MIN@CAL: Joe Niekro ejected from game

[@robvonk9131]

1:07 The umpire whose eagle eye caught Niekro throwing the nail file away was the late Steve Palermo, whose career ended after he was shot in the back in 1991. He passed away after a battle with cancer in May this year.

[@homienum1]

Also you for got to mention the ground crew who built the mound died of natural causes some years later and probably the majority of the crowd as well.

[@paleo704]

Shot in Dallss

[@TonyAntonakas]

Palermo was one of the good guys, both on and off the field. Be had the respect of every player and manager.

[@KOHF34]

Rob Vonk He was a hero. He saved a woman who could have been murdered during a robbery attempt.

[@robertmeyer4170]

palermo was a hero.

[@pbmdh]

It's like watching an episode of Cops where they will empty their pockets and act like they didn't drop anything.

[@jonhamm6068]

DUDE....i was about to say the same damn thing LMAO....so true like he tossed a bag of dope and shit

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

Jack D why did you ruin it??

[@omalone1169]

​@@jonhamm6068here from the steroids documentary

[@NJGuy1973]

For anyone confused by this: scuffing a baseball alters the wind resistance on it as it's thrown, thus causing it to break differently than normal in order to confuse batters. Niekro was found to have an emery board in his pocket which he claimed was just to file his nails so he could throw a knuckleball better, but the umps weren't fooled.

[@paleo704]

What if that really was its purpose ?

[@jbsmg]

Idk. I fail to see how he could scuff a ball with something from his back pocket.

[@jimbecker137]

I remember Gene Mauch's quote at the time (Angels manager): "He didn't just scuff the balls. He mutilated them."

[@cgh7337]

@@jbsmg Same here unless he would rub the ball on his butt somehow.

[@SillyGoose2024]

Nobody asked you, nerd

[@mikehanzal9562]

This was one of the few memorable moments in the 1987 season for the MN Twins. I remember watching this game with my dad and him just laughing at the whole scene. World Champs 87

[@Mr2405007]

same, i never heard my dad laugh so hard

[@ProfessorTerguson]

I think that there were more than just 'the few' memorable moments in the 1987 season for The Twins. It was their 1st of two World Series wins for them. In those 2 WS's.....they won all 8 home games they played and lost all 6 road games. They were simply lucky to have had home field advantage in those two WS's....back in those days, homefield in the WS was alternated each year from The AL to The NL. Now it's who has the best record in MLB. If The NL had the homefield in each of those two WS....Minnesota may still be looking for its first WS Title.

[@msytmc]

I still remember this vividly from over thirty years ago. I can't believe Joe didn't expect the umps to see him throw away the sand paper or emery board. 0:34 Notice how Tom Kelly steps in front of umpire at beginning of vid to block him from checking the back pockets of Niekro. 0:55 The catcher tried to help as well.

[@jfayiii]

The Minnesota Twins released a bobblehead set of the 1987 World Series team; Niekro's included a nail file in his back pocket.

[@pikehunter23750]

I still have my "Niekro File" and my homer hanky from '87.

[@17Helton]

That's awesome! I love it when they give the bobble heads some artistic flair. That '87 MIN Team was special.

[@Dulcimerist]

@@pikehunter23750 I have my Homer Hanky and Wheaties box from 1987 as well. That year I listened to every game on WCCO (except for the few I attended in person), and marked the score of each game on my calendar. Great memories from when I was 12 years old. Years later, I met Joe Niekro when he and his brother Phil managed the Colorado Silver Bullets. He was really nice, and I told him how much that 1987 season meant to me as a kid.

[@pikehunter23750]

@@Dulcimerist I forgot about my Wheaties boxes too! I was 10 that year. I still remember hearing on WCCO radio Dan Gladden's grand slam on game 1! It's too bad that it's been 30 years since they've won a World Series.

