Braves Legend Phil Niekro Has Passed Away

As a kid, my dad and I drove from Chattanooga for a Sunday afternoon game between the Braves and Padres, and witnessed Niekro's implausible no-hitter.
As a grown man, I was there for Knucksie's one-game Braves comeback for a career capper in 1987 for my Chattanooga newspaper.
As a man about to turn 64, I find my ticket stub from that game and return to its place of honor on my wall. Then I walked down the hall to tell my 93-year-old dad we lost one of our idols.
 
2020 has taken an All-Star team. I missed my chance to meet him back in the early 90s when the Braves sent him to Bluefield to watch some kid throw against the Orioles at the time in Appy league action. The Orioles were really cool about it they had the meeting set up and everything. The only problem was I didn't go to the game with my grandfather that night. One of my biggest regrets. RIP to all the legends 2020 has taken.
 
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