Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed "the Baron of the Bullpen", is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
. During a 16-year
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. A pioneer of modern relief pitching, he was the
archetype
The concept of an archetype ( ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, philosophy and literary analysis.
An archetype can be any of the following:
# a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main mo ...
of what came to be known as the
closer, and the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
'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
In baseball statistics, games pitched (denoted by Games G in tables of only pitching statistics) is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher. The statistic is also referred to as appearances, especially to refer to the number of ...
(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 baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
in relief () until 1983. On his retirement, Face ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angel ...
and
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered t ...
, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. He holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).
Early life
Face played baseball at
Averill Park High School, and then served in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
from February 1946 to July 1947.
Career
Originally signed by the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
as an amateur
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
in 1949, Face was assigned to
Class D with
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 ERA in his second year. The Phillies left Face open in the winter draft, and
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...
and the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
drafted him in December 1950.
Face was successful in the
Class A Western League with the Pueblo Dodgers (23-9 with a 2.78 ERA), and with Fort Worth in the
Double A Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
(14-11 with a 2.83 ERA),
and in 1952 Rickey, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, drafted Face again at the 1952
Winter Meetings
Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
.
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
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
of the Double A
Southern Association
The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...
, to learn an off-speed pitch. It was during this time that Face developed his
forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-finger fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard, snapping the wrist. Due to its movement being similar to that of a spitball, the pitch is oft ...
. 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.
Face returned to the Pirates for the 1955 season, and was both a starter and reliever, appearing in 42 games, with a 5-7 record and 3.58 ERA.
In 1956, he set a modern Pirates record for games pitched (68), leading the league
and breaking the club mark of 59 set by
Bill Werle in 1951. Of those 68 games, only 3 were starts.
He was 12-13 in 135.1 innings, pitching in 9 straight games in September 1956 to tie a big league record.
In 1957 he saved 10 games for the first time, finishing fifth in the NL, and started his last game.
In 1958 the team finished in second place, the first time in his five years they had placed better than seventh. Face led the NL with 20 saves,
and posted his best
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
to date with a 2.89 mark, finishing 17th in NL MVP voting.
Face achieved his success almost exclusively with the
forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-finger fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard, snapping the wrist. Due to its movement being similar to that of a spitball, the pitch is oft ...
, which he had learned from Yankees reliever
Joe Page, though it has also been reported he learned the forkball by watching Page during Page's time with the Pelicans in 1954, when Page was trying to make a comeback after his days with the Yankees.
In 1959 Face posted an 18–1 record,
including 17 victories in a row to begin the year, after ending 1958 with five in a row. The 22 game win streak went from June 7, 1958 to September 10, 1959, before he lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 11, 1959.
This loss was Face's first in 99 appearances since 1958.
Face did not surrender a
run
Run(s) or RUN may refer to:
Places
* Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia
* Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant
People
* Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
in the entire period from June 11 to July 12. He was named the
Player of the Month for June after posting a 5–0 record with four saves and a 0.38 ERA. Face finished the year with an ERA of 2.70, and finished seventh in the
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
voting,
although he did not receive any votes for the
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
that year. (At the time, only first-place votes were cast for the award.) His 18 relief wins remain the major league record, topping
Jim Konstanty
Casimir James Konstanty (March 2, 1917 – June 11, 1976) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player of . He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1944), Boston Braves (19 ...
's previous mark of 16 set in 1950. Face's .947 winning percentage exceeded the previous record .938 (15–1), set by
Johnny Allen in 1937.
In 1960 he had his second 20-save season,
placing second in the league with 24, which equaled the previous NL record as
Lindy McDaniel
Lyndall Dale McDaniel (December 13, 1935 – November 14, 2020), known as Lindy McDaniel, was an American professional baseball pitcher who had a 21-year career in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1975. During his career, he witnessed approxim ...
set a new mark with 26. With the Pirates winning their first pennant since 1927, he also led the league in games again, tying his own team record of 68; the mark would be broken when teammate
Pete Mikkelsen appeared in 71 games in 1966.
