Fun facts about Bob Veale:
-Bob was born in Birmingham, AL and attended Benedictine College in Kansas before signing with the Pirates in 1958.
-Veale was 26 years old when he made the Pirates' Opening Day roster for the first time in 1962. In his second career start (April 22), he earned a complete-game, 4-3 victory against the Mets for his first win.
-1964 was Bob's first full season in the Pittsburgh rotation, and he led the team in practically every pitching category. He was 18-12 with a 2.74 ERA (128 ERA+) and 14 complete games. He also led the National League with 250 strikeouts (edging Bob Gibson on the season's final day), 0.3 HR/9 innings (only 8 in 279.2 innings pitched), and 124 walks allowed. The high strikeout and walk totals and the low home run yield were trends throughout the 6'6" southpaw's career.
-Veale made the first of back-to-back All-Star teams in 1965, when he posted a 17-12 record and a 2.84 ERA. He also established a career high with 276 strikeouts, a total that was dwarfed by Sandy Koufax's otherworldly tally of 382.
-He was a mainstay starter for the Pirates for the seven seasons spanning 1964-1970. During that time, Bob was 103-87 with a 3.01 ERA (115 ERA+).
-The Bucs moved Veale to the bullpen in 1971. The results were gruesome, as his 6-0 record masked a 6.99 ERA. He allowed 36 earned runs in 46.1 innings, and allowed three of the five batters he faced in that year's World Series to reach base.
-He spent the last two seasons and change of his career as a reliever in Boston, retiring after the Red Sox released him in October 1974. In parts of 13 big league seasons, he was 120-95 with a 3.07 ERA.
-Bob is still the Pirates' record-holder with 7.96 strikeouts per 9 innings during his tenure with the club. He is 38th on the all-time MLB list, though several pitchers ahead of him are still active and may drop as they decline.
-Veale spent about a decade after his playing career as a pitching instructor. Among other teams, he worked in the Braves organization.
-He was selected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and still lives in Birmingham.
I really like this one. I remember Bob Veale very well. Here is a neat little audio clip of him discussing the impact of Jackie Robinson's emergence (among others) on his life.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I must obtain this card.
ReplyDeleteHe must have been awful intimidating, especially to a left handed hitter. Wonder why it took him until the age of 26 to reach the bigs--some wasted years there. I recall watching him, and thinking that he threw harder than any other guy in the those years of the late 60s.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoyed Bob Veale for the latest in athletic eye glasses and letterman jacket or warm up vest fashions.
ReplyDelete