Knuckleball Pitchers

A couple of months ago, I asked an innocent question on the Knuckleball HQ Community message board. I had seen the list of pitchers who threw the knuckleball, but wanted to know if anyone had compiled a list of pitchers who made their living with the knuckler, rather than the posted list of guys (like Gibson) who threw it only once or twice in a career.

It seemed like a simple question, and in fact there was a simple answer - Rob Neyer has compiled such a list in the Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers. However, when I got his book, I discovered that beyond the 70 knuckleball pitchers he lists, there are more guys who threw the knuckler than I ever imagined (at least 250). Neyer states that shortly after the knuckleball was introduced, there were a "great number of pitchers" who threw it, but simply referred to it as a "slow ball." Furthermore, in the 30s and 40s, Neyer says: "I suspect that something like half the pitchers in the majors occasionally threw a knuckleball." How times have changed.

This got me thinking. Was it even possible to compile a full list of everyone who threw the knuckler? Maybe not... but it turns out I'm just crazy enough to try. So, after spending a couple weeks reading through the Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers, and probably far too much time researching individual pitchers on the internet, I've compiled what I believe is the most complete list so far of pitchers who threw the knuckleball.

I've broken the list down into four categories, based on how often the pitcher tossed up a knuckler - from real knuckleball pitchers down to guys who threw only one in their career. However, It turns out that even these categories fail to fully capture the diversity of players who have thrown a pitch they called their knuckle ball, fingernail-ball, floater, flutterball, dry-spitter, or Cuban butterfly. So before going to the list, it may help to present a bit of history.

The pitch we now know as the knuckleball was first thrown in the major leagues during the first decade of the twentieth century. Four pitchers: Eddie Cicotte, Ed Summers, Nap Rucker, and Lew "Hicks" Moren were among the first to throw it, and all may have played some part in its invention. It is likely that the pitch was first invented by Eddie Cicotte in the summer of 1905, while he was a teammate of Nap Rucker in the minor leagues.

Cicotte threw the pitch off of his knuckles, hence the name. In the summer of 1906, however, Cicotte and Summers pitched together in the minors, and Summers developed a variation of the pitch he called the "finger-nail ball." This pitch was essentially the same one thrown today by Tim Wakefield, and by the time Cicotte and Summers reached the majors in 1908, both were throwing this "finger-nail ball." Why the term "knuckleball" stuck while "finger-nail ball" and other terms did not remains a mystery.

Some nineteenth century pitchers, such as Toad Ramsey and Old Hoss Radbourn were known to throw a pitch called a "drop-curve" or "dry spitball" which in retrospect, some have said was a knuckleball. However, as Rob Neyer points out, "Ramsey was moderately famous at the turn of the century, and if he'd thrown the dancing variety of the knuckleball, people would have said that when Summers and Cicotte arrived in the majors." A more likely explanation for the pitch thrown in the nineteenth century is that it is some variety of what we now call a knuckle-curve.

This confusion between the knuckleball and the knuckle-curve extended well into the twentieth century, and makes any list of knuckleball pitchers from before WWII somewhat suspect. Some of the most famous knuckleball pitchers from this period, such as Freddie Fitzsimmons and Jessie Haines, may actually not have thrown what we now consider a knuckleball. Based on descriptions of how they threw the pitch, and how the ball behaved on the way to the plate, it seems likely that what they threw would be called a knuckle-curve today. For this reason, I have also included a list of pitchers who threw the knuckle-curve.

Finally, before getting to the list, I want to acknowledge my sources. In compiling this list of knuckleball pitchers, I relied heavily on The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers by Rob Neyer and Bill James, as well as information from baseball-reference.com, baseball-library.com, baseball-almanac.com, thebaseballpage.com, and the Knuckleball Headquarters web site. Any quotes below come from these sources.

Knuckleball Pitchers

These are the guys who were known for throwing the knuckleball. Using Rob Neyer's definition, this includes any pitcher "who would not have been in the majors without his knuckleball, or whose knuckleball was considered his best pitch, at least for a time."

