Elroy Face, the legendary reliever and longtime Pittsburgh Pirates icon, has passed away at the age of 97. The Pirates confirmed the news with a heartfelt statement, remembering Face not just as a Hall of Famer, but as a foundational figure in the evolution of the modern bullpen.
Known as the "Baron of the Bullpen," Face was a pioneer at a time when the role of the relief pitcher was still being defined. He spent 15 of his 16 Major League seasons in Pittsburgh, becoming synonymous with late-game dominance in an era that didn’t yet fully understand how to measure it. But make no mistake - his impact was undeniable.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting reflected on Face’s legacy, saying, “Elroy was a pioneer of the modern relief pitcher... he played a critical role in our 1960 World Series championship.” That postseason performance, particularly against a powerhouse Yankees team, remains one of the most memorable in franchise history. Face saved three games in that seven-game epic and pitched crucial innings in Game 7, helping set the stage for Bill Mazeroski’s iconic walk-off home run - still the only Game 7 walk-off in World Series history.
Face’s path to Pittsburgh started in upstate New York, and his journey through the minors included stops with the Phillies and Dodgers organizations. It was Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey who saw something special in the 5'8" sidearmer, known for his devastating forkball. Rickey brought him to Pittsburgh in the early '50s, and after a rocky rookie season and a stint back in Double-A, Face returned to the big leagues ready to carve out a new role - one that would eventually redefine how teams used their bullpens.
By 1956, Face had fully transitioned into a relief role, leading the majors with 68 appearances while logging over 135 innings. That kind of workload is unheard of for relievers today, but Face thrived under it. Between 1958 and 1962, he led the National League in games finished four times, and though the save wasn’t an official stat yet, he was later retroactively credited as the league leader in saves three times, including MLB-best marks in 1958 (20) and 1962 (28).
His 1962 season was particularly dominant - 91 innings with a 1.88 ERA - and he remained remarkably effective well into his 30s, posting multiple sub-3.00 ERA seasons even as the game around him evolved. In 1959, he posted one of the most jaw-dropping records you’ll ever see from a reliever: 18-1.
That’s not a typo. Eighteen wins, just one loss - all out of the bullpen.
Face was recognized during his playing days, too. He received MVP votes every season from 1958 to 1960 and was selected to six All-Star Games during a brief window when MLB held two per season. His peers and fans alike understood that he was doing something different - and doing it at an elite level.
Though he made brief stops with the Tigers and Expos at the tail end of his career, Face's name is etched all over the Pirates’ record books. He still holds the franchise marks for pitching appearances (802), games finished (547), and saves (186).
In total, he threw nearly 1,400 innings with a 3.48 ERA and 877 strikeouts. He also surpassed 100 career wins - a staggering number for a reliever - and fell just shy of 200 saves, finishing with 191.
In 2023, the Pirates honored Face with induction into their Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to a player who helped shape the identity of the franchise and the role of the modern reliever.
He is survived by his three children - Michelle, Valerie, and Elroy Jr. - and his sister Jacqueline. The baseball world mourns the loss of one of its bullpen trailblazers, a player whose legacy is built not just on stats, but on the foundation he laid for generations of relievers to come.