Helmar “This Great Game” Card #42 – Roy Face

This Helmar “This Great Game” card depicts Roy Face, the pioneering relief pitcher who helped redefine the role of the closer during the 1950s and 1960s. Wearing the crisp white and gold uniform of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Face is shown calmly gripping the ball, his expression composed and confident—a portrait of a man who mastered control, both of himself and of the game.

Elroy Leon “Roy” Face was born in Stephentown, New York, in 1928. A right-hander of modest stature but tremendous poise, Face became the first true relief ace in Major League history. He debuted with the Pirates in 1953, and by the end of the decade had perfected his signature forkball, a devastating pitch that baffled hitters and earned him the nickname “The Baron of the Bullpen.”

Face’s 1959 season remains one of the most remarkable ever recorded by a relief pitcher: he posted an astonishing 18–1 record with a 2.70 ERA and 10 saves, helping to anchor Pittsburgh’s staff and earning national acclaim. He was a six-time All-Star and a crucial contributor to the Pirates’ 1960 World Series championship—famously closing out three of their four wins against the New York Yankees.

Over his 16-year Major League career, Face compiled 193 saves and a 3.48 ERA, numbers that stood as benchmarks for decades. His consistency and reliability in an evolving bullpen role set the standard for generations of closers to follow, from Rollie Fingers to Mariano Rivera.

Helmar’s “This Great Game” series honors players who shaped baseball’s enduring character. Card No. 42 celebrates Roy Face—the calm craftsman of the mound, whose mastery of the forkball and quiet excellence made him one of the game’s most respected figures.

Original gouache painting by Sanjay Verma.