Name	T	Career	Notes
John Anderson	R	1958-62	Threw the knuckleball sidearm.
Gene Bearden	L	1947-53	Threw 80% knucklers.
Clarence Beers	R	1948	Pitched 2/3 inning for the Cardinals.
Wade Boggs	R	1997-99	Pitched twice in his career (2.1 INN). Threw 16 knucklers in a 17 pitch inning in 97.
Dan Boone	L	1981-90	Threw 80% knucklers in his 1990 comeback.
Jim Bouton	R	1962-78	Switched to a knuckleball pitcher in 69 after arm injury.
Joe Bowman	R	1932-45	Became a knuckleball pitcher after returning from WWII.
Hal Brown	R	1951-64	Walked only 8 batters in 141 innings in 1963. Pitched 36 consecutive shutout innings in 1964 to set the Oriole record.
Wally Burnette	R	1956-58	Posted a 2.89 ERA in his rookie season, but couldn't duplicate the performance.
Tom Candiotti	R	1983-99	Added the knuckleball in 1985.
Lew Carpenter	R	1943	Pitched 4 games for the Senators, didn't give up a run.
George Caster	R	1934-46	Threw his knuckler two speeds: a fast knuckler and a dancer.
Eddie Cicotte	R	1905-20	Probably invented the knuckleball. Originally threw it off his knuckles but quickly switched to the fingertip grip. Threw 75% knucklers.
Glenn Cox	R	1955-58	Mostly a AAA pitcher.
Bruce Dal Canton	R	1967-77	Was a high school teacher/coach in 1965 when signed by the Pirates at age 24. Jumped to the majors in 67 and was an effective spot starter/long reliever.
Jim Davis	L	1954-57	Threw both a screwball and a knuckler.
R.A. Dickey	R	2001 -	Became a knuckleball pitcher in 2005. Also throws knuckle curve.
Art Evans	L	1932	Pitched in 7 games for the White Sox.
Vern Fear	R	1952	Pitched 8 innings for the Cubs.
Jared Fernandez	R	2001-04	One of the few who actually grips the knuckleball with his knuckles.
Eddie Fisher	R	1959-73	Learned the knuckleball from Hoyt Wilhelm, and the two teamed up to save a record 53 games in 1965. Fisher made 82 relief appearances that year, with 15 wins and 24 saves.
Freddie Fitzsimmons	R	1925-43	Although famous for his "knuckleball," the pitch was probably a knuckle-curve. Fitzsimmons: "Nowadays these fellows call theirs the wobbly type, It doesn't turn like a curve.... When I threw the knuckler... I pushed my two fingers forward and usually knew where the ball was going." Dave Stenhouse threw a similar pitch.
Ben Flowers	R	1951-56	Once relieved in 8 straight games, followed by a complete game shutout.
Wes Flowers	L	1940-44	Pitched parts of 2 seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Larry French	L	1929-42	Became a knuckleball pitcher in 1942. He learned the pitch from Fitzsimmons though, so it may actually have been a knuckle-curve.
Marion Fricano	R	1952-55	Didn't crack the majors until age 30.
Aubrey Gatewood	R	1963-70	Threw 75% knucklers after 1965.
Sam Gibson	R	1926-32	Threw sidearm. Had only moderate success in the big leagues, but was a legend in the Pacific Coast League - winning 307 games. Pitched until age 47.
Mickey Haefner	L	1943-50	A member of the 1944 Senators all knuckleball rotation, along with Leonard, Niggeling, and Wolff.
Jesse Haines	R	1918-37	His "knuckler" was probably a knuckle-curve. Haines: "My favorite ball is the knuckler. I hold the ball tight against the knuckles of my pitching hand and throw it with every ounce of speed I can put behind it." Burt Hooton threw a similar pitch. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.
Granny Hamner	R	1956-62	Made a brief comeback as a knuckleball pitcher for KC in 1962.
Lum Harris	R	1941-47	Threw both a knuckleball and a knuckle-curve.
Earl Harrist	R	1945-53	Struck out Lary Doby in his first AL at bat. 12-28 career record.
Kirby Higbe	R	1937-50	Switched to a knuckleball pitcher late in his career.
Charlie Hough	R	1970-94	Pitched until age 46.
Charlie Hudson	L	1972-75	Developed the knuckleball in 1973, and it became his key pitch.
Bob Humphreys	R	1962-70	Became a knuckleball pitcher after 1968 arm injury.
Ryan Jensen	R	2001-	Regularly threw the knuckleball with the Giants, and threw 80% knuckleballs in the minors in 2004, but switched back to conventional stuff in 2005.
Ken T. Johnson	R	1958-70	Threw 1/3 knuckleballs. Threw overhand, sidearm, and underhand.
Andy Karl	R	1943-47	Threw both a knuckleball and a knuckle-curve.
Paul LaPalme	L	1951-57	Threw a shutout in his first start.
Dutch (Emil) Leonard	R	1933-53	A member of the 1944 Senators all knuckleball rotation, along with Haefner, Niggeling, and Wolff. Not to be confused with spitballer Dutch (Hub) Leonard 1913-25.
Johnny Lindell	R	1942-53	Made a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher in 1953, throwing 80% knucklers.
