Elroy Face, Pirates’ pioneering relief pitcher, dies at 97

Elroy Face, an All-Star pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates and World Series champion, has died at the age of 97, the Pirates announced on Feb. 12.

‘It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates family,’ Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “I was fortunate to get to know Elroy personally, and I will always be proud that we had the chance to honor him with his induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame.’

Nicknamed ‘The Baron of the Bullpen,’ Face was a groundbreaking pitcher, performing in a role that evolved into the modern-day closer. Face holds the National League record for wins in relief (96). Face also holds Pirates franchise records for appearances (802) and saves (188). His NL record for saves was not broken until 1982, when Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter surpassed Face’s total.

Face made All-Star Game appearances in three consecutive seasons from 1959-1961. The peak of his career coincided with the Pirates winning the 1960 World Series, a Fall Classic made famous by Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off Series-winning home run in Game 7. Face recorded three saves in that World Series win over the New York Yankees.

It was Face’s 1959 season that was his finest. He went 18-1 with a 2.70 ERA over 57 appearances, finishing seventh in NL MVP voting. During his career, he was a three-time league leader in saves and twice led the league in games pitched.

Face spent 15 seasons with the Pirates before pitching briefly with the Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos to close out his storied career.