November 8, 2021

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Elroy Face has won the fight against Covid-19.

The 15-year Pittsburgh Pirates relief master, 93, and the oldest living Expos player, arrived home in suburban Pittsburgh Nov. 6 after spending two weeks in hospital and two weeks in a physical-rehabilitation clinic, recovering from a rough battle with COVID-19.

Face tested positive in hospital, even though he had been double-vaccinated.

"They told me I had pneumonia on top of it,'' Face said in an interview. "I've been in hospital a couple of times. I went in hospital the first time on Oct. 1 and then they sent me home for one night. Then I went back in. I wasn't feeling good. I thought with two vaccinations I was safe.''

Face felt achy with congestion and flu/cold symptoms but he has no idea how he contracted COVID-19. He said that following two weeks in hospital, he was transferred to a facility where he did exercises such as walking and paddling to get him mobile for his convalescence at home.

When I asked him if nurses and doctors were surprised to see someone his age fighting the virus, he said, "Nobody believes I'm that old. Some people don't make 90.''

Face arrived home to see his mailbox full of requests for autographed items.

"There were at least 100 or more,'' he said. "My daughter helped me Saturday night and then I finished signing them Sunday.''

Face said he still receives “a few'' autograph requests from Expos fans. He pitched in 44 games for the 1969 Expos before being released Aug. 15.

Face began his big-league career with the Pirates in 1953 but after he had mixed results, the Bucs sent him to triple-A for the 1954 season to try and learn a new pitch to go with his fastball and curve.

“They wanted me to work on an off-speed pitch so they sent me to New Orleans. That’s when I learned to throw the forkball,’’ Face said, explaining why his career stats show he didn’t pitch in the majors in 1954.