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{{short description|American baseball player (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Lance Niekro
|image=Lance Niekro in 2006.jpg
|caption=Niekro with the San Francisco Giants in 2006
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1979|1|29}}
|birth_place=[[Winter Haven, Florida]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 5
|debutyear=2003
|debutteam=San Francisco Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 2
|finalyear=2007
|finalteam=San Francisco Giants
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.246
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=17
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=79
|teams=
*[[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|2003}}, {{mlby|2005}}–{{mlby|2007}})
}}
'''Lance William Niekro''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|iː|k|r|oʊ}} {{respell|NEE|kroh}}; born January 29, 1979) is an American [[baseball]] coach and former [[first baseman]], who is the current head baseball coach of the [[Florida Southern Moccasins baseball|Florida Southern Moccasins]]. He played [[college baseball]] at Florida Southern for coach Chuck Anderson from 1999 to 2000 and then played four seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from 2003 to 2007. After his playing career concluded, he served as an assistant coach at Florida Southern and then was elevated to the head coach position on May 9, 2012. He is the son of MLB pitcher [[Joe Niekro]] and nephew of MLB pitcher [[Phil Niekro]].

==Career==

===High School and College===
Born in [[Winter Haven, Florida]], Niekro graduated from [[George W. Jenkins High School]] in [[Lakeland, Florida]], and attended [[Florida Southern College]]. While in high school, he had transitioned from being a [[knuckleball]] [[pitcher]] to a [[position player]], playing [[third base]] at Florida Southern.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=HE'D RATHER HIT KNUCKLEBALLS |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2000/04/17/278532/hed-rather-hit-knuckleballs-pitching-is-in-his-blood-but-florida-southerns-lance-niekro-is-making-his-name-at-the-plate |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418155932/https://www.si.com/vault/2000/04/17/278532/hed-rather-hit-knuckleballs-pitching-is-in-his-blood-but-florida-southerns-lance-niekro-is-making-his-name-at-the-plate |archive-date=2019-04-18 |accessdate=August 2, 2019 |publisher=si.com}}</ref> In 1999 and 2000, he played [[collegiate summer baseball]] for the [[Orleans Cardinals]] of the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]] (CCBL), and was named league [[Most valuable player|MVP]] in 1999. He was inducted into the [[Cape Cod Baseball League#Hall of Fame and Museum|CCBL Hall of Fame]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=1999 Orleans Cardinals |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=1999&T=orleans%20cardinals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617200438/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=1999&T=orleans%20cardinals |archive-date=2021-06-17 |accessdate=July 20, 2021 |publisher=thebaseballcube.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=2000 Orleans Cardinals |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2000&T=Orleans_Cardinals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807022506/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2000&T=Orleans_Cardinals |archive-date=2021-08-07 |accessdate=July 20, 2021 |publisher=thebaseballcube.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=HALL OF FAME NEWS |url=http://capecodbaseball.org/news/hofnews/?article_id=219 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317031121/http://capecodbaseball.org/news/hofnews/?article_id=219 |archive-date=2022-03-17 |accessdate=August 2, 2019 |publisher=capecodbaseball.org}}</ref>

===San Francisco Giants===
Niekro was selected by the [[San Francisco Giants]] in the second round of the [[2000 Major League Baseball draft]]. He began his professional career as a [[third baseman]], but moved to [[first baseman|first base]] in the minor leagues due to injury. Niekro first reached the major leagues in {{mlby|2003}}, but only had five [[at bat]]s. He saw more substantial playing time in {{mlby|2005}}, when he split time with [[J. T. Snow]] at first base and played in 113 games, finishing the season with a .252 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], 12 [[home run]]s, and 46 [[Run batted in|RBI]] in 278 at-bats.

Following the 2005 season, Snow and the Giants parted ways. As a result, Niekro was given his shot as the everyday first baseman, but was sent back down to the minors. During the {{mlby|2006}} season, his replacements were [[Mark Sweeney]], [[Travis Ishikawa]], [[Chad Santos]] and [[Shea Hillenbrand]].

On May 4, {{mlby|2007}}, the Giants designated Niekro for assignment and recalled [[Scott Munter]] from Triple-A Fresno. He was later optioned to the Fresno Grizzlies when no other team claimed him. He became a [[free agent]] after the season. Like his father and uncle, Niekro can throw a [[knuckleball]], and was first allowed to pitch professionally for the Grizzlies in August 2007.

===Houston Astros===
On January 10, {{Baseball year|2008}}, the [[Houston Astros]] signed Niekro to a minor league contract with an invitation to [[spring training]]. He was released on May 2, 2008 and retired, getting a job with a telecommunications company.<ref name="kbp">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/SPMQ14QQMI.DTL&feed=rss.giants |title=Ex-Giants infielder Lance Niekro launches comeback, as a knuckleballer |accessdate=2008-12-19 |author=Henry Schulman |authorlink=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2008-12-18 |work=sfgate.com}}</ref>

===Atlanta Braves===
On December 18, 2008, Niekro decided to make a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher and was signed by the [[Atlanta Braves]] to a minor league contract.<ref name="kbp"/><ref>Kepner, Tyler [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/sports/baseball/22niekro.html?ref=sports "Lance Niekro Dusts Off a Family Heirloom: The Knuckleball"] ''The New York Times'', Sunday, February 22, 2009</ref> He pitched one season in the Braves' system, appearing in 14 games for the [[Gulf Coast League Braves]] in {{baseball year|2009}} before becoming a free agent at the end of the year.

===Coaching career===
In {{baseball year|2010}}, Niekro was named an assistant coach at Florida Southern. On May 9, 2012, Niekro succeeded Pete Meyer as the head coach of the Florida Southern Moccasins, a program that has produced the most NCAA Championships in Division II play (9).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fscmocs.com/article.asp?articleID=3219 |title=Lance Niekro Named Mocs' Head Baseball Coach ** FSCMocs.com |accessdate=2012-06-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130123135925/http://www.fscmocs.com/article.asp?articleID=3219 |archivedate=2013-01-23 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of second-generation Major League Baseball players]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=408067 |espn=5796 |br=n/niekrla01 |fangraphs=1832 |brm=niekro001lan }}
*[http://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.htm?ID=7125 Lance Niekro Stats at RotoWire.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Niekro, Lance}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Florida Southern Moccasins baseball players]]
[[Category:Orleans Firebirds players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:San Jose Giants players]]
[[Category:Fresno Grizzlies players]]
[[Category:Round Rock Express players]]
[[Category:Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players]]
[[Category:Knuckleball pitchers]]
[[Category:George W. Jenkins High School alumni]]
[[Category:American people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Lakeland, Florida]]
[[Category:Florida Southern Moccasins baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast Braves players]]
[[Category:Grand Canyon Rafters players]]
[[Category:Shreveport Swamp Dragons players]]

Lance Niekro - Revision history

imported>PinkDucky91: Fixed citations