In 1960, Face led the NL in pitching appearances, pitched 114.2 innings, saved 24 games, and had a 2.90 ERA.
In the
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1960 Major League Baseball season, 1960 season. The 57th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National Leag ...
against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, Face became the first pitcher to save three games in a single Series (formally credited after saves became an official statistic in 1969).
Face pitched 10.1 innings in the series, and saved games 1, 4 and 5 for the Pirates.
Face entered Game 1 with runners on first and second and none out in the eighth inning, leading 6–2; he retired the side,
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
and
Bill Skowron
William Joseph Skowron (December 18, 1930 – April 27, 2012), nicknamed "Moose", was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1954 to 1967 for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Do ...
and getting
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
to fly out,
before giving up a 2-run
Elston Howard
Elston Gene Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues and Major Leag ...
home run in the ninth but getting a game-ending
double play
In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
In Major Le ...
for a 6–4 win. He came into Game 4 with two men on and one out in the seventh inning, leading 3–2, and retired all eight men he faced. In Game 5, he was again brought in with two men on and one out in the seventh, this time leading 4–2, and retired eight of the last nine batters, allowing only a
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
to Mantle.
In the final Game 7 he was brought in with two on and none out in the sixth inning, with a 4–1 lead which he surrendered via an
RBI single by Mantle and a three-run home run by Berra. He settled down, however, retiring seven of the next eight batters before allowing another two-run rally with two out in the eighth for a 7–4 Yankee lead. The Pirates came back to score five runs in the bottom of the inning after Face was pulled for a pinch-hitter, and won the game and the Series in the bottom of the ninth on
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed "Maz" and "the Glove", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A seven-time All- ...
's home run.
Face was selected an
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
each year from 1959 to 1961, including both all-star games in 1959, which were held in Pittsburgh, where he pitched in both games.
Face again led the NL with 17 saves in 1961. In 1962 he broke McDaniel's NL record with a career-high 28 saves (one short of
Luis Arroyo
Luis Enrique "Tite" Arroyo, (February 18, 1927 – January 13, 2016) was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball pitcher from 1955 to 1963. Arroyo was the first Puerto Rican player to appear for the New York Yankees and was a key part of their penn ...
's major league mark set the previous year), also posting a 1.88 ERA;
Ted Abernathy
Ted Wade Abernathy (March 6, 1933 – December 16, 2004) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher. He appeared in 681 games in Major League Baseball (MLB), 647 as a relief pitcher, for seven different clubs over all ...
would set a new record in 1965 with 31 saves. Face now had three 20-save seasons at a time when no other pitcher had more than one. Also in 1962, Face passed
Clem Labine
Clement Walter Labine (August 6, 1926 – March 2, 2007) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960.
As a key member of the Dod ...
to take over the NL record with 95 career saves, and then broke
Johnny Murphy's major league mark of 107. In 1963 he earned 16 saves; he then suffered two difficult seasons, picking up only four saves in 1964 with an ERA over 5.00,
and earning no saves in 1965, where he went on the disabled list for the first time (with a knee injury).
In 1964,
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angel ...
took over the major league career save record. But Face returned to save 18 games in 1966 and 17 in 1967,
finishing second in the NL in both years. In 1967, he appeared in 61 games, going 7-5 with a 2.45 ERA.
In 1967, he passed
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...
's mark of 750 to become the NL's all-time leader in games pitched; his record would stand until
Kent Tekulve
Kenton Charles Tekulve ( ; born March 5, 1947), nicknamed "Teke", is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played f ...
moved ahead of him in 1986.
After 43 appearances, 13 saves and a 2.60 ERA for the Pirates in 1968, Face's contract was sold to the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
on August 31, but he made only two scoreless appearances for Detroit.
At the time he left the Pirates, Face held the NL records for games pitched (802), games in relief (775), games finished (547), and relief wins (92); and was second to Hoyt Wilhelm in all those categories for major league records.
