Phil Niekro makes his pitch for R.A. Dickey

And get off my kinetic lawn art!

Hall of Famer Phil Niekro finds himself shaking his head from time to time when tuning in to watch today’s Major League Baseball pitchers.

“Six innings is a quality start?’’ Niekro, 73, asked rhetorically. “Sometimes I want to throw up at that.’‘

...Not only is Dickey enjoying one of the finest seasons by a knuckleball pitcher in Major League history — 15-4 with a 2.82 ERA for the New York Mets — but he’s doing it the old-fashioned way in Niekro’s opinion — with guts.

“He’ll go out there and pitch eight or nine innings for you,’’ Niekro said. “I’m sure he doesn’t pitch six innings and look at the bullpen.’‘

“When I got the ball, my objective was to give the ball back to the manager after the game,’’ Niekro said. “I got paid to pitch nine innings, and if not nine, 8 2/3 innings.

“And don’t ask me if I’m tired, because I’ll lie to you, I get paid to pitch nine innings.’‘

...“Some guys go out there and their objective is to pitch nine innings, but most of the time managers won’t do that,’’ said Niekro, who lives in Flowery Branch, Ga., on Lake Lanier.

“Sometimes I just want to throw up when the pitch count comes into effect, when a guy is up to 105 pitches, or 110,’’ he said. “There’s so much money in the game now, they don’t wanna ruin anybody’s arms.