Bob Veale

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bob Veale
position=Pitcher


bats=Both
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1935|10|28
city-state|Birmingham|Alabama
deathdate=
debutdate=April 16
debutyear=by|1962
debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
finaldate=September 8
finalyear=by|1974
finalteam=Boston Red Sox
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=120-95
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.07
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1,703
teams=
* Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1962-by|1972)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1972-by|1974)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1965, 1966)
* World Series champion (1971)

Robert Andrew Veale (born October 28 1935 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a former left-handed starting pitcher mostly, although he was used in relief as well, in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1972) the Boston Red Sox (1972-1974). He attended Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Veale was a top strikeout pitcher for the Pirates for about 7 years. He led the league in the category once, with 250 in 1964, although his career-high came the year after in 1965 (276). He also was in the Top 3 in the League, two more times. He was considered one of the hardest throwers in the game at the time. His lifetime ratio of 7.96 strikeouts per nine innings is still a Pirates career record and ranks 24th on the MLB All-Time List.

With the strikeouts came walks as well. He led the league in walks four times, tying a modern record.

Veale won 1 World Series with the Pirates in 1971, when they beat Baltimore in 7 games. That year, in 37 games being used as a reliever, Veale was 6-0 with a 6.99 ERA, 40 Strikeouts and 2 Saves. To go along with that trend, one of Veale's best years, 1968, he had a 2.05 ERA and a losing record, 13-14. That was the lowest ERA since 1914 by a pitcher with more than 20 starts and a losing record.

In a 13-year career, he was 120-95 with a 3.07 ERA in 397 games, 255 starts. Out of the 255 starts, he pitched 78 complete games, 20 of them for shutouts. He completed almost one third of his starts. As a reliever, he accumulated 21 saves. He allowed 658 earned runs and struck out 1703 in 1926 innings pitched.

In 2006, Veale was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Fact

*On September 1, 1971, Pittsburgh faced the Phillies with a lineup which is believed, according to historians, to be the first major league all-black starting-lineup (including some Latino players). The Pirates won 10-7, and the lineup was:
** Rennie Stennett - second baseman
** Gene Clines - center fielder
** Roberto Clemente - right fielder
** Willie Stargell - left fielder
** Manny Sanguillén - catcher
** Dave Cash - third baseman
** Al Oliver - first baseman
** Jackie Hernández - shortstop
** Dock Ellis - starting pitcher
** Bob Veale, a relief pitcher, was one of three relievers in the game.
** Resource: "Baseball Library"

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

External links

*baseball-reference|id=v/vealebo01
* [http://www.umass.edu/pubaffs/jackie/after2c.html Audio Clip] of Bob Veale discussing Jackie Robinson