[@Dulcimerist]

@@pikehunter23750 Gladden's grand slam was awesome! I remember being at Boy Scout camp that Saturday night, and we had a cabin with a TV so we could watch the game! Weird trivia: The day after game two, the stock market crashed. The best thing about 1987 is that my favorite NL team was the Cardinals, since I had a lot of family in St. Louis. I phoned them up during game six after Hrbek's grand slam to ask them how they were enjoying their evening. lol

[@LanceCampeau]

32 years ago.... and I remember this story coming across the 11 o'clock news like it was yesterday...

[@Stokjockey]

I was at the Game. A Crazy Memory for Life...

[@ilmont370]

00:54 catcher making a sneak for the file, but it was the wrong pocket. Watch it a few times.

[@cgh7337]

You're right. good eye.

[@Chibeagle]

lol good eye

[@kevaninthe4135]

Actually he had a file in both pockets. The catcher got that one.

[@emmers2698]

Then when he pulled it out of the right pocket and the humorous part is watching the umpire watching it fly to the ground. And then seeing Hrbek casually watch it go down. And to think this is the team that went on to win the World Series that year.

[@AEMoreira81]

If Kent Hrbek had noticed, he'd have caught it.

[@idiotfinder911]

0:56, the catcher knew he was cheating as well when he pulled on his pants pocket.

[@emmers2698]

Whole team knew it. I think even the fans of the Twins knew it.

[@Paul19807]

@@emmers2698 Kent Hrbek didn't seem to know it. Niekro was trying to get the board to him.

[@scottjohnson1640]

Funny how old TK came out to his defense even before he knew what was really going on. He really stood by his players. Great manager, a legend in Minnesota.

[@probert2436]

The emory board in Joe's right pocket was probably what he said it was for - touching up his nails. It was what was in his left hand that was used to scuff balls. :24 - he knows he's caught and starts shaking his left hand loose from his glove so he can control the item :33 - places foreign object in left pants pocket :55 - Catcher Sal Butera tries unsuccessfully to get Niekro to pass him the object 1:05 - Neikro places item in Butera's glove with left hand, while tossing emery board with his right. I think the emery board toss was what magicians would call misdirection. He can explain the board, not what was on his left hand while in his glove.

[@lukes.3957]

Good spot. The catcher dropped it though and you see the other umpire on the left pick it up. Even watching this video most people are missing this.

[@Helpimsloww]

It was actually just a smaller piece of the file he would hide in his glove so he didn’t have to keep going back to the big file

[@zanekidd4394]

It was a piece of sandpaper

[@greasytony9727]

And at 1:10 one of the umps sees him hand it off to the catcher while the “misdirection play” was going on. Amazing

[@keithcarlson7267]

Looks like at 1:06 he expected Kent Hrbek to catch the emery board. But he just stands there and wants no part of it.

[@NicanTlacaWarrior1]

This will never not be funny. Rest well, Joe.

[@AEMoreira81]

1:08 - it was at that moment that Joe Niekro knew he messed up!

[@bubbiesdad]

The one ump watching him like a hawk.

[@jimbecker137]

Yes. The AL President Bobby Brown suspended him for 10 games (with 40 left to play in the season). He still got to pitch in the World Series, two innings in Game 4, allowing one hit, no runs and striking out one.

[@supersecksee1741]

It's "fucked", not messed. Say it

[@michaelbergman1708]

Ahhhh... the good ol' days when cheating meant scuffing the ball and corking the bat and not steroids, banging on trash cans and blackmailing umpires!

[@despicablemonster]

Lol banging on trash cans is a bigger joke then Brady's deflated balls lol

[@TrackStarAA1]

Steroids weren't back in the day?!?!

[@LookSquirrel]

You'd think Astros invented cheating and introduced it into baseball for the first time with how casual fans eat up the media narrative.

[@paleo704]

@@LookSquirrel they did it worse

[@nick0875]

Now the MLB is going into another round of trying to crack down on cheating with the substances pitchers are using to doctor the balls.

[@rmazzella5303]

I've always thought of Joe and his brother Phil as having had their own baseball organization--the Niekro League.

[@Hjaelteomslag]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@randythompson5154]

Well played.

[@konflict86]

Too soon?

