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Bobby Veach
Bobby Veach 1925 ORIGINAL.jpg
Veach en 1925
Jardinero izquierdo
Nacimiento: 29 de junio de 1888 St. Charles, Kentucky(1888-06-29)
Fallecimiento: 7 de agosto de 1945 (1945-08-07)(57 años)
Detroit, Michigan
Batted: IzquierdaLanzó: Derecha
Debut en la MLB
6 de agosto de 1912 para los Tigres de Detroit
Última aparición en la MLB
2 de octubre de 1925 para los Senadores de Washington
Estadísticas de MLB
Promedio de bateo.310
Golpes2.063
Jonrones64
Carreras impulsadas1,166
Equipos
Destacados y premios de la carrera

Robert Hayes "Bobby" Veach (29 de junio de 1888 - 7 de agosto de 1945) fue un jugador de béisbol estadounidense de 1910 a 1930, incluidas 14 temporadas en las ligas mayores. Fue el jardinero izquierdo titular de los Tigres de Detroit de 1912 a 1923 y también jugó para los Medias Rojas de Boston (1924-1925), los Yankees de Nueva York (1925) y los Senadores de Washington (1925).

Veach golpeó tanto por potencia como por promedio. Compiló un promedio de bateo de .310 en su carrera y terminó segundo detrás de Ty Cobb por el título de bateo de la Liga Americana de 1919 con un promedio de .355. También lideró la Liga Americana en carreras impulsadas (impulsadas) tres veces (1915, 1917 y 1918) y estuvo entre los líderes de la liga 10 veces. Nadie en el béisbol tuvo tantas carreras impulsadas o extrabases como Veach entre 1915 y 1922.

Veach también se encontraba entre los mejores jardineros defensivos de su época, ubicándose regularmente entre los líderes de la liga en outs , factor de alcance y porcentaje de fildeo . A pesar de ser uno de los bateadores más productivos del béisbol durante sus años en Detroit, Veach jugó a la sombra de tres jardineros de Detroit que ganaron 16 títulos de bateo y fueron incluidos en el Salón de la Fama del Béisbol : Cobb en el jardín central y Sam Crawford seguido de Harry. Heilmann en el jardín derecho. Los jardines de Detroit de 1915, que constan de Veach, Cobb y Crawford, han sido clasificados por el historiador y estadístico del béisbol Bill James como los mejores jardines de la historia.

Primeros años [ editar ]

Veach was born in Island, Kentucky, in 1888. His family moved to Madisonville, Kentucky, when he was 12 years old. His father was a coal miner, and Veach also began working in the coal mine as a boy. In 1915, Veach recalled: "I started in as a miner when I was fourteen years old and worked at it in the winters until a couple years ago, long after I was earning money as a player."[1] At age 17, Veach moved to Herrin, Illinois, where he began playing semi-pro baseball.[1]

Professional baseball career[edit]

Minor leagues[edit]

Kankakee[edit]

Veach comenzó su carrera profesional en el béisbol en 1910 como lanzador con los Peoria Distillers de la Liga Illinois – Indiana – Iowa . Al comienzo de la temporada, fue enviado a los Kankakee Kays de la Asociación del Norte . [1] Compiló un récord de 10-5 en Kankakee y fue llamado a Peoria. [1]

Peoria [ editar ]

En 1911, Veach se convirtió de lanzador en jardinero. [1] Apareció en 132 juegos para Peoria, compilando un promedio de bateo de .297 con 40 extrabases . [2]

Indianápolis [ editar ]

Veach comenzó la temporada de 1912 con Peoria, bateando .325 con 24 extra base hits en los primeros 56 juegos de la temporada. [2] En julio de 1912, fue ascendido a la categoría de indios de Indianápolis de la Asociación Estadounidense . Permaneció en Indianápolis solo dos meses y dos días antes de ser comprado por los Tigres de Detroit . [1]

Detroit [ editar ]

Temporadas de 1912 a 1914 [ editar ]

In early September, Veach was purchased by Detroit from Indianapolis.[1] He was promptly inserted into the Tigers' lineup, replacing Davy Jones as the left fielder in an outfield that included future Baseball Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford. Veach made his major league debut on September 6, 1912, at age 24. He appeared in 23 games for Detroit in 1912, compiling a .342 batting average in 79 at bats.[3] Veach remained the Tigers' starting left fielder for 12 years.[3]

In 1913, as Veach adjusted to playing in the major leagues, his batting average declined to .269, but he continued to show power and speed with 22 doubles, 10 triples and 22 stolen bases. He also showed patience at the plate, drawing 53 bases on balls to boost his on-base percentage to .346.[2]

