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Roy Face
Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed "the Baron of the Bullpen", is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. During a 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A pioneer of modern relief pitching, he was the archetype of what came to be known as the closer, and the National League's greatest reliever until the late 1960s, setting numerous league records during his career.
Face was the first major leaguer to save 20 games more than once, leading the league three times and finishing second three times; in 1959 he set the still-standing major league record for winning percentage with a minimum of 13 decisions (.947), and single-season wins in relief, with 18 wins against only one loss. He held the NL record for career games pitched (846) from 1967 until 1986, and the league record for career saves (193) from 1962 until 1982; he still holds the NL record for career wins in relief (96), and he held the league mark for career innings pitched in relief (1,211+1⁄3) until 1983. On his retirement, Face ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only Hoyt Wilhelm and Cy Young, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. He holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).
Face was born on February 20, 1928, in Stephentown, New York. His parents were Joseph A. Face, Sr. and Bessie Rose (Williams) Face. Among other things, Joseph worked in a saw mill, as a farmer, started his own logging business and was a teamster handling horses for the Stephentown highway department. Joseph was also a well-known square dance caller from the 1920s to the 1950s. As a child, Face would repeatedly find himself in trouble with his father for throwing stones through glass windows.
Face pitched for the baseball team at Averill Park High School, near Albany, New York. He pitched the team to a conference championship in 1945. He then served in the U.S. Army from February 1946 to July 1947, where he was on the base softball team.
Face played semipro baseball in 1948 and 1949. He was originally signed to play professional baseball by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1949. Face was assigned to the Class D Bradford Blue Wings in the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League, where he was 14–2 his first year, and was 18–5 with a 2.58 earned run average (ERA) in his second year. The Phillies left Face open in the winter draft, and Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers drafted him in December 1950.
In 1951, Face was successful in the Class A Western League with the Pueblo Dodgers (23–9 with a 2.78 ERA). He led the league in wins, and was in the top-10 in ERA and bases on balls per nine innings pitched. In 1952 with Fort Worth in the Double-A Texas League, he had a 14–11 record with a 2.83 ERA. He averaged 3.1 bases on balls per nine innings and 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched for Pueblo; and only 2.3 bases on balls per nine innings at Fort Worth (6th best in the Texas League among pitchers with at least 10 wins).
Face, a sidearm pitcher, was only 5 ft 7½ in (1.71 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg) during this time. He relied upon his control to excel as a pitcher, which he said came naturally but his teammates attributed to Face's hard work. In his first four minor league seasons he had a 69–27 record. In 1952 Rickey, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, drafted Face again at the 1952 Winter Meetings.
Face made his major league debut in April 1953, and started in 13 games, relieved in 28, with a 6.58 ERA that year. At that point in his career he only had a fastball and curveball. In 1954, he was sent to the Pirates minor league team, the New Orleans Pelicans of the Double-A Southern Association, to learn an off-speed pitch. It was during this time that Face developed his forkball. Face was managed by Danny Murtaugh (who would later manage Face on a world champion Pirates team in 1960). Murtaugh turned Face solely into a relief pitcher that year.
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Roy Face
Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed "the Baron of the Bullpen", is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. During a 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A pioneer of modern relief pitching, he was the archetype of what came to be known as the closer, and the National League's greatest reliever until the late 1960s, setting numerous league records during his career.
Face was the first major leaguer to save 20 games more than once, leading the league three times and finishing second three times; in 1959 he set the still-standing major league record for winning percentage with a minimum of 13 decisions (.947), and single-season wins in relief, with 18 wins against only one loss. He held the NL record for career games pitched (846) from 1967 until 1986, and the league record for career saves (193) from 1962 until 1982; he still holds the NL record for career wins in relief (96), and he held the league mark for career innings pitched in relief (1,211+1⁄3) until 1983. On his retirement, Face ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only Hoyt Wilhelm and Cy Young, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. He holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).
Face was born on February 20, 1928, in Stephentown, New York. His parents were Joseph A. Face, Sr. and Bessie Rose (Williams) Face. Among other things, Joseph worked in a saw mill, as a farmer, started his own logging business and was a teamster handling horses for the Stephentown highway department. Joseph was also a well-known square dance caller from the 1920s to the 1950s. As a child, Face would repeatedly find himself in trouble with his father for throwing stones through glass windows.
Face pitched for the baseball team at Averill Park High School, near Albany, New York. He pitched the team to a conference championship in 1945. He then served in the U.S. Army from February 1946 to July 1947, where he was on the base softball team.
Face played semipro baseball in 1948 and 1949. He was originally signed to play professional baseball by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1949. Face was assigned to the Class D Bradford Blue Wings in the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League, where he was 14–2 his first year, and was 18–5 with a 2.58 earned run average (ERA) in his second year. The Phillies left Face open in the winter draft, and Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers drafted him in December 1950.
In 1951, Face was successful in the Class A Western League with the Pueblo Dodgers (23–9 with a 2.78 ERA). He led the league in wins, and was in the top-10 in ERA and bases on balls per nine innings pitched. In 1952 with Fort Worth in the Double-A Texas League, he had a 14–11 record with a 2.83 ERA. He averaged 3.1 bases on balls per nine innings and 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched for Pueblo; and only 2.3 bases on balls per nine innings at Fort Worth (6th best in the Texas League among pitchers with at least 10 wins).
Face, a sidearm pitcher, was only 5 ft 7½ in (1.71 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg) during this time. He relied upon his control to excel as a pitcher, which he said came naturally but his teammates attributed to Face's hard work. In his first four minor league seasons he had a 69–27 record. In 1952 Rickey, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, drafted Face again at the 1952 Winter Meetings.
Face made his major league debut in April 1953, and started in 13 games, relieved in 28, with a 6.58 ERA that year. At that point in his career he only had a fastball and curveball. In 1954, he was sent to the Pirates minor league team, the New Orleans Pelicans of the Double-A Southern Association, to learn an off-speed pitch. It was during this time that Face developed his forkball. Face was managed by Danny Murtaugh (who would later manage Face on a world champion Pirates team in 1960). Murtaugh turned Face solely into a relief pitcher that year.
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