While I am not a Major Leaguer, I do know someone who has had a tremendous impact on my career. "My career friend ..." He's been a friend of mine since high school and pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was an All-Star both in 1956 and 1958. He was a great marketer and went on to be a major leaguer.
Friend pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates
My friend from college pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates 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 only pitcher to achieve a ERA of less than three. Friend also led NL strikeouts per walked issued. He threw more than 200 inning six times during his career, with five seasons in which he exceeded 200 innings.
Bob Friend pitched in minor league ball before making 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 a Lafayette, Ind. native who grew up playing sports such as basketball, baseball and golf. He was a star athlete at West Lafayette High School, and signed with the Pirates before the 1950 season.
Friend was an All-Star at 1956, 1958, 1962 and 1960
Friend pitched in the National League for three seasons and was an All-Star in each of those years. He was the league's leader in innings pitched and games played twice. His best season was 1958, when he posted a 22-14 record and tied Warren Spahn for the league lead in wins. After going 18-12 in the regular-season, Friend was elected to the All-Star squad in 1960. He was also a poor pitcher against the New York Yankees during the World Series.
Robert Bartmess Friend was Friend's grandfather and was born in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1930. 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. Before the 1950 season, he was signed by the Pirates.
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. 1958 was his best season. He went 22-14 and tied Warren Spahn as the league's leader in wins. In 1956, 1957, and 1960, he was an All-Star. He also won the 1960 World Series. He pitched poorly in the World Series against the Yankees.
After one season spent in the minors, Friend was traded to the Pirates in 1951. The Pirates finished in seventh place in that series, but Friend was traded in the following season. He became the team’s all-time leader for innings pitched, strikes outs, and games played. 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.