Veach improved steadily in 1914, raising his batting average to .275.[3] He also had 14 triples, which was the fifth best total in the American League that season, trailing teammate Sam Crawford's total of 26 triples, which remains the American League record. His 74 RBIs in 1914 also ranked ninth in the league.[4] Veach also continued to show patience at the plate, drawing 50 bases on balls and ranking fifth in the league with an at bat to strikeout ratio of 18.1.[4] He also showed great range in the outfield, ranking fourth among the league's outfielders with 282 putouts.[3]

1915 season[edit]

En 1915, Veach tiene una gran temporada, convirtiéndose en uno de los bateadores más dominantes de la Liga Americana. Su promedio de bateo aumentó en 38 puntos a .313, y lideró la Liga Americana con 40 dobles (nueve más que cualquier otro jugador) y 112 carreras impulsadas (empatado con su compañero Sam Crawford). También estuvo entre los líderes de la liga con 53 extra base hits (2do), 178 hits (3ro), 247 bases totales (3ro), promedio de bateo de .313 (6to), porcentaje de embase de .390 (6to), slugging de .434 porcentaje (7º) y 68 bases por bolas (10º). [5]

Veach también se desempeñó bien a la defensiva. Sus 297 putouts ocuparon el quinto lugar entre los jardineros de la liga, y su porcentaje de fildeo de .975 también ocupó el quinto lugar. [3]

Veach con los Tigres de Detroit en 1917.

The Tigers' 1915 outfield, with Veach in left, Cobb in center, and Crawford in right has been ranked by baseball historian Bill James as the greatest outfield of all time.[6] During the 1915 season, Baseball Magazine published a five-page feature story on Veach, concluding that "with his advent the Detroit outfield is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, ever assembled on a diamond."[1] Though the league average batting average in 1915 was .248, Cobb hit .369 with 99 RBIs, Crawford hit .299 and drove in 112 runs, and Veach hit .313 with 112 RBIs. The three Detroit outfielders ranked #1, #2, and #3 in total bases and RBIs.[5] The 1915 Tigers won 100 games, but finished in second place, one game behind the Boston Red Sox.[7]

1916 to 1923[edit]

Veach continued his solid hitting from 1915 to 1923, batting over .306 in eight of those nine years. Veach finished among the American League leaders in hits (8 times), batting average (6 times), doubles (8 times), triples (8 times), RBIs (10 times), extra base hits (7 times), and total bases (8 times).

On June 9, 1916, Veach scored a run to end Babe Ruth's scoreless innings streak at 25. Ruth then evened the score with one of the longest home runs ever at Navin Field, deep into the right field bleachers.

Veach had his best year as a batter in 1919 when he led the American League in hits (191), doubles (41), and triples (17). Only Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb topped him in other offensive categories. His .355 batting average was second to Cobb, and his 65 extra base hits, 101 RBIs and 279 total bases were second behind Ruth.

On September 17, 1920, he became the first Detroit Tiger to hit for the cycle with six hits in a 12-inning game.

In 1921, Veach was the subject of a motivational tactic by new player-manager Cobb. Cobb believed that Veach, who came to bat with a smile and engaged in friendly conversation with umpires and opposing pitchers, was too easygoing. Tigers historian Fred Lieb described Veach as a "happy-go-lucky guy, not too brilliant above the ears", who "was as friendly as a Newfoundland pup with opponents as well as teammates". (Fred Lieb, "The Detroit Tigers") Hoping to light a fire in Veach, Cobb persuaded Harry Heilmann, who followed Veach in the batting order, to taunt Veach from the on-deck circle. "I want you to make him mad. Real mad. . . . [W]hile you're waiting, call him a yellow belly, a quitter and a dog. … Take that smile off his face". The tactic may have worked, as Veach had career-highs in RBIs (126) and home runs (16), and his batting average jumped from .308 to .338. Cobb had promised to tell Veach about the scheme when the season was over, but never did. When Heilmann tried to explain, Veach reportedly snarled, "Don't come sucking around me with that phony line". Veach never forgave Heilmann.[8]

En los ocho años desde 1915 hasta 1922, Veach tuvo 852 carreras impulsadas y 450 hits extrabases , más que cualquier otro jugador. Los cinco primeros en carreras impulsadas durante estos ocho años:

  1. Bobby Veach - 852
  2. Ty Cobb - 723
  3. Babe Ruth - 635
  4. George Sisler - 612
  5. Altavoz Tris - 585

Los cinco primeros en hits de extra base:

  1. Bobby Veach - 450
  2. Rut - 445
  3. Altavoz - 444
  4. Cobb - 418
  5. Sisler - 402

Estadísticas de carrera:

GRAMOABRH2B3BHORARBISBCScama y desayunoENTONCESlicenciado en LetrasOBPSLGtuberculosisSHHTAFLD%
18216656953 (a)2063393147641166 (b)19584571367.310.370.442294227159.964
  • Note:(a) Baseball Reference and Retrosheet list his runs at 957. Baseball Almanac, The Baseball Cube and Fangraphs list his runs at 953. MLB.com list his runs at 952.
  • (b) Baseball Reference and Retrosheet list his RBI total at 1174. Baseball Almanac, The Baseball Cube, Fangraphs, and MLB.com list his RBI total at 1166.

