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Bob Veale
Robert Andrew Veale (October 28, 1935 – January 3, 2025) was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1974 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
Veale was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the National League during his tenure with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was the league's strikeout leader in 1964. He was a member of the Pirates teams that won three consecutive National League Eastern Division titles between 1970 and 1972 and won the World Series in 1971. Veale finished his career playing for the Boston Red Sox from 1972 to 1974.
Veale was born on October 28, 1935, in Birmingham, Alabama, where he attended Holy Family High School in the Ensley neighborhood. His father had played baseball as a pitcher for the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. As a boy, Veale worked the concession stand at Birmingham's historic Rickwood Field. Birmingham Black Barons player-manager Piper Davis made Veale the team's batboy and let him pitch batting practice regularly. In 1948, Davis allowed the underaged Veale to pitch in a Black Barons game; however, because he was a minor, his appearance was kept off the records. Veale left Birmingham in 1955 to attend Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on an athletic scholarship, playing both baseball and basketball for the Ravens.
In 1958, Veale signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. In 1959, he led the Carolina League with 187 strikeouts in 147 innings pitched for the Wilson Tobs. He also threw a no-hitter. His performance earned him a promotion to the Columbus Jets of the International League, where he established himself as a strikeout pitcher in 1961 by striking out a league-leading 208 batters in 201 innings.
Veale made his major league debut with the Pirates on April 16, 1962, at the age of 26. He had acomplete game victory in his second major league game but then struggled and was sent back to Columbus on May 25. On August 10, he set an International League record for the most strikeouts in a game with 22 against the Buffalo Bisons. On September 3, he pitched a one-hitter against Jacksonville and struck out 15 batters. After striking out 179 batters in 134 innings and winning eight games, Veale was called back by the Pirates in September and finished his rookie year with a 2–2 record, one save and 3.74 ERA over 11 games.
Veale began 1963 pitching out of the pen until Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh made him a starting pitcher in August 1963 and he responded impressively in September by throwing three complete games in six starts, including two shutouts. On September 22, 1964, Veale struck out 15 Milwaukee Braves to set the Pirates team record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game, breaking the previous record of 12 set by Babe Adams in 1909.
Veale was the Pirates opening day starter for the 1964 season. He led the National League with 250 strikeouts in 1964 (including a team-record 15 strikeouts against the Milwaukee Braves in a 2–0 loss on September 22 and an astounding 16 strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds on September 30 in a16-inning no decision), ending the season with a career-high win–loss record of 18–12 and a 2.74 earned run average (ERA).
Veale's emergence as one of the top strikeout pitchers in the league helped earn him a spot on the National League team in the 1965 All-Star Game. He struck out 16 batters on June 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies to break his own team record. In 1965, he improved his personal best with a career-high 276 strikeouts, but finished a distant second to Sandy Koufax's then-Major League record 382 strikeouts. He ended the season with a 17–12 win–loss record and a 2.84 ERA to help the Pirates improve to a third place finish in the National League. As of 2024[update], his 276 strikeouts in a season remains a Pirates modern-era team record.
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Bob Veale
Robert Andrew Veale (October 28, 1935 – January 3, 2025) was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1974 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
Veale was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the National League during his tenure with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was the league's strikeout leader in 1964. He was a member of the Pirates teams that won three consecutive National League Eastern Division titles between 1970 and 1972 and won the World Series in 1971. Veale finished his career playing for the Boston Red Sox from 1972 to 1974.
Veale was born on October 28, 1935, in Birmingham, Alabama, where he attended Holy Family High School in the Ensley neighborhood. His father had played baseball as a pitcher for the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. As a boy, Veale worked the concession stand at Birmingham's historic Rickwood Field. Birmingham Black Barons player-manager Piper Davis made Veale the team's batboy and let him pitch batting practice regularly. In 1948, Davis allowed the underaged Veale to pitch in a Black Barons game; however, because he was a minor, his appearance was kept off the records. Veale left Birmingham in 1955 to attend Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on an athletic scholarship, playing both baseball and basketball for the Ravens.
In 1958, Veale signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. In 1959, he led the Carolina League with 187 strikeouts in 147 innings pitched for the Wilson Tobs. He also threw a no-hitter. His performance earned him a promotion to the Columbus Jets of the International League, where he established himself as a strikeout pitcher in 1961 by striking out a league-leading 208 batters in 201 innings.
Veale made his major league debut with the Pirates on April 16, 1962, at the age of 26. He had acomplete game victory in his second major league game but then struggled and was sent back to Columbus on May 25. On August 10, he set an International League record for the most strikeouts in a game with 22 against the Buffalo Bisons. On September 3, he pitched a one-hitter against Jacksonville and struck out 15 batters. After striking out 179 batters in 134 innings and winning eight games, Veale was called back by the Pirates in September and finished his rookie year with a 2–2 record, one save and 3.74 ERA over 11 games.
Veale began 1963 pitching out of the pen until Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh made him a starting pitcher in August 1963 and he responded impressively in September by throwing three complete games in six starts, including two shutouts. On September 22, 1964, Veale struck out 15 Milwaukee Braves to set the Pirates team record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game, breaking the previous record of 12 set by Babe Adams in 1909.
Veale was the Pirates opening day starter for the 1964 season. He led the National League with 250 strikeouts in 1964 (including a team-record 15 strikeouts against the Milwaukee Braves in a 2–0 loss on September 22 and an astounding 16 strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds on September 30 in a16-inning no decision), ending the season with a career-high win–loss record of 18–12 and a 2.74 earned run average (ERA).
Veale's emergence as one of the top strikeout pitchers in the league helped earn him a spot on the National League team in the 1965 All-Star Game. He struck out 16 batters on June 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies to break his own team record. In 1965, he improved his personal best with a career-high 276 strikeouts, but finished a distant second to Sandy Koufax's then-Major League record 382 strikeouts. He ended the season with a 17–12 win–loss record and a 2.84 ERA to help the Pirates improve to a third place finish in the National League. As of 2024[update], his 276 strikeouts in a season remains a Pirates modern-era team record.