Underrated Pirates pitcher and 1971 World Series champion passes away at 89

Longtime Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale, who helped lead the team to a 1971 World Series title, died this past weekend in his home state of Alabama at the age of 89.

The hard-throwing lefty, who threw what longtime Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince nicknamed a "radio ball" – because you could hear it, but you couldn't see it – spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, 11 of them with the Pirates. Veale, who made his Major League debut in 1962, was one of the most dominant southpaws of his time and ranks second for the Pirates all-time in total strikeouts (1,652). He is also tied for ninth in shutouts (20) and tied for 10th in wins (116).

Bob Veale, Pirates franchise record holder and 1971 World Series champion, passes away at 89

Veale first gained notoriety in 1964, when his 250 strikeouts edged out St. Louis Cardinals legend Bob Gibson's 245 to lead the National League. He went on to set a new Pirates franchise record the following season with 276 strikeouts, and he was an All-Star for the Pirates in 1955 and 1956.

After helping the Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win a World Series in 1971, Veale made MLB history the following year when he played in a game in which the Pirates became the first team ever to start an all-Black or Afro-Latino lineup in a game. Veale relieved starter Dock Ellis in the third inning, as the Pirates went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-7, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates released Veale later in May of 1972, at which point he accepted an assignment to Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate in Charleston. In September of that year, Veale was signed by the Boston Red Sox as a relief pitcher. He would spend each of the following two seasons in Boston, making his final Major League appearance on Sept. 8, 1974, at the age of 38.

Veale finished his career with a 120-95 record, a 3.99 ERA and 1,703 strikeouts in 397 MLB games. He also recorded 20 shutouts and 78 complete games. His lifetime 7.96 strikeouts per nine innings is still a Pirates franchise record, ranking fifth all-time for pitchers with 1,500-plus innings, and 65th overall on the MLB All-Time List. His 16 strikeouts in a single game (June 1, 1965 vs. Philadelphia) remains a Pirates team record.

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