Fansided · Feb 14
Pirates History: Remembering how Elroy Face revolutionized relief pitching
Aug 26, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates former relief pitcher ElRoy Face speaks s to the crowd during a ceremony honoring those inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame Class of the Pirates organization before the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesLong before radar guns lit up scoreboards and bullpens became rolling assemblies of 98-mph specialists, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a 5-foot-8 right-hander with a forkball and a funny nickname.
They called him “The Baron of the Bullpen.” And in many ways, he built the blueprint for what relief pitching would become.