Old Time Pirate fans. Long time Bucco pitcher Bob Friend has died.

[fairgambit]

Bob passed away yesterday at age 88. He was one of my baseball heros growing up and spent 15 years with the Pirates, winning 18 games for the '60 World Series Champions. He was a good and decent man and was loved by legions of fans. Rest in Peace.

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[Op2]

Pete Rose's first major league hit came off Bob Friend (on Apr 13, 1963).

 

[CF LION]

Good pitcher on some pretty bad teams. RIP.

 

[fairgambit]

Good pitcher on some pretty bad teams. RIP.

He holds the Pirate records for innings pitched (3,480), starts (477), and strikeouts (1,682).

 

[FHSPSU67]

"The workhorse" to quote Bob Prince. I don't think he ever missed a scheduled start, and I think he pitched 18 in innings in game against Juan Marichal who also pitched the whole game. I forget who won. I also remember that even if it was 90 degrees, he would always blow on his pitching hand before every pitch. He and Frank Thomas were my childhood heroes!
R.I.P Robert Bartmess Friend

 

[montoya33]

When I first started following the Pirates, their starting rotation was -

Vern Law
Bob Friend
Red Munger
Ron Kline

Bobby Del Greco played CF.

I once calculated the average height of the team to be 5'9".
They were bad. Very bad.

 

[fairgambit]

When I first started following the Pirates, their starting rotation was -
Vern Law
Bob Friend
Red Munger
Ron Kline
Bobby Del Greco played CF.
I once calculated the average height of the team to be 5'9".
They were bad. Very bad.

Ah, but for Law and Friend, at least, they wound up being very good. I feel badly for Kline (the Callery PA hummer) . He gets traded in December of '59 to St. Louis for Gino Cimoli and Tom Cheney and the Bucs win the World Series the following season.

 

[katchthis]

Always was a fan favorite at autograph shows. Really went out of his way to be friendly. (no pun intended)

 

[Obliviax]

When I first started following the Pirates, their starting rotation was -

Vern Law
Bob Friend
Red Munger
Ron Kline

Bobby Del Greco played CF.

I once calculated the average height of the team to be 5'9".
They were bad. Very bad.

Lets see...when I was a kid:

Milt May at catcher
Big Red on First Base, Bobby Robertson
Dave Cash at Second
Freddie Patek at Short (or some guy named Franklin)
Richie Hebner at third
Matty Alou in Center
Roberto! in Right
Chicken on the Hill with Will (Stargel) in left

I remember, the last season at three rivers, looking at the seven or eight HR's that hit the upper deck (Bobby Robertson and Willie Stargel). I also imagined Willie hitting a ball over the right field stands at the old Forbes Field. (I think Stargel and one other IIRC). Chuck Tanner used to say "Willie doesn't just hit a baseball, he takes away its dignity!"

 

[PSU1282]

Whenever he came out the gate after a game ,he would bring out a box of balls and gave them to the kids wanting autographs.
On the other hand was Harvey Haddix who kicked me in the leg when I asked for an autograph. Never liked him after that .
Friend was a really nice guy.

 

[NorCalcLion]

Back in the fifties, there were three homers that had cleared the right field stands at Forbes Field. Babe Ruth hit the first in his last game , Eddie Mathews had one. When Forbes Field closed, Willie Stargel had hit 7 of the 18 homers over the right field stands. I had thought that Willie had more than 7.

 

[Fac]

I was at the last games at Forbes Field. It was crazy after the game was over, people running all over the field, ripping up the turf, tearing out the seats and climbing the scoreboard.

 

[fairgambit]

I was at the last games at Forbes Field. It was crazy after the game was over, people running all over the field, ripping up the turf, tearing out the seats and climbing the scoreboard.

I was at the final game with my fiance (now wife). It did get crazy at the end. I know they tore Forbes down the following year, but seeing her ripped apart like that saddened me. We walked out with nothing more than our tickets and a scorebook.

 

[Woodpecker]

I think he pitched 18 in innings in game against Juan Marichal who also pitched the whole game.

That might have been Warren Spahn and 16 innings

 

[royboy]

Some career highlights for Friend from his Wiki bio:
197 wins (120 losses)
Led the MLB in wins in 1958 (22-14)
Led the NL in ERA in 1955
World Series champion 1960 (although the Yankees lit him up)

Additionally;
got a degree from Purdue by attending in off-season
served as Allegheny Cty Controller for a period of time
son Bob Friend, Jr., playing out of Oakmont CC, made the PGA tour for a time

additional -- he was the starting pitcher in the first game I ever saw, vs the Dodgers and Don Newcombe at Forbes Field

 

[FHSPSU67]

That might have been Warren Spahn and 16 innings

You could be right. I was going strictly by memory.
[edit]
Mea culpa: I could find nothing to back up my extra-inning story.