He signed as a free agent with the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
in 1969, earning five saves in 44 games before ending his major league career. In 1970, he pitched 8 games for
Triple A Hawaii.
In a 16-season career, he posted a 104–95 record with a 3.48 ERA and 877 strikeouts in 1375 innings pitched and 848 games.
His NL record of 193 saves was not broken until 1982, when
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter (; January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988. He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970 ...
passed him;
Dave Giusti
David John Giusti, Jr. (born November 27, 1939) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1962 to 1977, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won ...
broke his Pirates single-season mark with 30 in 1971.
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. McGraw played in 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1965 to 1984, for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Philli ...
surpassed his league record for career innings in relief in 1983. Face's 802 games with the Pirates equaled
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "the Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Ba ...
's total with the
Washington Senators for the most by any pitcher with a single club;
the record was broken by
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, ...
of the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
in 2007. Face saved 16 or more games seven times in an era when starting pitchers were more apt to remain in a game they were leading, and seven times had an ERA under 3.00 with at least 40 appearances.
Later life and honors
During his baseball career, Face, in keeping with a family tradition extending back two generations, worked as a
carpenter
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
during the off-season. Following his retirement, this became his full-time occupation, and beginning in 1979, Face served as the carpentry foreman at
Mayview State Hospital until his retirement in 1990. Since 1983 Face has resided in
North Versailles,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. In February 1999, Face, along with
Hall of Famer Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...
, was admitted to the pitcher's wing — namely, the Pitchers' Wall of Great Achievement — of the
Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame.
He is a member of the Pirates Hall of Fame, is the team's all-time leader in pitching appearances (802), and holds the National League record for wins by a relief pitcher (96).
Under the official standards for saves adopted well after his career was at its height, Face would have a total of 188 saves, a Pirate record.
Face was the
Sporting News Fireman of the Year in 1962.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB.
...
Notes
References
Further reading
Articles
* Hernon, Jack
"Pirates Take Three Pitchers in Draft; Face, Hetki, Hall Taken By Rickey" ''
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
''. December 2, 1952.
* AP Wirephoto
"Bobby Bragan, ElRoy Face and Bob Clemente Jubilate" ''Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph''. July 22, 1956.
* Hernon, Jack
"Cards Win In Tenth, 4-3. Hand Kline 15th Loss; Bucs Beat Selves On Basepaths; Ron Relieves Face in Ninth When Blister Bothers Roy" ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. July 27, 1957.
* Esper, George (AP)
"Fireman Face Puts Out 24th for Murtaugh" ''
The Gettysburg Times
''The Gettysburg Times'' is an American newspaper in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, owned by the Sample News Group. It is published daily, except for Sundays, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
The ''Times'' was founded in 1902 as ''The Progress'', ...
''. September 10, 1958.
"Face Cuts Hand, Sidelined" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. May 21, 1959.
* Smith, Chester
"Second All-Star Game Cheapen s Spectacle; Making Event Road Show Will Rob Contest of Much of Its Glamour; Face-Clemente Rumors Fly" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 4, 1959.
*
Biederman, Lester J.br>
"The Scoreboard: Face Laughs Off Rumors of Battle with Clemente; No Truth to Story Roberto Cut My Hand with Knife, Roy Says" ''
The Pittsburgh Press
''The Pittsburgh Press'', formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'', was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...
''. June 4, 1959.
* Smith, Chester
"June's Bustin' Out All Over So Watch for Developments; Brito and Marchetti a Hungry Pair of Ends" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 7, 1959.
* Hernon, Jack
"Roamin' Around: A Few Lines About the Baron" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. June 13, 1959.
* McHugh, Roy
"The Press Box: Roy Face's Face Is Getting Familiar; He Has a Public" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 30, 1959.
* Olan, Ben (AP; uncredited)
"Pirates' Elroy No Mere 'Face' In the Crowd; He's Major League's Top Relief Artist" ''
St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute f ...
''. July 5, 1959. (
shorter version of this articlewas published under Olan's byline in ''
The Milwaukee Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
''.)
