Bob Friend
Encyclopedia
Robert Bartmess Friend (born November 24, 1930) is a former right-handed starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates
(1951–1965), joining the New York Yankees
and New York Mets
in his final season of . He is the first man ever to lead the league in ERA while pitching for a last place team.
, and grew up in nearby West Lafayette
. His father was an orchestra leader, and Friend studied piano seriously until age sixteen, about the same time as his father died. At West Lafayette High School, Friend was an all-state football halfback and an all-state pitcher on the baseball team, and also played basketball and golf.
Friend's father and many other family members had attended Purdue University
, and Friend dreamed of playing college football for Purdue, as well as pursuing a baseball career. However, a high school shoulder injury led him to focus on baseball, and he signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He enrolled at Purdue in the fall of 1949, but was ineligible for college athletics. Friend attended Purdue during baseball off-seasons for eight years, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in economics in 1957, and was a member of the Sigma Chi
fraternity.
Entering Pittsburgh's farm system in 1950, Friend pitched for the Waco Pirates minor league team in the Big State League
, compiling a 12–9 record. He was then promoted to the Indianapolis Indians
AAA team of the American Association
, where he finished the year with a 2–4 record. Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey
was anxious to develop young players quickly, and moved Friend onto the major league roster at the beginning of 1951.
and last in stolen base
s. His ERA
was 4.27 as he both started 22 games and also relieved
for 34 total appearances. At the beginning of his career, Friend threw a sinking fastball
and a hard curveball
; later he would add a slider
to his repertoire.
In , Friend struck out
98 batters in 20 starts and 44 games. His 2.83 ERA was best in the National League
but he ended with only a 14–9 record, for a Pirates team that finished last in the league in runs scored, hits
, and home run
s. Friend finished the season leading the team in ERA, wins, appearances, and strikeouts. Teammate Vern Law
took 2nd place in most of those categories. Talk of Friend being the best pitcher in the league was legitimate as well, with his ERA beating out even Don Newcombe
(3.20), future Cy Young Award
and MVP Award
winner. Most say Friend would have won it in 1955, the year before the award was first given.
In 1956, Friend had a 17–17 record with a 3.46 ERA and 166 strikeouts, 68 more than the year before. He pitched an amazing total of 314 innings
(1st in the league) and started 42 games (1st in the league) in 49 appearances. He also had 19 complete game
s (3rd in the league) and 4 shutout
s (4th in the league). Friend's career looked to be on its way to the record books.
Friend didn't slow down after that, picking up outstanding and seasons. By 1957, he was only a starter basically. In 1958, his run support came as well and the Pirates finished in 2nd place. Friend went 22–14 that year, and his 22 wins were good for a tie for 1st in the league with Warren Spahn
. He made his second All-Star game
and came the closest to winning the Cy Young Award (3rd place). He continued his success into the 1960s.
After an average year in for both him and his team, his career high in strikeouts (183) came in , and his only trip to the World Series
(See: 1960 World Series
) came as well. The Pirates would win in a truly memorable world series against the New York Yankees
, winning Game 7, 10–9. Although his team beat the Bronx Bombers, Friend's World Series performance was poor, losing the two games he started and then allowing two critical hits in the ninth inning of Game 7 that let the Yankees come back and tie the game. His postseason stats stand at an 0–2 record with a 13.50 ERA in 6 innings pitched.
In , Friend tied for the league lead in shutouts with Bob Gibson
(5). That year, he went 18–14 with a 3.06 ERA and pitched 261 innings. In , Friend eclipsed his previous career best in ERA, when he ended the season with a 2.34 ERA and 17–16 record. On April 13 of that year, Friend gave up Pete Rose
's first Major League
hit. That game, the major league record for balk
s occurred, with 7 (4 by Friend).
Friend's final complete season, and final season with the Pirates came in . He went 8–12 with a 3.24 ERA in 34 starts before being traded to the Yankees for Pete Mikkelsen after the season.
After being moved again, Friend played his final game with the Mets on September 24, 1966. Friend remains the only pitcher to lose more than 200 (230), while winning less than 200 (197), mostly due to playing with 5 last place Pirate teams.
Friend ended his career with a 197–230 record and a 3.58 ERA. He had 1734 career strikeouts in 3611 innings pitched. Friend pitched 36 shutouts in 163 complete games. In 602 career games, he gave up 1438 earned runs. He hit 46 batters
in his career.
As a batter, Friend hit .121 with 2 home runs and 60 RBIs
, three coming on May 2, 1954 in an 18–10 win against the Chicago Cubs
.
Friend was active in the fledgling Major League Baseball Players Association
union. Friend served as the Pirates' player representative beginning in 1953, and later was the National League player representative for five years.
was a professional golfer on the PGA Tour
.
Friend served as controller of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
from 1967 to 1975. In 1976, he joined an insurance brokerage, eventually becoming a vice president. He has been a three-time delegate to the Republican National Convention
and is a Freemason.
Friend currently lives in Pittsburgh.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1951–1965), joining the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in his final season of . He is the first man ever to lead the league in ERA while pitching for a last place team.
Early life
Friend was born in Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, and grew up in nearby West Lafayette
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
. His father was an orchestra leader, and Friend studied piano seriously until age sixteen, about the same time as his father died. At West Lafayette High School, Friend was an all-state football halfback and an all-state pitcher on the baseball team, and also played basketball and golf.
