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 in 1956 and 1958. He was an excellent marketer and eventually went on to become a major leaguer.
Friend pitched the Pittsburgh Pirates
My friend from college pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1960s. Friend won three NL Cy Young Awards, and was also named the league's top pitcher four times during his career. He was the first pitcher to have a sub-three ERA. Friend also led NL in strikeouts/walk issued. In his career, he pitched more than 200 innings six different times. This includes five seasons where he reached 200 innings.
After pitching minor league ball, Bob Friend made his big league debut in 1950. He won three games for the Pirates that season and was a key member of their 1960 championship team. 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 at 1956, 1958, 1962 and 1960
Friend was an All-Star in three of the three seasons he played in the National League. He was the league's leader in innings pitched and games played twice. 1958 was his best year. He had a 22-14 record. After going 18-12 during the regular season, Friend was selected to the All-Star Team in 1960. He also pitched poorly against the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Robert Bartmess Friend, Friend's father, was born in 1930 in West Lafayette. He started piano lessons at the age of five and intended to become a concert pianist. He was also an outstanding West Lafayette High School baseball and football player. He was signed before the 1950 season by the Pirates.
1960: All-Star in 1960: Friend
Friend was a great control freak and was extremely durable. He never had to be placed on the disabled list. 1958 was his best season. He went 22-14 and tied Warren Spahn as the league's leader in wins. 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 spending one year in the minors Friend was promoted to the Pirates in 1952. The Pirates finished seventh in that series, and Friend was traded the following season. He was later to become the team’s most successful pitcher in innings pitched. In 1963, the first of Pete Roses 4,256 hits was surrendered by Friend. Friend teamed up with Bob Cooper, an A list hurler for Pirates from 1910 to 1920, in the 1960 World Series.