'It's really an honor': Pirates induct 4 into their Hall of Fame – MLB.com

August 26th, 2023PITTSBURGH — The four newest inductees into the Pirates’ Hall of Fame all have something very important in common: They won World Series rings with the franchise.Right-hander Bob Friend, reliever Elroy Face and shortstop Dick Groat were mainstays on the 1960 World Series championship team that upset the New York Yankees. Closer Kent Tekulve got the final out of the 1979 World Series, when the Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in what has turned out to be Pittsburgh’s most recent appearance in the Fall Classic.All were honored Saturday in a ceremony at PNC Park as part of the franchise’s second Hall of Fame class.In between those two titles, the Pirates also won the World Series in 1971.“That has to be the best era in the history of Pirate baseball of success on the field,” Tekulve said. “It’s an honor to be here to represent them, not only because of how they played individually but how they played as a team.”While Tekulve was not teammates with Friend, Face and Groat, he spent plenty of time with them during Pirates’ alumni events.“I’m very proud, after I got to know them, that they all played the game with
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