Friend's father and many other family members had attended Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, and Friend dreamed of playing college football for Purdue, as well as pursuing a baseball career. However, a high school shoulder injury led him to focus on baseball, and he signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He enrolled at Purdue in the fall of 1949, but was ineligible for college athletics. Friend attended Purdue during baseball off-seasons for eight years, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in economics in 1957, and was a member of the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity.
Entering Pittsburgh's farm system in 1950, Friend pitched for the Waco Pirates minor league team in the Big State League
Big State League
The Big State League was a mid-level, Class B circuit in American minor league baseball that played for 11 seasons, from 1947 through 1957. Its member clubs were exclusively based in Texas. It saw a lot of transition in its 11-year lifetime, with no team serving as a member in every single season....
, compiling a 12–9 record. He was then promoted to the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
AAA team of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, where he finished the year with a 2–4 record. Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
was anxious to develop young players quickly, and moved Friend onto the major league roster at the beginning of 1951.
Major league baseball career
Friend went 6–10 during his rookie season in 1951, not getting much run support from a horrible Pirates team that finished 6th in the 8-team league in batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and last in stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. His ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
was 4.27 as he both started 22 games and also relieved
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for 34 total appearances. At the beginning of his career, Friend threw a sinking fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
and a hard curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
; later he would add a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
to his repertoire.
In , Friend struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
98 batters in 20 starts and 44 games. His 2.83 ERA was best in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
but he ended with only a 14–9 record, for a Pirates team that finished last in the league in runs scored, hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, and home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. Friend finished the season leading the team in ERA, wins, appearances, and strikeouts. Teammate Vern Law
Vern Law
Vernon Sanders Law is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:Law was a member of the National League All Star Team in...
took 2nd place in most of those categories. Talk of Friend being the best pitcher in the league was legitimate as well, with his ERA beating out even Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
(3.20), future Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and MVP Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
winner. Most say Friend would have won it in 1955, the year before the award was first given.
In 1956, Friend had a 17–17 record with a 3.46 ERA and 166 strikeouts, 68 more than the year before. He pitched an amazing total of 314 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(1st in the league) and started 42 games (1st in the league) in 49 appearances. He also had 19 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s (3rd in the league) and 4 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s (4th in the league). Friend's career looked to be on its way to the record books.
Friend didn't slow down after that, picking up outstanding and seasons. By 1957, he was only a starter basically. In 1958, his run support came as well and the Pirates finished in 2nd place. Friend went 22–14 that year, and his 22 wins were good for a tie for 1st in the league with Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
. He made his second All-Star game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and came the closest to winning the Cy Young Award (3rd place). He continued his success into the 1960s.
After an average year in for both him and his team, his career high in strikeouts (183) came in , and his only trip to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(See: 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
) came as well. The Pirates would win in a truly memorable world series against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, winning Game 7, 10–9. Although his team beat the Bronx Bombers, Friend's World Series performance was poor, losing the two games he started and then allowing two critical hits in the ninth inning of Game 7 that let the Yankees come back and tie the game. His postseason stats stand at an 0–2 record with a 13.50 ERA in 6 innings pitched.
In , Friend tied for the league lead in shutouts with Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
(5). That year, he went 18–14 with a 3.06 ERA and pitched 261 innings. In , Friend eclipsed his previous career best in ERA, when he ended the season with a 2.34 ERA and 17–16 record. On April 13 of that year, Friend gave up Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's first Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
hit. That game, the major league record for balk
Balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
s occurred, with 7 (4 by Friend).
Friend's final complete season, and final season with the Pirates came in . He went 8–12 with a 3.24 ERA in 34 starts before being traded to the Yankees for Pete Mikkelsen after the season.
After being moved again, Friend played his final game with the Mets on September 24, 1966. Friend remains the only pitcher to lose more than 200 (230), while winning less than 200 (197), mostly due to playing with 5 last place Pirate teams.
Friend ended his career with a 197–230 record and a 3.58 ERA. He had 1734 career strikeouts in 3611 innings pitched. Friend pitched 36 shutouts in 163 complete games. In 602 career games, he gave up 1438 earned runs. He hit 46 batters
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in his career.
As a batter, Friend hit .121 with 2 home runs and 60 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, three coming on May 2, 1954 in an 18–10 win against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Friend was active in the fledgling Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
union. Friend served as the Pirates' player representative beginning in 1953, and later was the National League player representative for five years.
Personal
In 1957, Friend married Patricia Koval, a nurse in the office of the Pirates' team doctor. They have two children; son Bob Friend Jr.Bob Friend (golfer)
Bob Friend is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Friend joined the Ben Hogan Tour in 1990 and recorded five top-10 finished including a second place finish at the Ben Hogan El Paso Open during his rookie year on Tour...
was a professional golfer on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Friend served as controller of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
from 1967 to 1975. In 1976, he joined an insurance brokerage, eventually becoming a vice president. He has been a three-time delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
and is a Freemason.
Friend currently lives in Pittsburgh.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
External links
- Retrosheet
- Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame http://www.indbaseballhalloffame.org/inductees/inductee_detail.cfm?induc_id=11