* Biederman, Lester J
"The Scoreboard: Here's Summary of 14 Straight Won By Roy Face" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. July 19, 1959.
* Biederman, Lester J
"The Scoreboard: Roy Face Has Won 8 of 15 Games in Extra Innings" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. August 11, 1959.
* Associated Press
"Face: Not Going to Lose" ''The Santa Cruz Sentinel''. September 9, 1959.
* Abrams, Al
"Sidelights on Sports: Man Nine Feet Tall" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. December 18, 1959.
"Face Wins Coveted Dapper Dan Award: Face Beats Out Haddix, Will Be Feted February 7" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. December 18, 1959.
* Livingston, Pat
"The Press Box: Philly Scribe Finds Delightful Turmoil in Buc Dressing Room; Roy Face Talks in Reverse" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. April 30, 1960.
* UPI Wirephoto
"Pirate Leaders" ''Rocky Mountain Telegram''. May 23, 1960.
* Heimbuecher, Ruth
"It's Relief To Have Handyman Face Around Home; Wife Jeanne Proud of Elroy's Carpentry, Pitching Talents" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 29, 1960.
* Biederman, Lester J.
"The Scoreboard: It's Matter of Gripping Ball to Make It Do Fancy Things; Face, Friend, Law, Haddix, Green Demonstrate Styles" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. July 3, 1960.
* Biederman, Lester J.
"Pirate Pitching Makes Difference: Bucs Gain All-Star Raves--Especially Friend, Face, Law" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. July 12, 1960.
* Hernon, Jack. "Oh, My! How Sweet This Is! Bucs Beat Yanks, 3-2, To Even World Series; Law, Face and Virdon Standouts". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 10, 1960. pp
1 24 an
28
* Terrell, Roy
"Seven Bold Bucs" ''Sports Illustrated''. October 10, 1960.
*
Cope, Myron. "Virdon 'Showing' Yanks' Casey". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 10, 1960. pp. 24 an
28 ("Icy-nerved Elroy Face...")
*
Lawrence, David L.br>
"Lawrence Casts Vote For Bucs' Face; Governor Also High in Praise of Manager Murtaugh for Strategy in Game" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 11, 1960.
*
Hoak, Don. "Tiger Looks At Series: Tough Mr. Elroy Has 'Em Cowed". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 11, 1960. p
22an
24
* Cope, Myron. "Roy Face Ready to Pitch Again; He'll Start if Needed, He Asserts". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 11, 1960. pp
22an
24
*
Abrams, Al"Bucs' Smith, Face Make Vocal Hit" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 18, 1960.
* Latham, Roger. "Face Pitching In Business: Buc Reliever Buys Motel, Fishing Site". ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 18, 1961. Sect. 1, pp
1an
18
* Biederman, Lester J.
"Roy Face Agrees to Small Pay Cut; Pirate Bullpen Baron 6-12 in '61, Pitched in 371 Games in Last 6 Years" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. January 24, 1962.
* Abrams, Al
"Sidelights on Sports: Don't Count ElRoy Out" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 3, 1962.
* Babic, George
"Joe Page Helped Bullpen Baron: He Taught Him to Use and Control Forkball" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 10, 1962.
* Cope, Myron
"The Pitching Explosion in Paradise" ''Sports Illustrated''. June 24, 1963.
* Brody, Tom C
"The Fork Ball and Roy Face" ''Sports Illustrated''. June 24, 1963.
* Hernon, Jack
"Pirates Sign Roy Face At Salary Slash; 'Bullpen Baron' Finished 1963 With 3-9 Record" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. January 24, 1964.
* Cernkovic, Rudy (UPI)
"Roy Face Swinging Hammer" ''
The Beaver County Times
''The Beaver County Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, United States, serving suburban Beaver County northwest of Pittsburgh. It is the sole newspaper covering Beaver County. The ''Times'' has previously produc ...
''. December 8, 1965.
"Face Signs 13th Contract With Pirates: Knee Operation Extends Career of Relief Hurler" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. January 20, 1966.