[@lloydclaussen3925]

My era

[@jon-paulhill7786]

Womp womp woooooommmmp

[@steveh5197]

I always loved the reaction of the umpire, he never took his head out of his hand while watching the emery board fly to the ground!

[@warriordragonify]

It's Niekro's reaction when he realizes that little sleight of hand didn't work--"Oh, hey, look what appeared, let me help you with that, nothing to worr-...Oh shit!"

[@FrankAndTinaOfficial]

1:38 they called Joe by his brothers name lol! "Phill Niekro was kicked out of the game!" 😂😂😂

[@timbliss9892]

They called him Phil a couple of times.

[@kdwaynec]

@0:36 too

[@kdwaynec]

@@timbliss9892 It was the same announcer but he finally got it right @2:12 Joe 221W, 1HR Brother Phil 318W 7HR

[@xbikepunkx]

This is one of my favorites. Right up there with George Brett and the Pine Tar Incident.

[@robscott8014]

Joe was my very next door neighbor back in the 70’s. My brother and I were lucky enough to have Joe show us how to attempt the knuckle ball throw. I sure miss and love you, Joe

[@davidnelson6874]

Those baseballs belong in the Hall of Fame. A classic!

[@ABSF49]

I wonder what ever happen to them?

[@fecxorfecxor768]

Tossing that nail file like no one would see it. SNEAK 100

[@rickmontgomery3037]

This whole "incident" really starts at 0:17 when Niekro tries to throw the ball away himself so the ump wouldn't think much of it and just toss him another ball LOL....you can even hear the crowd reaction at that point when the ump went way over to his right and picked up the ball, they could tell something was up even then!! :)

[@mylittlepitbull3143]

He tries to throw the nail file away LOL. I can only see him now on cops. "That's not mine I don't know where it came from..."

[@BBMetalKing]

Still hilarious 32 years later. :) The magic happens at 1:06. LOL

[@MeneTekelUpharsin]

How was he able to take out the sandpaper or the emery board out of his pocket, use it on the ball, put it back in his pocket without anyone noticing? The umpiring crew still wasn't sure what he was doing, at first they thought he was hiding something in his glove.

[@Helpimsloww]

Mene Tekel there was something in his glove it was a small piece of the emery board so he didn’t have to take the file out of his pocket

[@latinolawdog5067]

Then why would he have it in his pocket on the first place? Why would you keep the evidence on your person if you weren’t even using it on the mound?

[@dmariecherry4637]

He was a great guy....a jokester and lots of fun...gone too soon...I knew his whole family...wonderful people

[@harrytrueman4534]

+Fear Most triggered much?

[@heyyou9693]

After he served his suspension, the Twins owner, Carl Pohlad, offered to shine Joe's shoe for charity. Good memories.

[@CatsClaw44]

@@harrytrueman4534 ???????

[@anythingghost]

There's more to being an umpire than meets the eye. Wow.

[@keithyj11]

He darn near pulled it off! Just barely caught the eye of the one ump. Missed it by that much!

[@mrmojorisin2]

Great stuff, reminds me of the Naked Gun scene

[@Trebliw8]

i don't understand why Niekro tried to throw the file away. It was safely hidden in his pocket, they weren't going to search there

[@bendonnelly690]

He wanted to dispose of it before they did. Dumb move.

[@Chrisman77]

Wilbert Arenas the umpires obviously told him to empty his pockets. only the one ump saw him throw it. the other two were oblivious. he actuality almost got away with it.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

He turned out his pockets entirely for a reason, dummy

[@raydevi]

I was a kid, and still one of my favorite moments in baseball history, got to love the knuckleballers!!

[@leafyutube]

That one ump scratching his head has excellent peripheral vision. lol

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

@ 1:06 reminds me of people who tell the cop, "The bag of weed isn't mine; I am holding it for a friend."

[@RyGuy4TwinsFan97]

My grandma has a documentary about the ‘87 Twins and this was on it. Hrbek said in an interview on that documentary that when Niekro tosses the file he tried to cover it up with his foot lol!!!!

[@PaveDearce]

Why do the commentators keep calling him "Phil"?

