Bob Veale, a two-time All-Star who led the major leagues in strikeouts in 1964, died over the weekend. The news was reported by AL.com, an online newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama, where Veale was born and returned to after his playing career was over. He was 89 years old.
Bob Veale at Forbes Field on August 11, 1964 pic.twitter.com/ejiMG1O9Hk
— Pittsburgh Pirates History (@HistoryPirates) February 9, 2022
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Hard-Throwing Former Pitcher Veale Has Died
Intimidating at six-feet-six, 212 pounds, the hard-throwing left-hander pitched in the majors for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-72) and Boston Red Sox (1972-74). For his career, he was 120-95 in 397 games, which included 255 starts. He had a 3.07 ERA, 21 saves, 1,703 strikeouts, 858 walks, and a 1.320 WHIP. 1964 he led all of baseball, scoring 250 strikeouts and 124 walks. He led the National League in walks three more times thereafter. Legend has it that on one misty afternoon, Veale removed his glasses, which kept fogging up. Future Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock refused to get in the batter’s box until Veale put them back on.
“Man, Can He Throw Hard!”
“Man, can he throw hard!” Brock told Al Abrams of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in December 1967. Despite being one of the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series heroes in ’67, Brock was in Pittsburgh as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters to earn some extra money. “For the first four innings he’s the fastest pitcher in baseball,” continued Brock.
Veale was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 1964-67, during which he was 67-44 with a 3.02 ERA and 934 strikeouts. He was named to the All-Star Game in 1965 and 1966, although he didn’t pitch in either game. For the 1971 World Series champion Pirates, Veale had a strange year, going 6-0 but with a 6.99 ERA. However, he pitched well down the stretch, surrendering just one run and two hits in eight September relief appearances. In his lone Series appearance, he gave up one run, two hits, and a walk in two-thirds of an inning in a mop-up role.
Veale was off to a slow start in 1972, and it appeared his major league career had died when he accepted a demotion to Triple-A Charleston in May. However, he resurfaced when the Red Sox bought his contract in September. Veale continued with the Sox through 1974.
“Sounded Wonderful”
Veale was never better than he was on June 1, 1965, when he beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0 at Forbes Field. On that night, he pitched a complete game, striking out a club-record 16 batters, yielding five singles and two walks. Phillies great Dick Allen and Dick Stuart told United Press International that Veale threw harder than the legendary Sandy Koufax.
On September 19, 1966, at Candlestick Park, Veale took a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Giants. The Giants tied it on two hits. The winning hit came from the bat of Willie Mays on a grounder that third baseman Bob Bailey felt he should have caught. The Pirates won the game, 6-1, in 11 innings. Veale pitched all 11, giving up four hits and four walks.
By then, the Giants should have had enough of Veale. He also bested them on Opening Day in 1965 at Forbes Field, beating Juan Marichal, 1-0, in 10 innings. Earning another complete game, Veale gave up just three hits and, uncharacteristically, one walk. With Veale in the clubhouse cleaning his classes, Bailey won the game with a long home run. “Sounded wonderful,” said Veale to Lester J. Biederman of The Pittsburgh Press. “I wish I had seen it.” That’s what NL batters used to say about Veale’s fastball.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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