* Feeney, Charley
"Mazeroski, Face Sign '67 Pacts" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. January 20, 1967.
* Feeney, Charley
"Face Retire? Not When One Feels Young At 39" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. February 25, 1967.
* Feeney, Charley
"Life 'Begins' for Face" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. February 20, 1968.
* Associated Press
"Tigers Buy Roy Face for Drive" ''
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal''. September 1, 1968.
* Feeney, Charley. "Face Becomes an Insurance Man (For Detroit's Pennant Hopes)". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. September 2, 1968. pp
69an
71
* Willson, Brad
"Press Box: Tigers Bought $100,000 Worth of 'Insurance'" ''
The Daytona Beach Morning Journal
''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' is a Florida daily newspaper serving Volusia County, Florida, Volusia and Flagler County, Florida, Flagler Counties.
It grew from the ''Halifax Journal'', which was started in 1883. The Davidson family purchas ...
''. September 6, 1968.
* Associated Press
"Roy Face Released by Tigers; Former Pirate Relief Pitcher Victim of Trim" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 4, 1969.
"Long Wait Ends: Saga of Face's Move to Expos" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 28, 1969.
* Feeney, Charley
"ElRoy Wins 2nd In Tight Relief; Bunning Injured; Montreal Kayos Ron Kline, Comes From Behind for Win; Face Kills Threats in 8th, 9th" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. May 2, 1969.
* Abrams, Al
"Sidelights On Sports: The Face Nobody Wanted" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. July 9, 1969.
"About Face: He's Gone" ''
The Montreal Gazette
''The Gazette'', also known as the ''Montreal Gazette'', is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
It is the only English-language daily newspape ...
''. August 16, 1969.
* Abrams, Al
"Sidelights On Sports: Potpourri" The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. June 25, 1970.
* Kiersh, Edward
"Ex-Buc Face Finds Carpentry Provides Relief (''Where Have You Gone, Vince DiMaggio?'')" ''The Pittsburgh Press''. April 14, 1983.
* Shields, Nancy
"Baseball Lore: ElRoy Face strikes her as a savior, then and now" ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. September 26, 2014.
Books
* Heiman, Jim (1990)
''When the Cheering Stops: Ex-Major Leaguers Talk About Their Game and Their Lives'' New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing Company. pp. 171–185. .
* O'Brien, Jim (1993). "ElRoy Face: The Baron of the Bullpen". ''Maz and the '60 Bucs: When Pittsburgh And Its Pirates Went All the Way''. Pittsburgh, PA: James P. O'Brien Publishing. pp. 
296–297298–299300–301302–303304–305306–307308–309310–311312–313 .
* O'Brien, Jim (1994). "ElRoy Face: Always a carpenter at heart". ''Remember Roberto: Clemente Recalled By Teammates, Family, Friends and Fans''. Pittsburgh, PA: James P. O'Brien Publishing. pp. 
156–157158-159160-161162-163164-165166 .
* Shalin, Mike (2002)
''Out by a Step: The 100 Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame'' Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing. pp. 248–250. .
* Heyde, Jack (2004)
"ElRoy Face: North Versailles, PA; April, 1999" ''Pop Flies and Line Drives: Visits with Players from Baseball's Golden Era''. Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing. pp. 65–67. .
* Neary, Kevin (2013)
''Closer: Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game'' Philadelphia, PA: Running Press. pp. 14–19. .
* Finoli, David (2016)
"Roy Face" ''The 50 Greatest Players in Pittsburgh Pirates History''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing. pp. 113–118. .
External links
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*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Face, Roy
1928 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baseball players from New York (state)
Bradford Blue Wings players
Bradford Phillies players
Detroit Tigers players
Fort Worth Cats players
Hawaii Islanders players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Montreal Expos players
National League All-Stars
New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players
People from Stephentown, New York
Sportspeople from Rensselaer County, New York
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Pueblo Dodgers players
United States Army soldiers
20th-century American sportsmen