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.

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Has this image ever kept you up late at night? Does the picture above make you queasy, make your heart stop beating, or make you sick to your stomach? Welcome to the hell of being a Red Sox fan up until the wonderful feeling of vindication of 2004.

Yes, I'm talking about Game 6 of the 1986 World Series... and specifically the play with the ground ball going between Bill Buckner's legs. And today is the 20th anniversary. Growing up, every time I'd tell someone I was a Red Sox fan I'd hear "1918" and/or "Buckner".

I still remember watching that game in my living room of my parents' house... This was it, we were going to do it!!! The Sox were finally going to win! And then one of the most crushing, painful things possible happens and the rest is history. Most of my buddies were Mets fans at the time, so my phone immediately started ringing... and ringing and ringing. The next day (and 17+ years) had people constantly reminding me of this moment.

After stints with the Angels and Royals, Buckner came back to the Red Sox for 43 more at bats. I was at his first game back in a Sox uniform (opening day April 12,1990 at Fenway - Clemens vs. Jack Morris) and you couldn't believe the standing ovation he received. It was the loudest for any player by far - and this team had some stars and went on to win the AL East. I couldn't figure out if the fans:

• A) felt sorry for him and felt compelled to cheer
  
• B) related to his suffering with their own
  
• C) figured he deserved a lot of credit for being brave enough to show his face in a Sox uniform again
  
• D) were just delirious with excitement to have baseball after labor issues postponed the start of the season by 2 weeks
  
• E) All of the above.

Since this is an autograph community, below is picture of ball signed by Bill Buckner and Mookie Wilson:

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Highlights Of New Five-Year Labor Agreement

Luxury Tax Amateur Draft• Players selected in the June amateur draft who aren't college seniors must sign by Aug. 15. Minimum Salary• Major league minimum increases from $327,000 this year to $380,000 in 2007, $390,000 in 2008, $400,000 in 2009 and $400,000 plus a two-year cost-of-living adjustment in 2011. Free Agent Draft Pick Compensation• Draft-pick compensation for losing Type C free agents is eliminated. Compensation for Type B free agents is changed from direct (losing draft picks) to indirect (sandwich picks). Starting in 2007, Type A free agent redefined to top 20 percent at position (from top 30 percent) and Type B to 21-40 percent (from top 31-50 percent). Free Agent Deadlines• The restriction is eliminated that said teams could only re-sign their former players who became free agents by Dec. 7 (or Jan. 8 if offered salary arbitration) or else lose rights until May 1. Deadline for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents is moved to Dec. 1 from Dec. 7. The deadline for players offered arbitration to accept offers is moved to Dec. 7 from Dec. 19. Tender Deadline• The deadline for teams to offer contracts for the following season to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters is moved to Dec. 12 from Dec. 20. -- Associated Press

Let's start with the good news, MLB and the Players' Association finally got it right and signed a CBA extension through 2011. We all know baseball has reached an all time high in attendance and popularity, so it only made sense to do this. Congrats to Don Fehr, Gene Orza, Bud Selig, and all the other folks who had the common sense not to kill the Golden Goose that is Major League Baseball.

The table on the right shows the changes, they are fairly small. The only significant thing was the change to the Free Agent Draft Pick Compensation, which will make it more attractive for teams to sign or resign their solid players - as fewer will qualify for Type A compensation.

As much as I'd like to see a salary cap for competitive balance, we know the union will never go for it. Here's some other things that I would have liked to see addressed at some point for the good of baseball:

1. Much tougher testing and suspensions  for  performance enhancing  drugs
   The NFL does it right,. They test for everything... And if you test positive once, and you miss 25% of the season.
   
   Will baseball need a Lyle Alzado martyr to get themselves cleaned the way the NFL did?
   
   
2. A fixed salary structure for drafted rookies.
   The NBA does this right, we all know what the #1 pick will make and it allows (the worst) teams to take the best player. Before they made this change, I remember Reggie Theus bitching about the Nets dumping most of their stars (including Theus) to clear salary to sign #1 pick Derrick Coleman.
   
   It is a joke how the best players often fall to the middle of the first round because small market are terrified to negotiate with the Scott Boras type agents.
   
   I'd think the Union would be in favor of this. Since players are not part of the Union until they play in the majors, this is money going to non-Union players and may be taking away from veterans.
   
   
3. They need to address cheating in the game
   After the exposure from Kenny Rogers getting caught "dirty handed" in the World Series, baseball needs to clarify what a pitcher can and can't do. And then how they will enforce the violations since there are obviously exceptions to their rulebook.
   
   As I am typing this blog, I am watching "Mike and Mike" on ESPN, and they just had a great interview with Tommy John. So Mike Greenberg is talking about a Yankees-Angels game I remember watching in 1986 when Don Sutton was approaching his 300th win. Phil Rizutto was going out of his mind when the cameras caught Sutton with a small piece of white sandpaper he kept in his glove. So Greenberg tells it as,

"The TV cameras catch Sutton with sandpaper in his glove, and Stienbrenner calls manager Lou Piniella in the dugout telling him to go out and have Sutton searched. The Yankees were winning 1-0 with Tommy John on the mound. The story goes that Lou's reaction is that the 'we are leading and that our guy is doing it worse, so let it go."

Tommy John didn't quite remember the quote this way. As I remember it, Lou went out and the umpires never found anything on Sutton...

So if HOFers like Gaylord Perry and Sutton could cheat and get openly caught, what does this say about the game and example it sets.

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