Pittsburgh inducts four into Pirates Hall of Fame

The Pittsburgh Pirates expanded their Hall of Fame over the weekend when they inducted four players in a ceremony at PNC Park. Pitcher Bob Friend, shortstop Dick Groat and relievers Elroy Face and Kent Tekulve are the newest members of the Pirates Hall of Fame.

Tekulve is still Pittsburgh’s all-time save leader with 158 after playing 12 years with the Buccos, including playing a major role on the 1979 World Series team.

The other three players were on the 1960 World Series team, with Face still holding several records, including most wins in a season for a reliever (18), most career wins in relief for an NL reliever (96) and most game appearances for a Pirates pitcher (802).

Friend also holds a group of records, all with the Pirates, including starts (477), innings pitched (3,481) and strikeouts (1,682).

Groat was the 1960 NL MVP and hit .290 over nine seasons in Pittsburgh.

All four were critical members of title-winning teams in Pittsburgh, and quite frankly, I was personally unaware before this season that they had yet to be inducted into the Pirates Hall. All four are certainly big-time names in Pirates lore that I remember my father discussing with me when I was growing up and I am old enough to have watched some Tekulve myself. I also played a few rounds of golf with him around a decade ago when I worked for WTAE.

Friend and Groat were honored posthumously, while Tekulve and Face were there in person. Congrats to all four men and also the families who came to represent them!