Robert Andrew Veale (October 28, 1935 – January 3, 2025) was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1974 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
Veale was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the National League during his tenure with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was the league's strikeout leader in 1964. He was a member of the Pirates teams that won three consecutive National League Eastern Division titles between 1970 and 1972 and won the World Series in 1971. Veale finished his career playing for the Boston Red Sox from 1972 to 1974.
Minor league career
In 1958, Veale signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. ending the season with a career-high win–loss record of 18–12 and a 2.74 earned run average (ERA). He ended the season with a 17–12 win–loss record and a 2.84 ERA to help the Pirates improve to a third place finish in the National League.
Veale was an integral member of the Pirates pitching staff during the 1966 season posting a 16–12 record and a 3.02 ERA in 37 starts and was again named to the National League team for the 1966 All-Star Game. Veale began the 1967 season by winning his first six starts and seven of his first eight starts. He ended the season with 16 victories against 8 losses but, his ERA rose to 3.64. The Pirates won the World Series in seven games. His 16 strikeouts in a game remains a Pirates team record. When he retired in 1974, he was the only Pirate pitcher to have 200 strikeouts in a season.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career FIP leaders