ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Oh, the memories and stories.

That’s what happens when you get three of Major League Baseball’s greatest players together. Two of them – Phil Niekro and Bill Mazeroski – were born right here in the Ohio Valley, while the other – Elroy Face – was a New Yorker-turned-Pittsburgher.

Niekro was born and raised in the village of Blaine before embarking on a spectacular career in the major leagues. Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, but raised in Warren Township before writing his own chapter in Major League Baseball history.

Both are members of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Niekro was inducted in 1997. Mazeroski went in four years later. Face should be.

In the 17 years of the Niekro Golf Classic, Phil has only missed twice. On the other hand, Mazeroski and Face had never been to the event until Friday when they finally crossed paths.

“It’s fantastic,” Mazeroski said. “I’ve never been here before, but it’s really good to get back in the Ohio Valley again. The valley is special to me because I was raised here and started a restaurant in Yorkville.

“It’s just good to be back.”

Phil was thrilled to have Maz in attendance.

“Maz, Elroy and I have become good friends over the years. It’s good to have them here today,” Niekro said. “These guys get invited to so many golf tournaments, I’m honored and really pleased for them coming here.

“We try to help each other out by going to each other’s events,” Niekro added. “Sometimes these things get pretty long, but the time is worth it.”

Mazeroski and Niekro have a long history of facing each other on the diamond, dating back to their high school days in Eastern Ohio.

“Phil lost one game in high school,” Mazeroski said while recalling one of his fondest memories of facing Phil during their high school days. “I pitched against him and beat him 1-0 on a home run that I hit off him.

“We talk about that all the time,” Mazeroski continued. “He knows I’m going to tell it, so he usually tells it first.”

“I was a freshman and he was a senior,” Niekro recalled. “I think he hit (the ball) into the (Ohio) river.”

Another time that Maz got the best of Knucksie came during the major league days.

“It was in Pittsburgh on my birthday, Labor Day,” Mazeroski recalled. “The bases were loaded and I’m walking up to the plate.

“The organist is playing Happy Birthday to You. He proceeded to get behind me with his knuckleball, so he threw me a fastball and I hit it out.

“I’m rounding third base and I see out of the corner of my left eye that Phil is walking towards this base. I’m thinking to myself, ‘what is he gonna do? What’s he doing this for? We’re good friends, you know?’

“As soon as I touched third and come by him, he says, ‘Happy Birthday, you a**hole.’ What a nice guy when you just hit a grand slam off of him. What a guy.”

“He tells everyone those stories, but he fails to tell everyone about the time I struck him out three times in a game in Atlanta,” Niekro said. “He won’t tell anyone that story.”

Maz on his former teammate, Face.

“He had a better year in 1960 than he did in 1959 when he won 18 games as a reliever. To win 18 games he gave up some runs to tie the game and then we would score to win it for him. In 1960, he just shut everybody down.”

Face was the first major leaguer to save 20 games in a season more than once. He led the league three times and finished second three more times. During that magical season of 1959, Face, who is now 87 years old, set the still-standing major league record for winning percentage (.947) and single-season wins in relief. He still holds the National League career record for most games won as a reliever (96), and has Pittsburgh Pirates franchise marks for career games (802) and saves (188).

What was his success?

“Poor hitters,” he joked. “There were some poor hitters back then.”

Face was noted for his famous forkball, which he originated.

“I needed an off-speed pitch and I was sent back down to New Orleans to work on it,” he explained. “I started working on that for half-a-season and started using it. It worked out for me.”

What does Face think about today’s pitchers?

“They are babies,” he said sternly. “They pitch one inning two days in a row and then they need a day or two off. We had to come in from the seventh inning on. One night I pitched five innings against the Cubs, and I if was needed the next day, I would’ve been ready.”

He said there was a stretch one time when he pitched 16 innings in nine straight days.

“They sure wouldn’t do that today.”

Oh, the memories and stories!

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com