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New York Yankees: Most Notable July 4th Moments In Team History

4. Phil Niekro Records 3,000th Strikeout — 1984

Independence Day in 1984 featured a significant milestone for an ageless wonder. A 45-year-old knuckleballer and an immortal in that regard, Phil Niekro toed the rubber for the Bombers.

In his outing he struck out Larry Parrish of the Texas Rangers to become the ninth player in baseball history to reach the 3,000 strikeout plateau.

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To this day, only 16 men have reached the mark which requires both longevity and dominance.

The right-hander ended up firing eight scoreless innings to collect his 279th career win. Eventually inducted into the hall-of-fame in 1997, he exemplified what a knuckleballer can provide to the game.

What he displayed that night was a memory the franchise will not soon forget when thinking about the day at hand.