Roy Face in 1959 went 18-1 as a reliever – the best single-season W-L% of all time for a pitcher with more than 12 decisions. Moreover, he did this for a mediocre Pirates team that went 78-76. How in the world did this happen?
First off, let’s give the man some credit – he pitched well. He had a 2.70 ERA and a 142 ERA+. But in 1962, he had a 1.88 ERA and went 8-7. In 1960 he had a 2.90 ERA and went 10-8. In 1967 he had a 2.42 ERA and went 7-5. So obviously the stars aligned somehow in 1959.
For a moment, it’s worth reminding ourselves how relievers get decisions. A reliever who enters a game with his team ahead or behind usually does not get a decision. Most of the time, he gets a decision only if the lead changes while he is in the game (or as a result of runners he is responsible for after leaving the game) and that lead is not relinquished. For a modern closer who enters the game only in a save situation, a decision is possible only if he blows the save. For a reliever who comes into a game trailing, a decision is possible only if his offense comes back and ties the game, regardless of how well he pitches.
The situation where a reliever has a good chance of getting a decision is a tie game. In a tie game, any run makes the current pitchers the pitchers of record. So the way for a reliever to pile up decisions is to enter lots of tie games.
Now, to come back to Roy Face in 1959. Looking at his game log, it really comes down to three things:
- He entered a lot of tie games and pitched extremely well in those games.
- He blew a lot of saves, creating a lot of W/L opportunities for himself.
- He was the beneficiary of incredible, dramatic run support from his offense.
Tie Games
Face entered 12 tie games. In 2 of those games, he inherited runners who later scored, and Face did not get a decision. In the other 10 games, he entered with nobody on base. In those games, he went 10-0. Think about that. Ten times, Roy Face came into a tie ballgame with nobody on base. All ten times, Roy Face got the win. In seven of the ten, he did not give up a run, and just kept pitching until the Pirates scored. In the other 3 games, Face gave up one run and the lead, and would have gotten a loss had the Pirates not scored. All 3 times, the Pirates scored 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to walk it off and give Face the win.
Save Situations
Roy Face blew 9 saves in 19 opportunities in 1959 – a terrible percentage. In fact, this is one of only 19 seasons in MLB history in which a reliever has had a save percentage less than 53% with at least 18 opportunities. His ERA in his 19 save opportunities was 5.56. And somehow, in those 9 blown save games, he escaped with a 4-1 record. Here’s a rundown:
- April 24 – entered bottom of 7th with a one-run lead. Gave up 2 runs in the 8th and was in line for a loss. Pirates scored 4 in the 9th to win the game. Face gets the win.
- May 12 – entered bottom of 8th with a one-run lead. Allowed an inherited runner to score and tie the game. No decision.
- May 14 – entered bottom of 8th with a three run lead and 2 runners on. Allowed those 2 runs to score, plus one of his own, tie game. Dick Stuart homered in the 9th to win the game for the Pirates. Face gets the win.
- June 11 – entered top of 8th with a two run lead and 2 runners on. Allowed those 2 runs to score, plus one of his own and was in line for a loss. Pirates put up 5 in the bottom of the 8th. Face gets the win.
- July 12 (game 1) – entered top of 8th with a one run lead and 2 runners on. Got out of that jam, but allowed the tying run to score in the 9th. Pirates won in the bottom of the 10th. Face gets the win.
- July 12 (game 2) – entered top of 9th with a one run lead and 1 runner on. Allowed that run to score, plus one of his own, was removed from the game, was in line for a loss. Pirates tied it in the 9th, taking Face off the hook. No decision.
- July 30 – entered bottom of 7th with a one run lead and nobody on. Gave up the tying run in the 8th. Pirates eventually won in 12. No decision.
- August 1 – entered bottom of 7th with a one run lead and two on. Allowed both runs to score, plus 3 of his own. Got a no decision because the inherited runners were the responsibility of the prior reliever.