Ted Lyons	R	1923-46	Began throwing the knuckler after 1929 arm injury. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.
Phil McCullough	R	1942	Pitched one game for the Washington Senators.
Cody McKay	R	2004	Pitched one game for the Cardinals.
Bob Moorhead	R	1962-65	Was the first Met to throw a knuckler (in 1962). After missing two seasons with an injury, made a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher in 1965, appearing in 9 games.
Lew Moren	R	1903-10	Among the first to throw the knuckleball - and may have played a role in its invention.
Dick Mulligan	L	1941-47	Missed four seasons due to WWII.
Dick Newsome	R	1941-43	Went 19-10 for the Red Sox in 1941.
Joe Niekro	R	1967-88	Became a knuckleball pitcher after 1971.
Phil Niekro	R	1964-85	Won 318 games. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
Johnny Niggeling	R	1938-46	A member of the 1944 Senators all knuckleball rotation, along with Haefner, Leonard, and Wolff. Pitched until age 43. Threw the knuckler off of one fingertip.
Kirt Ojala	L	1997-99	Gave up Barry Bonds' 400th homerun in 1998.
Al Papai	R	1948-55	Won 20 games four times - in the minors.
Joe Pate	L	1926-27	Went 9-0 as a 34 year old rookie, then faltered.
Tot (Forest) Pressnell	R	1938-42	Two decent seasons as a starter before being moved to the pen.
Bob Purkey	R	1954-66	Developed the knuckleball in 1958, and won 23 games in 1962. Once threw 96 knucklers in a game.
Ewald Pyle	L	1939-45	Was once fined a month's pay for an off-the-field scuffle.
Willie Ramsdell	R	1947-52	Called "Willie the Knuck." Once struck out a batter on a pitch that fluttered over the catcher's head and to the backstop.
Eddie Rommel	R	1920-32	Threw the knuckler one out of three pitches.
Nap Rucker	L	1907-16	Used the knuckler as a change off his fastball early on. Became a knuckleball pitcher when his speed declined. May have had a hand in inventing the knuckleball while playing with Cicotte.
Rich Sauveur	L	1986-00	Pitched in 34 major league games over a 14 year career. Sauveur: "One of the outings was 14 pitches, 14 knuckleballs. I threw groundball, pop-up, strikeout.
Owen Scheetz	R	1943	Pitched 6 games for the Senators.
Paul Schreiber	R	1945	Was the Yankees batting practice pitcher - then pitched in 2 games at age 43.
Barney Schultz	R	1955-65	Saved 15 games in 1964, with a 1.64 ERA.
Tom Seaton	R	1912-17	Likely was the first knuckleball pitcher in the National League.
Bobby Shantz	L	1949-64	Added the knuckleball in 1951. Shantz: "the knuckler is a good waste pitch and if it comes close to the plate, the batter usually goes for it, and even if he hits it, he has a hard time getting a very good piece of it."
Lou Sleater	L	1950-58	In 1952, stopped Walt Dropo's record streak of hitting safely in 12 consecutive at-bats.
Steve Sparks	R	1995-04	Led the league with 8 complete games in 2001.
Dennis Springer	R	1995-02	After 9 years in the minors, the Phillies brought in Phil Niekro to work with him in September 1995. He made his first Major league start three days later.
Ray Starr	R	1932-45	Threw from a variety of arm angles.
Fred Stiely	L	1929-31	"Stielys specialty is a knuckle ball that hops every way."
Marlin Stuart	R	1949-54	"The knuckleball of Marlin Stuart... is so tricky that his bullpen catchers wear masks to protect themselves."
Tom Sturdivant	R	1955-64	Became a knuckleball pitcher after an arm injury.
Joe Sullivan	L	1935-41	Once pitched 12 straight innings of scoreless relief. Quit baseball for WWII.
Ed Summers	R	1908-12	Called his pitch the "fingernail ball." Invented the fingertip grip while playing with Cicotte.
Bob Tiefenauer	R	1952-68	Threw 75% knucklers.
Jim Tobin	R	1937-45	Pitched a no hitter in 1944 throwing 80% knucklers.
Gil Torres	R	1940-46	Made two appearances as a knuckleball pitcher with the 1940 Senators, then was converted to an infielder.
Tim Wakefield	R	1990 -	One of the few pitchers ever to strike out 4 batters in an inning.
Hoyt Wilhelm	R	1952-72	143 wins and 227 saves. "He was by far the best knuckleballer who ever lived." - umpire Bill Kinnamon. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Jim Winford	R	1932-38	Went 11-10 for the Cardinals in 1936.
Roger Wolff	R	1941-47	A member of the 1944 Senators all-knuckleball rotation, along with Haefner, Leonard, and Niggeling. Went 20-10 in 1945.
Wilbur Wood	L	1961-78	The last pitcher to start both ends of a double-header.
Rasty (Wayne) Wright	R	1917-23	Had two good seasons (and three bad ones).

