Lest We Forget: Bob Friend

February 5, 2019

Because, as a reminder, you can keep baseball cards on your bookshelf.

Bob Friend, a good pitcher on a number of bad teams (big league mark, 197-230), was found dead on Sunday at his home in O’Hara Township, Pa., as per his obituary by Richard Goldstein in today’s New York Times. He was 88. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a much more heroic send-off.

Former Pirates pitcher Bob Friend is honored next to owner Bob Nutting before the team takes on the Braves Friday, April 7, 2017, at PNC Park.

Friend was probably best known as a member of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates team that stunned the NY Yankees in the World Series. But his best season, win-wise, came two years earlier when he was 22-14 and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting. He was a three-time All-Star and finished in the top 20 in MVP voting three times.

Friend finished his 16-year career splitting the 1966 campaign between the two NY teams. The Yankees actually had a worse year than the Mets, falling to the basement while their crosstown rivals came in ninth.

All due respect, but I find it a fish-out-of-water situation when an athlete like Friend — good but never great — finds death giving him a wider platform than one might expect, given the reach of an outlet like the Times.

Image result for bob friend baseball cards   Image result for bob friend baseball cards

 

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