Longtime Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale, who helped the team win the 1971 World Series, died over the weekend at age 89.
The Pirates released a statement about Ware, who spent 11 of 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.
“Bob was an integral part of the Pirates organization, helping our team win back-to-back division titles and the 1971 World Series,” team owner Bob Nutting said in a statement . “During his extraordinary major league career, he was one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in all of Major League Baseball, and he proudly spent most of his career with the Pirates. He was a great man. , we will miss him.
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Bob Weir posing in a pirate uniform. (Bateman Archives/Getty Images)
Ware played his final two and a half seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 1972-74.
AL.com reported that Ware “passed away over the weekend in his beloved hometown with his family by his side,” but details have not yet been released.
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Ware began his Pirates career as a 26-year-old southpaw in 1962 and was a back-to-back All-Star in 1965 and 1966.
Ware played in only 11 games that year and posted a 3.74 ERA, but he became known for his 1.04 ERA in 34 games (seven starts) during the 1963 season. Although he only lasted 77.2 innings, the Pirates saw a starter they could use for years to come.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale (39) poses for a photo at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
In 1964, Ware took on a heavier workload on the mound, pitching 279.2 innings (40 games) with a 2.74 ERA. He went 18-12 that season and led the league in striking out 250 batters.
Ware has 1,703 strikeouts in 1,926 innings during his career. During the 1971 World Series, Ware helped his Pirates win the championship over the Baltimore Orioles.
According to AL.com, Ware was traded to Boston mid-season in 1972, but not before making MLB history as part of a Pirates lineup that became the first-ever all-black or non-American. Latino lineup.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale (39) poses for a photo at Forbes Field. (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
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When Ware’s career ended, he ended up in the scouting departments of the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and also helped open the Black Confederacy Museum in his hometown of Birmingham in 2015.
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