Lengthy earlier than groups relied so closely on deep, dominant bullpens stuffed with expert specialists and fire-breathing, flame-throwing closers, there was Elroy Face.
Nicknamed “The Baron of the Bullpen,” Face was a pioneering late-inning reliever for the Pirates throughout a time simply earlier than the save grew to become an official statistic. The three-time All-Star, 1960 World Sequence champion and Pirates Corridor of Famer is understood greatest for his exceptional 1959 marketing campaign with Pittsburgh, a season wherein he completed seventh in Nationwide League MVP voting after going 18-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 93 1/3 innings over 57 appearances.
Face, who nonetheless holds Pittsburgh’s franchise data for many appearances (802) and saves (188) and the NL report for many wins in aid (96), handed away on Thursday on the age of 97, simply three days shy of his 98th birthday.
“It’s with heavy hearts and deep unhappiness that we mourn the passing of Pirates Corridor of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates household,” mentioned Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. “I used to be lucky to get to know Elroy personally, and I’ll at all times be proud that we had the prospect to honor him along with his induction into the Pirates Corridor of Fame.
“Elroy was a pioneer of the fashionable aid pitcher — the ‘Baron of the Bullpen’ — and he performed a essential function in our 1960 World Sequence championship, main the league in appearances and recording three saves in opposition to the Yankees.
“Our ideas are along with his three kids — Michelle, Valerie and Elroy Jr. — and his sister Jacqueline.”
Elroy Leon Face was born on Feb. 20, 1928, in Stephentown, N.Y., about 25 miles east of Albany. He attended Averill Park Excessive Faculty however dropped out to affix america Military earlier than graduating. He bought a late begin to his profession, not signing with the Phillies till the 1949 season.
Face instructed the Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette in 2019 that he signed his first professional contract with the Phillies instantly after pitching seven innings again residence for a workforce known as the Berkshire Eagles. He instantly discovered success, going 14-2 throughout his first season within the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League in 1959.
“For $140 a month,” Face instructed the Submit-Gazette of his first contract, “I went 14-2 and bought a increase to $175 a month.”
Department Rickey’s Brooklyn Dodgers chosen Face within the annual winter draft in 1950. Two years later, Rickey drafted Face once more for the Pirates. The proper-hander went on to spend 15 years with Pittsburgh, setting data and serving as a type of archetype for the fashionable nearer throughout his time there.
There may be some irony in Face holding that title. In contrast to lots of the massive, dominant relievers who tower over the mound now, Face was 5-foot-8 with a enjoying weight of round 155 kilos. However he had a well-known pitch, one which allowed him to thrive within the function he carved out.
After debuting for the Pirates in 1953, Face was despatched again to the Minors in ’54 to be taught one other pitch. He wound up adopting the forkball, an unpredictable offspeed providing that was impressed by former Yankees reliever Joe Web page throughout his tried comeback with the Pirates. Face wasn’t the primary pitcher to throw a forkball, however he’s credited with making it well-liked.
“I threw the forkball, and a number of guys are throwing the split-finger now,” Face instructed the Submit-Gazette in 2019. “They requested me one time, ‘What’s the distinction?’ I mentioned, ‘A couple of million {dollars}.’”
Face started his profession as a beginning pitcher, however that modified in his first few years with the Pirates. He made an MLB-leading 68 appearances, with solely three begins, for supervisor Bobby Bragan’s 1956 Bucs. Then he began simply as soon as extra on July 26, 1957, earlier than transferring to the bullpen full-time when supervisor Danny Murtaugh took over for Bragan. Each different look the remainder of Face’s profession got here in aid.
He instantly discovered success in that function in 1958, ending a Nationwide League-leading 40 video games and saving an MLB-high 20 of them. Then got here his best yr, the 1959 marketing campaign wherein he set the still-standing Main League data for single-season profitable share (.947) and wins in aid (18) whereas saving 10 extra video games and dropping only one over 57 appearances.
A examine of that season by the Society for American Baseball Analysis discovered that half of Face’s 18 wins got here when he entered a tie recreation and that he gave up the go-ahead run in three of these, just for the Pirates to rally again whereas he was the pitcher of report. Additionally, SABR famous that 10 of his wins have been in extra-inning video games.
“I assume a number of it was luck,” Face instructed the Submit-Gazette in ’19. “I inform everyone, that’s how good I used to be. To have the ability to give them a run or two and say, ‘That’s it. You’re not getting no extra.’”
He was a drive as soon as extra throughout Pittsburgh’s march to the 1960 World Sequence championship, a season and Sequence extra clearly outlined by Invoice Mazeroski’s walk-off residence run in Recreation 7 at Forbes Area. Face went 10-8 with 24 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 114 2/3 innings through the common season, main the NL in video games (68) and the Majors in video games completed (61).
Within the Pirates’ Fall Traditional triumph, Face saved Video games 1, 4 and 5 and likewise appeared in Recreation 7, giving up 4 runs in three innings behind starter Vern Regulation. However he was changed by a pinch-hitter within the eighth inning, when the Pirates rallied for 5 runs to take the lead. That left Bob Good friend and Harvey Haddix to pitch the ninth, when the Yankees tied it up earlier than Mazeroski’s historic homer.
Nicely into his 90s, Face would say he was most happy with being the primary pitcher to save lots of three video games in a World Sequence, his profitable streak from 1958-59 and being a part of a championship workforce.
“The workforce we had in 1960 was a very good ballclub,” Face mentioned in 2023.
Face remained an efficient pitcher the remainder of the last decade, recording a 3.19 ERA with 100 saves for the Pirates from 1961-67. He spent a lot of the ’68 season with the Pirates however completed with two appearances for the Tigers earlier than pitching for the Expos in ’69.
Maybe fittingly, 1969 was the yr Face’s Main League profession ended — and the yr the save grew to become an official statistic.
After retiring as a pitcher, Face turned his offseason job as a carpenter into full-time work and ultimately moved to North Versailles, a township in Allegheny County southeast of Pittsburgh. He spent 15 years on the Corridor of Fame poll however by no means acquired a lot help, peaking at 18.9% of the vote in 1987. In 2023, although, he was inducted into the Pirates Corridor of Fame alongside Good friend, Dick Groat and Kent Tekulve.
When that class was introduced, Tekulve was fast to credit score Face for his impression on not simply the Pirates, however on future generations of aid pitchers.
“At one time, aid pitchers have been guys who weren’t ok to begin,” Tekulve mentioned then. “However Elroy Face helped aid pitchers grow to be vital members of their workforce — not simply an additional piece.”