[@_michael_g]

David Pearce his brother was phil niekro, they kept getting confused

[@seamus1956]

David Pearce Phil was the better of the Niekro brothers and got far more publicity, so it's an honest mistake. But this is definitely Joe, as Phil never played for the Twins (Braves, Yankees, Indians and Blue Jay's).

[@WootTootZoot]

Both of the Niekro boys were notorious for loading or doctoring up baseballs. It was once said that Joe Niekro would load so much spit on a baseball that when the threw a spit-ball, a rainbow would appear in the mist that surrounded the mound.

[@billlong8385]

We were there that night. It was just hilarious. The umpire (Steve Palermo) had one of the greatest reactions ever.

[@gccorbitt2]

@0:35 and 1:35 Why does the announcer keep saying Phil Niekro? He never played for the Twin, he was probably corrected in between speaking, because @2:10 he corrected himself, lol

[@Chrisman77]

That's gotta be so embarrassing, especially since it's basically the only thing he's remembered for Lol. You can see him trying to pass off the board to the catcher but they botch it.

[@seamus1956]

Chrisman77 If you think this incident is the "only thing he's remembered for", you obviously don't know baseball. 21 year career, 2x 20-game winner - and still only 2nd best in his family. His older brother, Phil, is a Hall of Famer and their combined 539 wins are still the most by two brothers in Major League history. Joe is remembered for far more than this one incident.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

seamus1956 I hadn't heard of him until a top 10 athletes caught cheating video. I then had to look this up. Only thing I know him for now.

[@edgardlopezjr2884]

You obviously don’t know baseball...

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@edgardlopezjr2884 Oh yes, obviously. I must know absolutely nothing about the entire history of the sport because I had never heard of this one incident that occurred before I was born.

[@edgardlopezjr2884]

R Nickerson exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

[@StarTropicsKing]

It's cool. We still won the world series that year. :)

[@miguelcastaneda8604]

We? All you did was just watch them win from your couch

[@StarTropicsKing]

How else would you put it? Any fan for any team would phrase it this way. Don't be sour for something that happened 25 years ago.

[@Jiltedin2007]

Did Joe Niekro get A World Series Ring that year?

[@Jiltedin2007]

Yes, I know. This occurred in 1987.

[@johnd2442]

Never would any self-respecting fan phrase it that way. You did nothing.

[@alijordanx8954]

Rob Parker from the odd couple brought me here

[@kingtairon4612]

It wasn't in his pocket the entire time. As soon as he takes his glove off he puts his hands in his back pocket, when the ump tried to grab his hands you can see he put it in his back left pocket. I think he had it taped or glued on his finger.

[@robervar1097]

2:17 the hand off 2:22 drops .white sand paper ?besides the file

[@Axe_Slinger]

Remember this but couldn't remember which brother it was.... Now everywhere online says it was Joe Niekro and so does this but why do the announcers keep saying Phil Niekro?

[@richardgallerani8817]

That's back when baseball was fun.

[@roflmows]

i can imagine what he probably said right after: "that ain't mine, i'm holding it for a friend"

[@jayNicks10]

He wasn’t suspended that long. He came back to pitch on 3 days rest.

[@DevonChampion]

I cringed to the ultimate max and paused it when they immediately see him throw it.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

Good for you?

[@danielmatthews638]

remember this like it was yesterday...kind of makes you wonder about his brother phil...

[@strangeman509]

2:20...busted in slow motion.

[@chuckwhite3033]

Joe Niekro was one of the best pitchers in the game.

[@kdwaynec]

That announcer called him Phil twice but he finally got it right @2:12 Joe 221W, 1HR Brother Phil 318W 7HR

[@guitarmusic524]

I remember this. Soon after this event, David Letterman made this the subject of his Top Ten List routine on his TV show: "Top Ten Reasons Joe Niekro had a nale file on the pitcher's mound".

[@lordhighexecutioner]

emery board. They never say "emery board" but I remember that is what it was and that is what it looks like.

[@Stokjockey]

I was Actually at That Game. I Went to lots of Angels Games When I was Young and Saw Many Great Moments at The BIG "A"

[@stevescofield7806]

I was @ the game myself. Even from the view level in left field, I could see the emery board flying through the air. I remember thinking, BUSTED!

