Indians Deal Phil Niekro to Blue Jays

For the last month Phil Niekro has been trying to get the Cleveland Indians to trade him to a pennant contender. At 48, he would like to be in a World Series just once.

The Indians gave him that chance Sunday, trading the knuckleball specialist to the Toronto Blue Jays, who took over first place in the American League East shortly before making the deal.

Niekro has a 7-11 record and an earned-run average of 5.89 this season. But, on July 31, he convinced the Blue Jays he could help them by holding them to 3 hits and 1 earned run in 6 innings. Otherwise, he has not pitched well.

In the trade, the Indians obtained outfielder Darryl Landrum, who was hitting .204 with 8 home runs for the Blue Jays single-A farm team.

In his four starts before pitching so well against the Blue Jays, Niekro gave up 33 hits and 25 runs in 19 innings and lost all four games.

Niekro, who began his career with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964, played in two championship series with the Braves after they moved to Atlanta, but he never appeared in a World Series.