- September 11 (game 1) – entered bottom of 8th with a one run lead and one on. Got out of that, but his luck finally ran out in the bottom of the 9th. Gave up 2 runs, the Dodgers walked it off, and Face, who had been 17-0, got his first and only L of the season.
Other Wins
Face won 3 games where he came into a game the Pirates were trailing:
- May 13 – entered bottom of 7th, Pirates down one. Pirates scored 3 in the 8th to win.
- August 9 – entered bottom of 8th, Pirates down one. Gave up an unearned run in the 8th. Pirates scored 2 in the 9th to tie, and 2 more in the 10th to win.
- August 23 (game 2) – entered top of 9th, Pirates down one. Pirates scored one in the 9th to tie, one in the 10th to win.
The only win we haven’t covered is from May 31 (game 2). Face was awarded the win under rule 9.17(b) – he was the most effective reliever in a game in which the starter did not go 5 innings.
What Does All This Tell Us About The 1959 Pirates?
The 1959 Pirates were an unremarkable team in most respects. They finished 4th out of 8 NL teams, 10 games behind the pennant-winning Dodgers. They scored 651 runs and allowed 680 on the season. They had a poor offense overall; their total of 651 runs was 6th in the NL. But they were quite possibly the greatest clutch hitting team the game has ever seen. Here are some of their records:
All-Time Single Season Walk-Off Wins, Team:
- 1 (tie): 1959 Pirates – 17 (out of 78 total wins)
- 1 (tie): 1977 Pirates – 17
Keep in mind that the 1977 Pirates played 162 games and they were actually good (96-66).
All-Time Single Season Extra Inning Wins, Team:
- 1: 1959 Pirates – 19
- 2(tie): 1988 Expos – 18
- 2(tie): 1949 Indians – 18
All-Time Single Season Winning Percentage in Extra-Inning Games, Team (min. 16 games):
- 1949 Indians, 18-1, .947
- 1959 Pirates, 19-2, .905
1959 Pirates Team OPS, by Inning:
- Innings 1-3: .679
- Innings 4-6: .659
- Innings 7-9: .755
- Extra Innings: 1.008 (The ’59 Pirates and the ’49 Indians are the only 2 teams in history with >1.000 OPS in extra innings, min. 180 PA)
Some Individual Slash Lines for ’59 Pirates in Extra Innings:
- Mazeroski: .529 BA/.556 OBP/.647 SLG (19 PA)
- Stuart: .636/.667/1.182 (12 PA)
- Groat: .625/.647/1.335 (16 PA)
- Virdon: .556/.667/.667 (16 PA)
- Clemente: .455/.500/.455 (12 PA)
- Mejias: .625/.700/1.000 (10 PA)
Best Single Season W-L%, Blown Save Games (min. 5 decisions)
- 5-1 Record: Dick Radatz 1964, Tyler Thornburg 2016
- 4-1 Record: Roy Face 1959, Dale Murray 1975, Ron Davis 1979, Jim Mecir 2000, LaTroy Hawkins 2004, Junior Guerra 2019
Conclusion
We all know about the 1960 Pirates. That team was essentially the same as the 1959 team, plus Vinegar Bend Mizell. I wonder if, somehow, their performance in tight games in 1959 was a predictor of clutch performances to come? Or if it in some way sparked that special 1960 season? It seems like there is a good book in there somewhere – or at least some good interviews. It’s still possible; at least 8 guys from the ’59 team are still living:
- Bill Mazeroski, age 84
- Dick Schofield, age 85
- Bennie Daniels, age 88
- Bob Skinner, age 89
- Bill Virdon, age 89
- Dick Groat, age 90
- Vern Law, age 90
- Roy Face, age 92
Somebody get their stories before it’s too late.
Note: The game of July 9 does not have a complete play-by-play record, so I’m not 100% sure that the game was tied when Face entered in the 8th. I am assuming that it was and including that game in the 12 tie games.