[@nightowl5475]

You can see on the slow motion, Niekro was emptying his right back pocket and threw the little object onto the field, but the umpire standing next to him caught him doing it and he got busted. That’s why he wasn’t arguing about it. Good call for the umps!

[@n0tk0sher]

I love his interview about this on Letterman. He and Dave had fun.

[@danielbeene8350]

he had sruff in both back pockets, you can see him dropping stuff in the catchers mit with his left hand as he drops whatever it was at the same time with his right hand... a double ditch

[@T.K.KIRKLAND.]

1:04 you can see he had it in both his pockets as he tries to dump it in the catchers glove

[@natedizzle2321]

Daniel Beene yup but blue caught that too, and it fell to the ground

[@MrPdreynolds1]

The beauty of baseball.

[@martinoamello3017]

I remember the Niekro brothers well. I hated when my team had to face them, but always liked the games pitchers played back then. I remember a story that Gaylord Perry, known for his "spit balls" would cover his hand with Vaseline before games, go to the other team's dugout to introduce himself and shake hands. Whether that story was true or not I have no idea, but I heard it more than once from old time announcers..

[@KOHF34]

I'm a Twins fan and I believe the umpire handled this perfectly. He kept Tom Kelly calm, and he was very sharp-eyed to notice how the ball was dropping more than it should.

[@DevonChampion]

KOHF34 I'm so confused, how does shaving down the ball a little help so much that you have to be thrown out of a game?

[@KOHF34]

DevonzChamp Well, what I meant was the umpire noticed that the ball was breaking in a funny manner: it was dropping more sharply than it should. By filing the ball down, Niekro was able to grip the ball more, hence he was able to put more curve on the ball.

[@DevonChampion]

KOHF34 thank you! I wouldn't have known because I don't play myself but I find it very interesting how much a difference a couple scratches can make. Have a good day homie 🤙🏼

[@KOHF34]

DevonzChamp No worries! Besides scuffing the ball to grip it better, some pitchers have used pine tar (which is also illegal - Michael Pineda of the Yankees being an example).

[@TL2354]

That's why I don't get now when a pitch is in the dirt the catcher automatically gives the ball to the ump. Wouldn't his pitcher benefit from a ball in the dirt?

[@bjstone9358]

John Rooney (now with St. Louis Cardinals) and the late, great Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew with the play by play.

[@paulsonj72]

This was the year the Twins also hired John Gordon. In 1987 only JohnGordon and John Rooney would split time between radio and TV on televised games. Herb Carneal and Harmon Killiebrew would remain on radio and TV respectively. I honestly can’t remember how it worked for non televised games except that Harmon didn’t do those(Most games went untelevised in 1987)

[@mosesboyajian4452]

Left hand to catcher's glove as well

[@compball]

He was a bad guy that day.... And I loved him for it.

[@mdiaz013184]

Hilarious when he gets caught tossing it and proceeds to point at it like oh there it is I was gonna tell ya..

[@sajiddadabhoy1251]

I'm not sure "Joe" would appreciate being called "Phil", neither would the KZbin-patrons, nor KZbin content-owners, be amused upon hearing the video-clip begin with: "Kelly" and "Musselman".

[@sunglassshinpan1352]

I remember the nite this happened..

[@Tafsman]

I still want to know how he did that to all those baseballs without anyone noticing.

[@mikepeterson764]

dammit Hrbek you were supposed to step on that.

[@cgh7337]

It wouldn't have mattered. That ump saw it fly out of Nierko's hand.

[@mikepeterson764]

Tom Kelly was supposed to put his hands over the umps eyes.

[@scottjohnson1640]

Hrbek should have given the ump the leg lift and pulled him off the board. Then maybe they could have gotten rid of it and fooled the umps. Hrbek was good at that kind of stuff.

[@billygowhoop]

I'm pretty sure Niekro is trying to use the old "but how do you know that's my nail file" argument. I'm sure he tried to say that the shortstop is really obsessive about his cuticles.