These guys don't meet the definition of knuckleball pitchers, but they regularly tossed up a knuckler as part of their standard repertoire.

Name	T	Career	Notes
Ted Abernathy	R	1955-72
Doyle Alexander	R	1971-89	Threw it a lot in 1989.
Ivy Andrews	R	1931-38	Added the knuckleball in 1933.
Tommy Atkins	L	1909-10	Called it his "fingernail fling."
Jim Bagby Jr.	R	1938-47
Clyde Barfoot	R	1922-26
Ray Benge	R	1925-38	Threw the knuckleball only occasionally until late in his career.
Joe Benz	R	1911-19
Ken Burkhart	R	1945-49
Ray Caldwell	R	1910-21
Jose Canseco	R	1993	Pitched 1 inning in his career - then needed Tommy John Surgery.
Ben Cantwell	R	1927-37
Pat Caraway	L	1930-32	Added the knuckleball in 1931.
Terry Clark	R	1988-97	Clark: "I had a good slider working today and I used it a lot, and I used the knuckleball to keep them off-balance."
Bud Daley	L	1955-64
Paul Derringer	R	1931-45	Added the knuckleball in 1940.
Murry Dickson	R	1939-59	Threw 7 different pitches.
Ryne Duren	R	1954-65
Sammy Ellis	R	1962-69
Don Elston	R	1953-64	First pitcher for whom saves were recorded.
Russ Ford	R	1909-15	Invented the "scuff ball."
Mike Fornieles	R	1952-63
Art Fowler	R	1954-64
Ken Frailing	L	1972-76
Benny Frey	R	1929-36	Added the knuckleball in 1933.
Wayne Garland	R	1973-81
Tom A. Gorman	R	1952-59
Dolly (Sam) Gray	R	1924-33	Threw it late in his career.
Warren Hacker	R	1948-61
Tex Hughson	R	1941-49	Would throw about 4 or 5 knucklers per game.
Jeff Innis	R	1987-93	Threw the knuckleball sidearm. Learned it from Joe Niekro.
Roy Joiner	L	1934-40
Fred Kipp	L	1957-60
Ron Kline	R	1952-70	Learned the knuckler in 56, and used it regularly late in his career.
Jack Knott	R	1933-46	Called his pitch a "dry spitter."
Darold Knowles	L	1965-80	"Throws one-finger knuckler to right handed hitters."
Jim Konstanty	R	1944-56	Several sources call him a "master of the knuckleball."
Dave Koslo	L	1941-55	Added the knuckleball in 1951.
Max Lanier	L	1938-53	Threw the knuckleball late in his career.
Bill Lefebvre	L	1938-44	Made 4 starts as a member of the 1944 Senators all knuckleball rotation, which also included Haefner, Leonard, Niggeling, and Wolff.
Barry Lersch	R	1969-74	Threw the knuckleball late in his career. In December 1973, Lersch was mistakenly acquired by Atlanta in a deal that sent Ron Schueler to Philadelphia. Braves executives had confused Lersch with up-and-coming southpaw Randy Lerch.
Dutch Lieber	R	1935-36
Mickey Lolich	L	1963-79	Worked with Hoyt Wilhelm in 1979 to develop his knuckleball.
Turk Lown	R	1951-62
Connie Marrero	R	1950-54
Bob McClure	L	1975-93	Added the knuckleball in 1985.
Frank Miller	R	1913-23
