I have heard many stories from fans who have met him in person and how cordial he was to chat with. As a signer of autographs by mail, he was absolutely great - and was one of the first successes I got.