[@Jiltedin2007]

This was in 1987, when the Minnesota Twins won The First of their Two World Series Championships.

[@Gablesman888]

Back then the Minnesota Twins needed every break they could get. Sandpaper does wonders for your ERA.

[@BlueTubeMR]

Did anyone else notice the catcher trying to get it out of his pocket

[@mpup54]

I really respect how the umpires didnt try to get political. They just took the evidence like it was crime investigation unit and bagged it all.

[@SMFlexxx]

Got Tim Tschida’s autograph yesterday

[@braxtonlombardi7185]

What was in his left hand at 2:18

[@grxengine]

Watch closely. He has the file inside his glove hand and loosens the glove and holds the glove behind his back as the umpire arrives and questions him. Then at :29 Nierko disrespectfully tosses the glove in the umps face to distract him from seeing him sneak the file from his left hand over into his left back pocket....seemingly innocently jamming his hands into BOTH back pockets for no reason. At :56 the catcher, who was in on it also, tried to touch Nierko's pocket to signal him to slip the file to him but it didn't work. All, NONE of this was ever going to work! Great memory. Nierko was an Astro for years, but this is his career moment. Only the baseballs were harmed.

[@Budgetbomber]

Red Forman used to pitch for the twins?

[@mrquinnoconnor]

Red is bald...

[@omarluciano8687]

DUMBASS!

[@OdelinSerrano-zu5fo]

I remember this. Wow. Time forgives nobody.

[@qthemusicdj]

I’m lost. That was JOE, right? Did the announcer call him PHIL twice?

[@GabGotti3]

Why did the umps stop wearing light shirts?

[@esukyd2328]

1:19 he's laughing cause he got caught lol

[@jeffreynegron2708]

They kept saying he was Phil Niekro.

[@MichaelBradley1967]

Hard to do sleight of hand with that many people so close to you. Or "that came with the uniform"

[@StevenBohnel]

Does anybody know the backstory of what tipped off the home plate ump to start fishing around?

[@skuter84]

Usually the other team starts complaining after looking at the baseballs.

[@edjr672]

30 years ago today

[@rafaelcolt7438]

Hey. What effect that has on the ball?

[@gregmartin1757]

Cheating has always been a time honoured tradition in baseball. Wasn't considered a big deal until cheating involved using performance enhancing substances.

[@ShawnC.T.]

If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin', God bless Joe Niekro's soul...

[@cliffhass9158]

The absolute Shamless Gall of Joe Niekro!!!. 😅😂 I Love it!!!!

[@levivandermolen7223]

John Rooney on the call, current radio voice of the Cardinals.

[@pumpkinking5174]

Does he get every Cardinal players name wrong?

[@tomwarfel4728]

never quite understood how he was able to use a file on the ball without someone noticing, plus he also threw a knuckleball which meant that he used nail files to keep his fingernails in shape.

[@DailyScratcher]

Tom Warfel you would do it before the inning started like during warmup pitches or whatever he'd just get the file in his hand, rub the ball and put Scruffs in it before first batter...not every ball he threw would be scuffed

[@scottjohnson1640]

Tom Warfel Slight of hand?

[@nu66ets]

The dozens of fans in attendance at the old Big A...holy empty stadium...

[@robloxvids2233]

I remember this event like it was yesterday. March 4, 1981, Steve Niekro of the Washington Capitals got ejected from the game against the Burlington Bees during the final game of the WNBA season. Burt Reynolds was the endzone referee who threw him out.

[@eliseohinojosa1201]

Pensó que no lo iban a descrubrir

[@TobyReese]

0:36 They said PHIL Niekro... 😂

[@almostfm]

1:06 Smoooooth.

[@cgh7337]

Man Kent Hrbeck was huge.

[@scottjohnson1640]

Christopher G. They didn't call him Big Herbie for nothing.

[@kram0173]

One of the best moments in Twins history!!!

[@jbsmg]

I remember that... he was on Letterman a few nights later.

[@hurricane9851]

jbsmg yeah with a powersander and other things, lol

[@StFidjnr]

caught in the act