Longtime Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Friend dies at 88

All-Star right-hander Bob Friend, who won 197 games in 16 major league seasons, has died at the age of 88.

Friend played 15 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, making four All-Star appearances and fronting the rotation on the World Series-winning 1960 squad that defeated the New York Yankees in seven games. 

"Bob was truly one of the very best to ever wear the Pirates black and gold. He will be deeply missed," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement. 

Friend made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 1951. He was selected to his first All-Star team five years later in 1956 when he led the National League in starts (42) for the first of three consecutive seasons. 

He enjoyed his best season in 1958, when he went 22-14 with a 3.68 ERA. He finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting and sixth in the MVP race.

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