Win–loss record 64–69 Role Baseball player Name Johnny Niggeling | Strikeouts 620 Earned run average 3.22 | |
 | ||
Died September 16, 1963, Le Mars, Iowa, United States | ||
John Arnold Niggeling (July 10, 1903 – September 16, 1963) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was a knuckleball specialist who pitched for nine seasons (1938–1946) with the Boston Bees/Braves, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators.
Born in Remsen, Iowa, Niggeling broke into the majors at the age of 35. He won a career-high 15 games with the Browns before joining the wartime Senators, who fielded a starting rotation featuring four knuckleballers. He finished in the top ten in league earned run average three times, and twice in strikeouts. His career record was 64-69 with a 3.22 ERA.
In later years, Niggeling worked as a barber in Le Mars, Iowa.
Niggeling died at age 60 in LeMars, having committed suicide by hanging himself in his hotel room. He had been suffering from back pain the last few years of his life and had recently divorced from his wife.