Roy Face, Pittsburgh Pirates relief ace during the 1950s and 1960s, has passed away at the age of 97. Known as ElRoy Face in Pittsburgh, he set a major league record by posting an 18-1 record in 1959. More importantly, he was a member of the 1960 World Series champion Pirates. The Pirates announced his passing this evening. No cause of death was given, but it was known that he’d been in a personal care home for several years. A native of Averill Park, New York, Face would have turned 98 in eight days. Face’s passing leaves just three surviving members of that 1960 Pirates Series roster: Vern Law, Bill Mazeroski, and Bob Skinner. Only Bobby Shantz, 100, remains from the losing New York Yankees.

The Pittsburgh Pirates sadly extend the news of the passing of Elroy Face.
The right handed pitcher spent 15 seasons with the Bucs and is the organization’s all time leader in appearances. pic.twitter.com/d6E5tvexn7

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 12, 2026

Pirates Relief Ace ElRoy Face Dies at 97

A right-handed forkball specialist, Face pitched for the Pirates (1953, 1955-68), Detroit Tigers (1968), and Montreal Expos (1969). He pitched in 848 games, which included 27 early-career starts. He was 104-95 with a 3.48 ERA, 191 saves, 3.38 FIP, 1.243 WHIP, and 109 ERA+. That Detroit team also won a World Series, although Face was left off the postseason roster. He was a six-time All-Star. He also led the National League in appearances twice, games finished four times, and saves three times. (The save wasn’t an official statistic until 1969.) Stan Musial said Face was the toughest reliever he ever faced. Face was bitter that he was omitted from baseball’s Hall of Fame. He felt that if he’d pitched in New York or Los Angeles, he’d have been a shoo-in.

“I’ll Have to Start Another One”

In 1959, Face set a record that’s unlikely to be broken in our lifetimes when he went 18-1. He carried a 22-game winning streak that extended from 1958 to 1959. The streak was broken on September 11, 1959, in Los Angeles, when he lost the game on a broken-bat single by Charlie Neal. On many occasions during the streak, however, he just happened to be in the game when the Pirates came from behind to win. As he related to author Jim O’Brien in Maz and the ’60 Bucs, “About 10 or 12 reporters came at me [after the loss in Los Angeles]. One of them asked me, ‘How do you feel about losing your streak?’ I said, ‘I’ll have to start another one.’ That was the end of the interview. They couldn’t ask me anything after that.”

Most observers believe he was better in 1960, when he was 10-8 with a 2.90 ERA and 24 saves for the champions. He pitched in four games in the Series, tossing 10-1/3 innings and earning three saves. Unfortunately, when called upon to save Game 7, he surrendered a three-run home run to Yogi Berra in the sixth inning that put the Yankees ahead, ultimately setting the stage for Mazeroski’s heroics.

“I Had to Pitch Three Innings to Get Mine!”

While his health permitted, Face was a regular at the annual gathering at what remains of the Forbes Field Wall on October 13, 1960. That’s the anniversary of Game 7. Some locals refer to it as “Mazeroski Day.” Fans gather every year to listen to the complete radio broadcast of the game. The broadcast starts at 1:00, the same time the game started in 1960. Face enjoyed talking to fans, signing autographs, and showing off his World Series ring. Ask him about today’s “closers” and their one-inning saves and stand back. You could feel the heat from his forehead as he barked, “I had to pitch three innings to get mine!” Face would quietly exit before Berra’s homer was played. He didn’t want to deal with any idiotic comments. Who can blame him?

Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement, “It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates family. I was fortunate to get to know Elroy personally, and I will always be proud that we had the chance to honor him with his induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame.”

Mandatory Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports