Bob Veale Passes Away – MLB Commerce Rumors

Two-time All-Star Bob Veale handed away, the Pirates introduced on Tuesday. He was 89.

Veale, a Birmingham native, signed with the Pirates out of school in 1958. He spent components of 5 seasons within the minors earlier than cracking the massive league roster in ’62. Veale labored principally out of the bullpen throughout his first full main league season the next yr. He turned in a 1.04 ERA throughout 77 2/3 innings to get a full-time rotation function heading into 1964.

The 6’6″ southpaw had a dominant first season as a starter. He began 38 of 40 video games and labored to a 2.74 ERA over 279 2/3 innings. Veale gained 18 video games and led the majors with 250 strikeouts. He maintained the same tempo for the following few seasons. Veale made consecutive All-Star groups in 1965 and ’66. He struck out a career-best 276 hitters whereas delivering a 2.84 ERA with a 17-12 file in 1965. He gained one other 16 video games whereas recording 229 strikeouts throughout 268 1/3 innings the next yr.

Veale was among the many prime handful of pitchers over that three-season stretch. He ranked sixth within the majors — trailing solely Corridor of Famers Don Drysdale, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal and Bob Gibson — in innings between 1964-66. Koufax was the one pitcher to strike out extra hitters. Veale ranked within the prime 15 in earned run common amongst pitchers with at the least 400 innings.

Whereas he didn’t fairly keep that tempo into his early 30s, Veale remained a productive pitcher all through the last decade. He topped 200 innings with a sub-4.00 ERA in every season between 1967-70. Veale turned in a 2.05 earned run common — his greatest mark as a starter — throughout 245 1/3 frames in 1968. That was the Tenth-best mark in MLB (minimal 150 innings) even within the so-called 12 months of the Pitcher. Veale by no means had nice command — he led the Nationwide League in walks in 4 of the 5 seasons between ’64 and ’68 — however he had a few of the recreation’s greatest swing-and-miss stuff throughout his heyday.

Veale’s manufacturing dropped sharply in 1971. He was moved to the bullpen and allowed practically seven earned runs per 9. Whereas it wasn’t an excellent season individually, the Bucs knocked off the Orioles in a seven-game World Sequence. Veale made one playoff look, giving up a run in two-thirds of an inning. Pittsburgh launched him the next yr. Veale signed with the Purple Sox and labored out of the Boston ’pen by 1974 earlier than retiring. He’d work as a pitching coach within the Braves and Yankees farm programs after his enjoying days.

Over an MLB run that spanned components of 13 seasons, Veale threw 1926 innings. He completed with a 3.07 earned run common whereas placing out greater than 1700 hitters. His 1652 punchouts in a Pittsburgh uniform rank him second in franchise historical past, trailing solely his former teammate Bob Good friend. Veale gained 120 video games and picked up 21 saves throughout his late-career run as a reliever. MLBTR sends our condolences to his household, pals and family members.