Elroy Face, Pirates All-Star Who Saved 3 Games in 1960 World Series, Dies at 97

The death has occurred of Elroy Face, a reliever who was an All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates and who saved three games during the 1960 World Series to assist the Pirates in their victory over the New York Yankees. He was 97 years old.

On Thursday, the Pirates issued a press release in which they said they had confirmed that Face had passed away. Elroy Jr., the son of former pitcher Face, phoned the club and informed them that the former pitcher had passed away earlier in the day at an independent senior living home located outside of Pittsburgh in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. This information was provided by Jim Trdinich, the historian of the team.

The reason for the death was not disclosed. Face had only eight days left until he would become 98 years old.

“We mourn the passing of Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates family,” said Bob Nutting, the chairman of the Pirates, in a statement. “It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Elroy Face.”

Elroy was a pioneer of the contemporary bullpen pitcher, also known as the “Baron of the Bullpen,” and he was an integral part of our team’s victory in the 1960 World Series.

Face was selected to six different All-Star teams and finished his 16 seasons in the major leagues with Pittsburgh (1953–1968), Detroit (1968), and Montreal (1969). He had a record of 104–95 with a 3.48 earned run average. Despite the fact that saves were not officially recognized as a statistic until 1969, he pitched in 848 games, starting only 27 of them, yet accumulated 191 saves throughout the course of his career.

After going 18-1 with a 2.70 earned run average in 1959, the right-handed pitcher who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall holds the record for most wins in relief in the National League with 96 and the record for most wins in relief in a single season in the major leagues.

In 1960, when the underdog Pirates startled Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and the legendary Yankees due to Bill Mazeroski’s memorable home run that won Game 7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, he topped the National League with 68 appearances and 61 games finished. He also finished first in the National League in terms of games played.

During the World Series, Face pitched four relief innings, resulting in a 5.23 earned run average (ERA) over 10 and a half innings. Games 1, 4, and 5 were all won by the Pirates thanks to his efforts.

He was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2023, and he holds the record for the most appearances in the club’s history with 802 total. Additionally, the team made the observation that if saves had been a recognized statistic prior to 1969, he would have also held the record for the franchise with 188.

The twenty-first of February, 1928 found Face being born in Stephentown, New York. His three children, Michelle, Valerie, and Elroy Jr., as well as his sister Jacqueline, are among those who will carry on his legacy, according to the Pirates.