The 30-year-old former San Francisco Giants first-base prospect signed a minor-league contract this week with the Braves to try to be a knuckleballer like his late father, Joe, and his uncle Phil.

"I'm going to give it my all," Lance Niekro said. "I'm thankful the Braves are giving me the opportunity. They have nothing to lose, and I have nothing to lose.

"Hopefully something good will come out of it."

He'll report to spring training in February, by which time he hopes to have a strengthened arm and a feel for the knuckleball.

"We wouldn't do this if we didn't think it was worth a try to see what might happen," Braves director of player development Kurt Kemp said. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Phil Niekro, who serves as an unofficial ambassador for the Braves, flew back to Atlanta on Friday after spending a few days in a crash tutorial with his nephew. He plans to return after the holidays and continue lessons.

"I'm happy and excited to see what's going on, and I know he is, too," Phil Niekro said. "It's a bit of a gamble on both ends ... I know he wants to do it, which is the most important thing."

Lance Niekro was a second-round draft pick in 2000 by the Giants. He hit 12 homers in 278 at-bats as a rookie in 2005 but struggled a year later when given a shot at a starting job.

He was a free agent after the 2007 season and signed with the Astros. They released him soon after.

Joe Niekro died in October 2006 following a brain aneurysm. He was 61. Lance said he became mired in a mental funk for nearly two years. He left Baseball and worked for a telecommunications company.

Last year, Braves officials and Phil Niekro discussed the possibility of Lance becoming a pitcher.

"I'm very fortunate to have both of them in my life," Niekro said of Joe and Phil. "[Thursday] night after we got done throwing, Phil told me, 'If you were working with your dad, I don't know how he'd be approaching this, but I'm gonna ride you pretty hard, push you.' His mannerisms when he said that reminded me so much of my dad. I said, 'He wouldn't have said it any different.' "