Roy Face
Encyclopedia
Elroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed relief pitcher
. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching 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 he set the still-standing major league record for winning percentage (.947) 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 (1,211⅓) until 1983. Upon his retirement, he ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only Hoyt Wilhelm
and Cy Young
, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. Nicknamed "The Baron," he holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).
as an amateur free agent
in , Face was twice drafted by Branch Rickey
, first for the Brooklyn Dodgers
before the season, and again in for Pittsburgh. He made his debut in April , and began to excel in when 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 . In 1957 he saved 10 games for the first time, finishing fifth in the NL. In 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
to date with a 2.89 mark. He achieved his success almost exclusively with the forkball
, which he had learned from Yankees reliever Joe Page
. He used the pitch to confound opposing hitters, saying, "It would come in hard and break anyway it wanted to, sometimes in, sometimes out, mostly down."
His most spectacular season came in 1959, when he posted his remarkable 18-1 record, including 17 victories in a row to begin the year after ending 1958 with 5 in a row; he did not surrender a run
in the entire month 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 eighth in the MVP
voting, although he did not receive any votes for the Cy Young Award
that year. (At the time, only first-place votes were cast for the award.) His 18 relief wins remains the major league record, topping Jim Konstanty
's previous mark of 16 set in . However, in 10 of the 18 wins, Face allowed the tying or lead run but got the win when the Pirates offense regained the lead. Face's .947 winning percentage exceeded the previous record .938 (15-1), set by Johnny Allen
in . In he had his second 20-save season, placing second in the league with 24, which equalled the previous NL record as Lindy McDaniel
set a new mark with 26. With the Pirates winning their first pennant since , 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 .
In the 1960 World Series
against the New York Yankees
, Face became the first pitcher to save three games in a single Series, since matched by only Kent Tekulve
(1979
), John Wetteland
(4 in 1996
), Mariano Rivera
(1998
), and Troy Percival
(2002
). 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
Mickey Mantle
and Bill Skowron
and getting Yogi Berra
to fly out, before giving up a 2-run Elston Howard
home run in the 9th but getting a game-ending double play
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
to Mantle. The final Game 7 was rougher going for Face, however; 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 3-run home run by Berra. But he settled down, retiring seven of the next eight batters before allowing another 2-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
's legendary home run.
Selected an All-Star
each year from 1959–61, Face again led the NL with 17 saves in . In he broke McDaniel's NL record with a career-high 28 saves (one short of Luis Arroyo
's major league mark set the previous year), also posting a 1.88 ERA; Ted Abernathy
would set a new record in 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
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 4 saves in 1964 with an ERA over 5.00, and earning no saves in 1965. In , Hoyt Wilhelm
took over the major league career saves record. But Face resiliently returned to save 18 games in 1966 and 17 in 1967, finishing second in the NL both years. In he passed Warren Spahn
's mark of 750 to become the NL's all-time leader in games pitched; his record would stand until Tekulve moved ahead of him in .
After 43 appearances and 13 saves in 1968, Face's contract was sold to the Detroit Tigers
on August 31, but he made only two scoreless appearances for Detroit. He signed as a free agent with the Montreal Expos
in , earning 5 saves in 44 games before ending his career. 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 , when Bruce Sutter
passed him; Dave Giusti
broke his Pirates single-season mark with 30 in . Tug McGraw
surpassed his league record for career innings in relief in . Face's 802 games with the Pirates equalled Walter Johnson
's total with the Washington Senators
for the most by any pitcher with a single club; the record was broken by Trevor Hoffman
of the San Diego Padres
in . 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.
Following his baseball career, Face became a carpenter. He currently resides in North Versailles, Pennsylvania
. He regularly attends Pittsburgh area celebrity golf tournaments and graciously signs autographs.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. A pioneer of modern relief pitching, he was the archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
of what came to be known as the closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
, and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's greatest reliever until the late 1960s, setting numerous league records during his career.
Face was the first major leaguer to save
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
20 games more than once, leading the league three times and finishing second three times; in he set the still-standing major league record for winning percentage (.947) with 18 wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
against only one loss. He held the NL record for career games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
(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
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
in relief (1,211⅓) until 1983. Upon his retirement, he ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
and Cy Young
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. Nicknamed "The Baron," he holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).
Career
Originally signed by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in , Face was twice drafted by Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, first for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
before the season, and again in for Pittsburgh. He made his debut in April , and began to excel in when he set a modern Pirates record for games pitched (68), leading the league and breaking the club mark of 59 set by Bill Werle
Bill Werle
William George "Bill" Werle was a left-handed major league baseball pitcher fromOakland, California. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox from 1949–1954. His nickname was Bugs. He threw and batted left-handed...
in . In 1957 he saved 10 games for the first time, finishing fifth in the NL. In 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
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
to date with a 2.89 mark. He achieved his success almost exclusively with the forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
, which he had learned from Yankees reliever Joe Page
Joe Page
Joseph Francis Page , nicknamed Fireman and The Gay Reliever, was a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Page, who was left-handed, played with the New York Yankees from to and with the Pittsburgh Pirates in .-Professional career:Page was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free...
