Bob Veale

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1935, Bob Veale took a path through Benedictine College in Atchison that led to a thirteen-year career in the major leagues.

Veale’s father had pitched for the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. The younger Veale was a regular at Birmingham’s Rickwood Field, where he worked in the concession stand and chased foul balls and home runs to sell back to the team. He eventually became a batboy for the Birmingham Black Barons and would later pitch batting practice for the team, which in 1948 included 17-year-old Willie Mays.

Veale left Birmingham in 1955 to play basketball and baseball at what was then St. Benedict’s College, an all-male school. During that time, he and his family received offers to play for the Kansas City Monarchs from owner Tom Baird and manager Buck O’Neil.

At the end of his senior year at St. Benedict’s in 1958, Veale was invited to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals. A Pittsburgh scout watched Veale warm up and arranged for a tryout at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where the Pirates were playing. He was immediately signed.

In five minor league seasons, the 6’6” hard throwing lefthander averaged more than a strikeout per inning. In 1961, Veale was invited to spring training. The next year, he began the season with the Pirates but was sent back to the minors in late May. In September, Veale and teammate Willie Stargell were called back up to Pittsburgh.

Veale split 1963 between the bullpen and starting rotation. In 1964, however, he became a regular in the rotation. In each of the next seven seasons, he won double digit games and struck out more than 200 four times.

In 1964, led the National League with 250 strikeouts. In 1965, Veale’s 276 strikeouts were second to Sandy Koufax. He was selected to the National League All-Star team in 1965 and 1966.

Pirate announcer Bob Prince called Veale’s fastball a “radio ball” – one that could be heard but not seen.

The Pirates won three consecutive National League East Division titles starting in 1970. In 1971, they beat Baltimore to win the World Series. Veale, then 35 years old, appeared in only one World Series game. On September 1, he pitched in the first major league game started by an all-minority lineup.

In 1972, the Pirates sold Veale’s contract to Boston. He pitched three seasons in relief for the Red Sox before retiring with 120 career wins, an earned run average of 3.07 and 1,703 strikeouts. He is second on Pittsburgh’s career strikeout list.

Following his playing career, Veale was a minor league pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.

Veale helped all 13 of his siblings go to college and always maintained his offseason home in Birmingham. As a retiree, he volunteered at Rickwood Field as a groundskeeper and tour guide.

Veale died in 2025 at the age of 89.

For more, read Bob Veale’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.