Long-standing Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale, who helped the franchise win the 1971 World Series championship, died over the weekend at the age of 89.
The Pirates released a statement about Veale, who spent 11 of his 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.
“Bob was an integral member of the Pirates helping our team win back-to-back division titles as well as 1971 World Cup,” team owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “He was one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in all of Major League Baseball during his outstanding major league career, most of which he proudly spent as a member of the Pirates. He was a great man who will be missed.”
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Bob Veale poses in a Pirate uniform. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
Veale has played the last two and a half seasons with Boston Red Sox from 1972-74.
According to AL.comVeale died “in his beloved hometown with his family by his side” over the weekend, although details have not been released.
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Veale earned back-to-back All-Star appearances in 1965 and 1966 during his Pirates career, which began in 1962 as a 26-year-old lefty.
Playing just 11 games that year, Veale earned a 3.74 ERA before making a name for himself with a 1.04 ERA in 34 games (seven starts) during the 1963 season. It came in just 77.2 innings of work, but the Pirates saw a starter they can use for years to come.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale (39) poses for a portrait at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
In 1964, Veale took on an even heavier load on the mound, throwing 279.2 innings (40 games) to a 2.74 ERA. He went 18-12 that season, striking out 250 batters to lead the league.
Veale would amass 1,703 strikeouts over 1,926 career innings. And during the 1971 World Series, Veale helped his Pirates knock off the Baltimore Orioles to win the title.
Veale was traded midway through the 1972 season to Boston, but not before making MLB history as part of a Pirates roster that became the first all-black or Afro-Latino in history, according to AL.com.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale (39) poses for a portrait at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
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When Veale’s playing days ended, he eventually moved on to the scouting department for the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, while in 2015 he helped start the Negro Southern League Museum in his hometown of Birmingham.
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