Clarence Mitchell	L	1911-32	Added the knuckleball in 1931.
Cy Moore	R	1929-34
Bob Moose	R	1967-76	Added the knuckleball in 1969.
Les Munns	R	1934-36
Al Nipper	R	1983-90	Added the knuckleball in 1986.
Marty O'Toole	R	1908-14	In his career (600 Innings), walked 300 batters and struck out 296.
Stubby Overmire	L	1943-52
George Pipgras	R	1923-35	Had four good pitches: fastball, knuckleball, screwball, and curve.
Pedro Ramos	R	1955-70
Steve Ridzik	R	1950-66	After spending four years in the minors, resurfaced in 1963 with a knuckleball.
Dave Roberts	L	1969-81
Jim Rooker	L	1968-80	Used the knuckleball in 1980 - his last four games in the majors.
Schoolboy Rowe	R	1933-49	Added the knuckleball in 1940.
Dutch Ruether	L	1917-27	Added the knuckleball in 1925.
Slim Sallee	L	1908-21	Threw a "floater."
Socks Seibold	R	1916-33
Gordon Seyfried	R	1963-64
Garland Shifflett	R	1964	Added a knuckleball in 1963. Pitched 10 games for the Twins in 1964.
Bill Shores	R	1928-36	After being sent to the minors in 1937, the knuckleball became his key pitch.
Elmer Singleton	R	1945-59
Sherry Smith	L	1911-27	Pitched with "no wind-up at all."
Zane Smith	L	1984-96	Added the knuckleball in 1996, for his last few starts in the majors.
Warren Spahn	L	1942-65	Added the knuckleball in 1963.
Gerry Staley	R	1947-61	Threw sidearm.
Dick Starr	R	1947-51	No relation to Ray Starr.
Luis Tiant Jr.	R	1964-82	1975 Oakland scouting report said he could throw it "sidearm, three-quarter, or overhand."
Dizzy Trout	R	1939-57
Virgil Trucks	R	1941-58
George Turbeville	L	1935-37
Dutch (Frank) Ulrich	R	1925-27
Dazzy Vance	R	1915-35	Threw about 4 knucklers a game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.
Hy Vandenberg	R	1935-45
Butch Wensloff	R	1943-48
Earl Whitehill	L	1923-39	Used his trademark knuckleball to win 14 or more games ten times, often for mediocre teams.
Charlie Williams	R	1971-78	Added the knuckleball in 1974.
Jim Willis	R	1953-54
Jack Wilson	R	1934-42	Added the knuckleball in 1940.
Al Worthington	R	1953-69	Added the knuckleball in 1964.
Early Wynn	R	1939-63	A member of the 1944 Senators all knuckleball rotation, which also included Haefner, Leonard, Niggeling, and Wolff. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
Tom Zachary	L	1918-36
Todd Zeile	R	2002 -	Worked a scoreless 9th inning in 2002 "throwing junk that included a knuckleball." Then in 2004, gave up five runs in the 8th inning of a blowout "throwing knuckleballs suited to a slow-pitch softball league and joking with hitters who used to be teammates." Zeile: "Not a lot of fun. I just hoped they'd be laughing at me and laughing at the knuckleball and hit it at somebody."

