Bob Veal, a longtime pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates who helped them win the World Series in 1971, died last weekend at the age of 89.
The Pirates released a statement about Veal, who spent 11 of his 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.
“Bob was an integral part of the Pirates team, helping the team win back-to-back district championships and win the 1971 World Series,” team owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “He was a proud member of the Pirates for most of his incredible major league career and was one of the most effective left-handed pitchers in all of Major League Baseball. He was a great man who will be missed.”
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Bob Veal poses in a Pirates uniform. (Bettman Archive/Getty Images)
Veal played his final two and a half seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 1972 to 1974.
According to AL.com, Veal passed away over the weekend “in his beloved hometown surrounded by his family,” but no further details were released.
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Veal was named an All-Star in back-to-back seasons in 1965 and 1966 during a career with the Pirates that began in 1962 as a 26-year-old left-hander.
That year, Veal pitched in only 11 games and posted an ERA of 3.74, and then in the 1963 season he made a name for himself by posting a 1.04 ERA in 34 games (7 starts). Although the victory took only 77.2 innings, the Pirates gained a starting pitcher they will use for years to come.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veal, 39, poses for a portrait at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
In 1964, Veal took on an even bigger job on the mound, pitching 279.2 innings (40 games) and posting a 2.74 ERA. That season, he led the league with 250 strikeouts with an 18-12 record.
Veal had 1,703 strikeouts in 1,926 innings during his career. And in the 1971 World Series, Veal helped the Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles to win the title.
According to AL.com, Veal was traded to Boston midway through the 1972 season and made MLB history as part of the Pirates' lineup, which was the first all-black or Afro-Latino lineup in history. It happened before.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veal, 39, poses for a portrait at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
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When Veal's playing career ended, he eventually moved into the scouting departments of the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and helped launch the Negro Southern League Museum in his hometown of Birmingham in 2015.
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