LAKELAND, Fla. — Elroy Face, nicknamed the Baron of the Bullpen for his prolific relief work during 16 seasons in the big leagues, died Thursday at the age of 97.
Although Face spent virtually his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was until his death the oldest living Detroit Tigers player.
Face pitched in just two games for Detroit after being traded from Pittsburgh late in the 1968 season as the Tigers looked to bolster their bullpen for a playoff push.
Detroit cruised to the pennant and went on to win the 1968 World Series, with Face’s brief stint a small footnote in the historic season.
With Face’s death, the oldest living Tiger is now believed to be relief pitcher Orlando Peña, 92.
Peña was born in Cuba and pitched for the Tigers from 1965-1967, part of a lengthy career that began in 1958 with the Cincinnati Reds and ended in 1975 with the California Angels.
Face, a six-time All-Star and one of the pioneers of the modern relief role, appeared in 848 major league games, starting only 27. He went 104-95 with a 3.48 ERA and recorded 191 career saves, though saves did not become an official statistic until 1969. He spent 16 seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh from 1953-68, Detroit in 1968 and Montreal in 1969.
The 5-foot-8 right-hander remains the National League’s career leader in relief wins with 96. He also set a major league mark for relief wins in a single season when he went 18-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 1959.
Face played a critical role in Pittsburgh’s 1960 World Series championship, saving three games against the New York Yankees. He made four relief appearances in the Series and closed out wins in Games 1, 4 and 5 as the underdog Pirates stunned the Yankees on Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 home run at Forbes Field.
Inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2023, Face is the franchise’s career leader in appearances with 802.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.