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Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed The Bullpen Baron, is an American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
. During a 17-year
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(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 (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. A pioneer of modern relief pitching, he was the
archetype The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ot ...
of what came to be known as the closer, and the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
'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; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although except ...
(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, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
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 th ...
, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. He holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).


Career

Originally signed by the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
as an amateur
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player 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 contract at present but who is a ...
in 1949, Face was twice drafted by
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 ...
, first for the
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
before the 1951 season, and again in 1952 for Pittsburgh. He made his debut in April 1953 and set a modern Pirates record for games pitched (68) in 1956, leading the league and breaking the club mark of 59 set by
Bill Werle William George Werle (December 21, 1920 – November 27, 2010) was a left-handed major league baseball pitcher from Oakland, California. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox from 1949 to 1954. His nicknam ...
in 1951. In 1957 he saved 10 games for the first time, finishing fifth in the NL. 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. He 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. The forkball differs from the split-fingered fastball, however, in tha ...
, which he had learned from Yankees reliever
Joe Page Joseph Francis Page (October 28, 1917 – April 21, 1980), nicknamed ''Fireman'' and ''The Gay Reliever'', was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. Page, who was left-handed, played in Major League Baseball with the New York 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; he 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 eighth in the
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
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 (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
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 Casimir James Konstanty (March 2, 1917 – June 11, 1976) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player of . He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1944), Boston Braves (1946), Philadelphia Phil ...
'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 Peter James Mikkelsen (October 25, 1939 – November 29, 2006) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1964 through 1972 for the New York Yankees (1964–65), Pittsburgh Pirates (1966–67), Chicago Cubs (1967–68 ...
appeared in 71 games in 1966. In the
1960 World Series The 1960 World Series was played between the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season, Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the 1960 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5–13, 1960. In Game 7, ...
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) Amer ...
, Face became the first pitcher to save three games in a single Series. 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 Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle 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 Dod ...
and getting
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" 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 seasons in Major League Baseball ...
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 leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 t ...
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 Leag ...
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 by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...
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 7-time All-S ...
's home run. Selected an All-Star each year from 1959 to 1961, 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 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 pennant winning s ...
'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, 647 as a relief pitcher, for seven different clubs over all or part ...
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 Dodger ...
to take over the NL record with 95 career saves, and then broke
Johnny Murphy John Joseph Murphy (July 14, 1908 – January 14, 1970) was an All-Star American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (1932, 1934–43, 1946–47) who later became a front office executive in the game. Yankees' relief ace After ...
'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. 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 saves record. But Face returned to save 18 games in 1966 and 17 in 1967, finishing second in the NL both years. 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 and 13 saves 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
on August 31, but he made only two scoreless appearances for Detroit. He signed as a free agent with the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
in 1969, earning five 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 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 f ...
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 and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...
surpassed his league record for career innings in relief in 1983. Face's 802 games with the Pirates equalled
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. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
'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 relief 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 P ...
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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
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. 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, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...
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 North Versailles ( ) is a first class township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,229 at the 2010 census. The township derives its name from the Palace of Versailles. History North Versailles Township was for ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. In February 1999, Face, along with
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
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 Philadelphi ...
, was admitted to the pitcher's wing — namely, the Pitchers' Wall of Great Achievement — of the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame."Hitters Hall of Fame; Other Awards"
''The Tampa Bay Times''. February 14, 1999. Retrieved November 22, 2019.


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 metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
''. 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 published daily, except for Sundays, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The ''Times'' was founded in 1902 as ''The Progress'', but i ...
''. 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, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
''. 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'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
''. July 5, 1959. (
shorter version of this article
was 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. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...
''.) * 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
22
an
24
* Cope, Myron. "Roy Face Ready to Pitch Again; He'll Start if Needed, He Asserts". The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. October 11, 1960. pp
22
an
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
1
an
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 Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States, and serving the north-western Pittsburgh suburbs. The ''Times'' is a direct descendant of many of Beaver County's newspapers, starting with the '' ...
''. 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
69
an
71
* Willson, Brad
"Press Box: Tigers Bought $100,000 Worth of 'Insurance'"
'' The Daytona Beach Morning Journal''. 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 ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
''. 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, 2004.


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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SABR BioProject Biography"1960: The Last Pure Season", by Kerry Keene
{{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 Pittsburgh Pirates players Pueblo Dodgers players United States Army soldiers