These guys didn't throw the knuckler enough to consider it a regular pitch, but were known to occasionally throw one.

Name	T	Career	Notes
Sheriff Blake	R	1920-37	Blake: "I've experimented with the knuckle ball, but I very seldom use it."
Garland Buckeye	L	1918-28	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Cy Buker	R	1945	Threw a hard knuckleball he called a "dry spitter."
Cecil Butler	R	1962-64	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Spud Chandler	R	1937-47	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Tom Cheney	R	1957-66	Threw a 16 inning complete game in 1962, throwing 238 pitches and striking out 21.
Dick Coffman	R	1924-45	"Likely to flop one at you when you've got two strikes and not much else."
Jimmie Foxx	R	1939-45	Yes, Double X. Threw one inning for the Red Sox in 1939, and then pitched in 9 games (2 starts) for the Phillies in 1945, posting a 1.59 ERA. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.
Paul Foytack	R	1953-64	Added the knuckleball in 1962.
Milt Gaston	R	1924-34	"Likely to flop one at you when you've got two strikes and not much else."
Rick Huisman	R	1995-96	Attempted to convert to a knuckleball pitcher after struggling in two stints with the Royals, but never made it back to the majors.
Sig Jakucki	R	1936-45
Vern Kennedy	R	1934-45	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Jack Kralick	L	1959-67	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Frank Lary	R	1954-65	Developed a knuckleball in 1956 and threw it occasionally thereafter.
Tommy Lasorda	L	1954-56	Pitched in 26 games over three seasons.
Vern Law	R	1950-67
Eddie Lopat	L	1944-55	Developed a knuckleball in 1949. Lopat: "Never the same pitch twice, never the same place twice, never the same speed twice."
Red Lucas	R	1923-38	Throws a knuckleball "once in a while."
Larry McWilliams	L	1978-90	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Jim Merritt	L	1965-75	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Satchel Paige	R	1948-65	Added a knuckleball he called the "bat dodger" in the mid 50s. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.
Erv Palica	R	1947-56	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Claude Passeau	R	1935-47	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Jesse Petty	L	1921-30	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Juan Pizarro	L	1957-74	Abandoned the knuckleball after 1961.
Nels Potter	R	1936-49
Dan Quisenberry	R	1979-90	Rarely threw the knuckler.
Flint Rhem	R	1924-36
Ray Scarborough	R	1942-53	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Rip Sewell	R	1932-49	Threw both an overhand knuckler and an underhand knuckler.
Rollie Stiles	R	1930-33	"Likely to flop one at you when you've got two strikes and not much else."
Cecil Upshaw	R	1966-75	Threw the knuckler frequently in the minors.
Bucky Walters	R	1934-50	Occasionally used a knuckleball.
Lon Warneke	R	1930-45	"Warneke said he worked hard to develop a knuckleball... but never could master the knuckler."

This list includes guys who threw one or two knuckleballs in their career, and guys who are rumored to throw it, but for which I couldn't find any information to confirm how often they did. Any further information would be appreciated.

Name	T	Career	Notes
Ewell Blackwell	R	1942-55	(No Reference)
Mike Boddicker	R	1980-93	(No Reference)
Kevin D. Brown	L	1990-92	(No Reference)
Otey (William) Clark	R	1945	Pitched one season for Boston.
Jim Constable	L	1956-63	Threw "a little of everything."
Bill Dietrich	R	1933-48	Dietrich: "I tried the knuckle ball once. I worked on it a long while and finally, a couple of years ago, I threw two of them at Cleveland. One was a homer and the other a triple--and the triple was hit farther than the homer!"
Dick Donovan	R	1950-65	(No Reference)
Alex Ferguson	R	1918-29	(No Reference)
Woodie Fryman	L	1966-83	(No Reference)
John Gabler	R	1959-61	(No Reference)
Bob Gibson	R	1959-75	Threw one knuckleball in his career - to Hank Aaron, who ripped a long line drive. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.
Dick Hall	R	1955-71	Hall: "I had only one wild pitch in my career, that came when I was experimenting with a knuckle ball."
Mike Henneman	R	1987-96	(No Reference)
Waite Hoyt	R	1918-38	(No Reference)
Ira Hutchinson	R	1933-45	(No Reference)
Dave Jolly	R	1953-57	(No Reference)
Matt Keough	R	1977-86	(No Reference)
Bill Lee	L	1969-82	Lee: "I threw only two in a major league game, in 1979... (both were hit) for stand up doubles."
Steve Lyons	R	1990-91	Pitched in 2 games (3 innings) in his career.
Willard Nixon	R	1950-58	(No Reference)
Donn Pall	R	1988-98	(No Reference)
George Perez	R	1958	Pitched in four games.
Jeff Reardon	R	1979-94	Threw the knuckler a few times in 1994 but didn't have much success with the pitch.
John Smoltz	R	1988 -	Threw a few knucklers in 1999 after two trips to the DL with elbow problems. Gave up the pitch when he switched to being a closer and hasn't thrown it in a game since.
Ed Wright	R	1945-52	(No Reference)

These guys threw a pitch related to the knuckleball - the knuckle curve. Since pitching terminology has changed over time, there has not always been a clear distinction between the two pitches. Some of the guys listed above probably belong on this list.