. He used the pitch to confound opposing hitters, saying, "It would come in hard and break anyway it wanted to, sometimes in, sometimes out, mostly down."
His most spectacular season came in 1959, when he posted his remarkable 18-1 record, including 17 victories in a row to begin the year after ending 1958 with 5 in a row; he did not surrender a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in the entire month 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 eighth in the MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting, although he did not receive any votes for the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
that year. (At the time, only first-place votes were cast for the award.) His 18 relief wins remains the major league record, topping Jim Konstanty
Jim Konstanty
Casimir James "Jim" Konstanty was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player of 1950. He played for the Cincinnati Reds , Boston Braves , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals...
's previous mark of 16 set in . However, in 10 of the 18 wins, Face allowed the tying or lead run but got the win when the Pirates offense regained the lead. Face's .947 winning percentage exceeded the previous record .938 (15-1), set by Johnny Allen
Johnny Allen (baseball)
John Thomas Allen was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants....
in . In he had his second 20-save season, placing second in the league with 24, which equalled the previous NL record as Lindy McDaniel
Lindy McDaniel
Lyndall Dale McDaniel, known as Lindy is a right-handed former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a 21-year career from 1955 to 1975. During McDaniel's career he witnessed approximately 3,500 major league games , had more than 300 teammates, and played under eight different managers...
set a new mark with 26. With the Pirates winning their first pennant since , he also led the league in games again, tying his own team record of 68; the mark would be broken when teammate Pete Mikkelsen
Pete Mikkelsen
Peter James Mikkelsen was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1964 through 1972 for the New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers . Mikkelsen batted and threw right-handed...
appeared in 71 games in .
In the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Face became the first pitcher to save three games in a single Series, since matched by only Kent Tekulve
Kent Tekulve
Kenton Charles Tekulve is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched for three different teams, but spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
(1979
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
), John Wetteland
John Wetteland
John Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who specialized as a closer. During a 12-year career , he pitched for four different teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.-Playing career:Wetteland was signed by the Dodgers as their second...
(4 in 1996
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
), Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
(1998
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
), and Troy Percival
Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1995-2009 for four different teams, pitching primarily with the California/Anaheim Angels...
(2002
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
). 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
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
and Bill Skowron
Moose Skowron
William Joseph "Moose" Skowron Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player, primarily a first baseman. He is currently a Community Relations Representative for the White Sox....
and getting Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
to fly out, before giving up a 2-run Elston Howard
Elston Howard
Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...
home run in the 9th but getting a game-ending double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
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
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
to Mantle. The final Game 7 was rougher going for Face, however; 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
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
single by Mantle and a 3-run home run by Berra. But he settled down, retiring seven of the next eight batters before allowing another 2-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
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
's legendary home run.
Selected an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
each year from 1959–61, Face again led the NL with 17 saves in . In he broke McDaniel's NL record with a career-high 28 saves (one short of Luis Arroyo
Luis Arroyo
Luis Enrique "Tite" Arroyo, , is a former major league baseball pitcher.-Baseball career:Luis Arroyo, from Peñuelas, Puerto Rico, made his Major League Baseball debut on April 20, 1955. A stocky left-hander, he spent one season primarily as a starter with the St. Louis Cardinals...
's major league mark set the previous year), also posting a 1.88 ERA; Ted Abernathy
Ted Abernathy
Ted Wade Abernathy was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed.A native of Stanley, North Carolina, Abernathy changed his pitching motion after shoulder surgery left his career in doubt, switching from a three-quarter delivery and becoming an effective sidearmer...
would set a new record in 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
Clem Labine
Clement Walter Labine was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960...
to take over the NL record with 95 career saves, and then broke Johnny Murphy
Johnny Murphy
John Joseph Murphy was an All-Star American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who later became a front office executive in the game.-Formative relief pitcher:...
's major league mark of 107. In 1963 he earned 16 saves; he then suffered two difficult seasons, picking up only 4 saves in 1964 with an ERA over 5.00, and earning no saves in 1965. In , Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
took over the major league career saves record. But Face resiliently returned to save 18 games in 1966 and 17 in 1967, finishing second in the NL both years. In he passed Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
's mark of 750 to become the NL's all-time leader in games pitched; his record would stand until Tekulve moved ahead of him in .
After 43 appearances and 13 saves in 1968, Face's contract was sold to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on August 31, but he made only two scoreless appearances for Detroit. He signed as a free agent with the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in , earning 5 saves in 44 games before ending his career. 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 , when Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
passed him; Dave Giusti
Dave Giusti
David John Giusti, Jr., is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1962 to 1977....
broke his Pirates single-season mark with 30 in . Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
surpassed his league record for career innings in relief in . Face's 802 games with the Pirates equalled Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
's total with the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for the most by any pitcher with a single club; the record was broken by Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in . 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.
Following his baseball career, Face became a carpenter. He currently resides in North Versailles, Pennsylvania
North Versailles, Pennsylvania
North Versailles is a first class township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,229 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. He regularly attends Pittsburgh area celebrity golf tournaments and graciously signs autographs.