I'm not a Major leaguer but I did know a man that had a profound impact on me: "My career buddy ..." We've known each other since high school. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was an All-Star for both 1956 and 1958. He was a great marketer and went on to be a major leaguer.
Friend pitched for Pittsburgh Pirates
My best friend in baseball pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates back in the 1960s. During his career, Friend won three NL Cy Young Awards and was named the league's best pitcher four times. He was the first pitcher with a sub-three ERA. Friend was also the NL's leader in strikeouts/walks. He pitched more than 200 innings six times in his career, including five seasons when he topped 200 innings.
After pitching minor league ball, Bob Friend made his big league debut in 1950. He was a key member the team's 1960 championship team, winning three games for them. Friend was born on December 30, 1930 in Lafayette (Ind.) and grew to play basketball, baseball, and golf. He was a star athlete at West Lafayette High School and signed with the Pirates prior to the 1950 season.
Friend was an All-Star from 1956, 1958, and 1960.
Friend pitched in three seasons in the National League and was an All-Star in each one. He led the league in innings pitched and games started twice. His best season came in 1958 when he had a record of 22-14 and tied Warren Spahn as the league's leader in wins. After going 18-12 in the regular-season, Friend was elected to the All-Star squad in 1960. He also had a bad record against the New York Yankees, in the World Series.
Robert Bartmess Friend was Friend's grandfather and was born in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1930. As a child, Friend began piano lessons and hoped to be a concert pianist. He was also a West Lafayette High School standout football and baseball player. He was signed by The Pirates before the 1950 season.
In 1960, Friend was an All-Star
Friend was a good controllable player and was very durable. He did not have to be on the disabled's list. His greatest season was 1958, when he won 22-14. He was an All-Star in 1956 and 1957 and again in 1960, when he went 18-12. He did not pitch well in the World Series against Yankees.
After one season spent in the minors, Friend was traded to the Pirates in 1951. The Pirates were seventh in that series. However, Friend was traded for the following season. He went on to be the all-time team leader in innings pitched, strikeouts and games started. In 1963, the first of Pete Roses 4,256 hits was surrendered by Friend. Friend teamed up in 1960 with Bob Cooper (an A-list hurler who played for the Pirates between the 1910s and the 1920s).