The Pittsburgh Pirates’ run to the National League pennant in 1960 was driven by solid pitching throughout the season. The team featured four dependable starters in Vern Law (the Cy Young winner at 20-9), Bob Friend (18-12), Vinegar Bend Mizell (13-5) and Harvey Haddix (11-10), a rotation that completed its starts in nearly half of the team’s victories (47 complete games in 95 wins). The bullpen for the 1960 Pirates was equally effective, registering 33 saves, second-highest in the league to Cincinnati’s 35. (These save totals may seem modest compared to the save totals today, but when was the last time a major league team finished with 47 complete games in a season – and that wasn’t even best in the National League?)
The leader of that bullpen was Roy Face, a diminutive pitcher with a wicked split-fingered fastball (known then as a forkball). Face was a spot starter and reliever when he joined the Pirates to stay in 1955. He led the league in appearances (68) in 1956 and in saves (20) in 1958. His career season came in 1959, when Face set the major league record for winning percentage (.947) on an 18-1 record.
The year the Pirates won the pennant, Face went 10-8 with 24 saves and a 2.90 ERA on a league-leading 68 appearances. He led the league again in saves in both 1961 (17) and 1962 (28). In 1962, he also had the lowest ERA of his career (1.88). Face continued pitching for Pittsburgh through the 1967 season, and pitched for Detroit and Montreal before retiring toward the end of the 1969 season.
In his 16-year career, Face posted a respectable 3.48 ERA while accumulating 193 saves pitching in 848 games.
Looking for Roy Face's stats? In Hardball Bob's opinion, the best source or online statistics is Baseball-Reference.com. For Roy's career stats, go here.
Roy Face is one of the 1960s baseball stars featured in 60 From The ‘60s: 60 Players Who Made the 1960s Baseball’s Real Golden Age. It’s a great introduction to baseball the way the game was meant to be played … without free agents, designated hitters or advanced chemistry. Check it out at http://www.60fromthe60s.com
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