Veach as a left fielder[edit]

In addition to his batting skills, Veach's speed and strong arm made him a fine left fielder. He led the American League in games played in left field seven times (1914–1915, 1917–1918, and 1920–1922). He led the American League in putouts by an outfielder in 1921 with 384. He also led the league in assists with 26 in 1920.

Veach's 206 career assists and 2.28 range factor are among the top 10 in Major League history for left fielders. Though left fielders generally receive fewer fielding chances than other outfielders, Veach regularly covered more ground and accepted more chances than the league average for all outfielders. His 1921 range factor of 2.72 is one of the highest season totals for a left fielder in Major League history. His 384 putouts in 1921 and 26 assists in 1920 are also among the highest by a left fielder since 1900.

Veach's range as an outfielder is also shown by a comparison with Ty Cobb, the center fielder he played beside for most of his career. In 1914, Veach had 282 putouts and 22 assists, compared to 177 and 8 for Cobb.[9] Though center fielders typically receive more chances, and Cobb had a reputation as a fine center fielder, Veach bested Cobb in chances in seven of the nine years they played side by side in the Detroit outfield: 1914 (304–185), 1916 (356–343), 1918 (291–237), 1919 (352–291), 1920 (383–254), 1921 (405–328), and 1922 (391–344).

Boston and New York[edit]

In 1923, Veach continued to hit for average at .321, but his RBI production dropped to 39. In January 1924, the Tigers sold Veach to the Boston Red Sox. That year, Veach regained his power, hitting 99 RBIs and 49 extra base hits.

In May 1925, the Red Sox traded Veach to the New York Yankees. Veach played 56 games for the Yankees, batting .353 with a .474 slugging percentage. On August 9, 1925, in his final season, Veach became the only player to pinch hit for Babe Ruth in the years after Babe switched from a pitcher to an outfielder. The Chicago Tribune reported the next day: "The fans were treated to the unusual spectacle of His Royal Highness being yanked for a pinch hitter."[10]

Washington[edit]

The Yankees released Veach less than two weeks later, and Veach was picked up by the Washington Senators. This proved to be good luck for Veach, as the Senators won the 1925 pennant. On September 19, 1925, Veach broke up Ted Lyons's bid for a no-hitter with a two-out ninth-inning single. The young Goose Goslin got the start for the Senators at left field, but Veach got one at bat in the World Series pinch-hitting for Muddy Ruel in Game 2. Fittingly, Veach collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly in his final Major League at bat.[11]

Toledo[edit]

After ending his Major League career in 1925, Veach played four seasons with the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association from 1926 to 1929. In 1927, a 39-year-old Veach led the Mud Hens (with manager Casey Stengel) to their first American Association crown with a 101–67 record. Veach had a .363 batting average and drove in a league-leading 145 RBIs. The next year, at age 40, Veach hit .382 to capture the 1928 American Association batting crown.[12]

Later years[edit]

In December 1943, Veach underwent an abdominal operation at Grace Hospital in Detroit. Veach died in 1945 at his home in Detroit after a long illness at the age of 57. Veach was survived by his wife and three sons. Veach was buried at White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.

See also[edit]

  • List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h John Ward (1915). "Robert Veach and the $100,000 Outfield: The Sensational Rise of a Young Coal Miner and How He Became a Member of the Greatest Outfield of History" (PDF). The Baseball Magazine.
  2. ^ a b c "Bobby Veach Minor League Statistics". baseball-reference.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Bobby Veach". baseball-reference.com.
  4. ^ a b "1914 American League Batting Leaders". baseball-reference.com.
  5. ^ a b "1915 American League Batting Leaders". baseball-reference.com.
  6. ^ Bill James (2001). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. pp. 673–674.
  7. ^ "1915 Detroit Tigers". baseball-reference.com.
  8. ^ Al Stump (1994). Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball. pp. 327–328.
  9. ^ 1914 Detroit Tigers Statistics and Roster – Baseball-Reference.com at www.baseball-reference.com
  10. ^ Condon, David (29 December 1961). "In the Wake of the News..." The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Washington Senators 2". Retrosheet. October 8, 1925.
  12. ^ American Association Almanac Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine at www.americanassociationalmanac.com

Further reading[edit]

  • O'Leary, Bob. "Bobby Veach". SABR. Retrieved October 23, 2017.

External links[edit]

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
  • Bobby Veach at Find a Grave
Achievements
Preceded by
George Burns		 Hitting for the cycle
September 17, 1920		Succeeded by
Bob Meusel