Name	T	Career	Notes
Matt Anderson	R	1998 -
Frank Bork	R	1964
Doug Brocail	R	1992-00
Jeff Dedmon	R	1983-88
Pete Falcone	L	1975-84
Earl Francis	R	1960-65
Dave Goltz	R	1972-83
Gerry Hannahs	L	1976-79
Burt Hooton	R	1971-85	Hooton: "I put my knuckles on the ball and throw it like you'd throw a fastball. And so when I threw the knuckleball, it had a semi-knuckleball, semi-fastball spin on it. And the pitch came in and broke straight down." Jesse Haines threw a similar pitch he called a knuckle ball.
Darryl Kile	R	1991-02	Threw a "spike curve," the same pitch as Mike Mussina's knuckle-curve.
Joey McLaughlin	R	1977-84
Steve Mingori	L	1970-79
Dave Mlicki	R	1992-02
Dale Murray	R	1974-85
Mike Mussina	R	1991 -	"Holds the ball with the index and middle fingers, as if he were going to throw a knuckler... and flips the ball out of his hand." His pitch should probably be called a "spike curve." Same as Don Sutton and Darryl Kile.
Old Hoss Radbourn	R	1881-91	Threw a "dry spitter" that may have been a type of knuckle-curve. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.
Toad Ramsey	L	1885-90	Sometimes called "baseball's first knuckleball pitcher," but his "drop curve" was more likely a type of knuckle-curve.
Steve Renko	R	1969-83
Dave Stenhouse	R	1962-64	Thrown with his "fingernails on the ball much like a knuckleball pitcher, but... as the ball is thrown will actually push hard, with the fingers elongating, creating overspin. Freddie Fitzsimmons threw a similar pitch he called a knuckle ball.
Don Sutton	R	1966-88	Threw a "spike curve," the same pitch as Mussina's knuckle-curve. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
Milt Wilcox	R	1970-86

Name	T	Career	Notes
Ray Aguilar
Eddie Bonine
Bell Brenner
Bill Downs		1998	Pitched for the Tupelo (MS) tornados in 1998.
Rube Eldridge		1904-34	Won 285 games in the minors.
Art Evans	L	1932	Pitched in 7 games for the White Sox.
Joe Gannon
Charlie Haeger
Rick Huisman	R	1995-96	Attempted to convert to a knuckleball pitcher after struggling with the Royals, but never made it back.
Bill Israel
Bill Koszarek
Jimmy Lyons
Joe Malman
Dave McKinney
Rusty Meacham
Paul Morse
Kevin Pincavitch			Pitched for the San Bernardino Stampede.
Tony Ponce
Garland Shifflett
Keith Stamler
Hal Turpin
Charlie Zink

Name	T	Career	Notes
Cool Papa (James) Bell	L	1922-50	Some say he was the fastest man ever to play professional baseball. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Ray Brown	R	1930-48	Threw a seven inning perfect game for the Grays in 1945.
Bill Byrd	R	1932-50	His beaning of Willie Wells led to the design of the first batting helmet - a modified hardhat.
James "Fireball" Cohen	R	1946-52
Sam Crawford	?	?
Eddie "Peanuts" Davis	?	?	"a knuckleball pitcher... you couldnt even play catch with him unless you had a mask on. The balld hit you in the mouth."
Wilmer "Red" Fields	R	1939-53	8 Time MVP. Played on 8 Championship teams.
Lennie Hooker	R	1940-51
Jimmy Newberry	?	1940s	"He had more pitches than Satchel Paige. Knuckleball, screwball, sinker, dipsy-doo - that was an overhand drop - and he had a good fastball, too. Could make it run in, make it run out."
Hubert "Bert" Simmons	R	1941-52	Simmons: "I didn't strike out people - I threw strikes. I had a good knuckleball. I was fortunate to have a good team behind me."

The (Mostly) Complete List of Knuckleball Pitchers

Knuckleball Pitchers

These guys didn't throw the knuckler enough to consider it a regular pitch, but were known to occasionally throw one.