Bobby Veach
| Birthdate | 06/29/1888 |
| Death Date | 08/07/1945 |
| Debut Year | 1912 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Red Sox, Senators, Tigers, Yankees |
| Position | Left Field |
Once a pinch hitter for Babe Ruth, Bobby Veach led all of Major League Baseball in runs batted in and extra base hits from 1915-1922.
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Veach played in one of the greatest outfields of all time with Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford
Veach played in one of the greatest outfields of all time with Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford
The 1915 Tigers outfield is perhaps the greatest of all time. It featured the great Ty Cobb in center, all-time triples leader Sam Crawford in right, and underappreciated Bobby Veach in left.
That season first second and third in RBI and total bases, the only time in big league history outfield teammates have done it. Cobb hit .369 and won the batting title.
Veach hit .312 and paced the circuit with 40 doubles. Crawford led the league in triples with 19. The pair finished tied for the American League lead with 112 RBI.
Both Cobb and Crawford are in the Hall of Fame. Many believe Veach belongs there too. Veach is the only man with at least 2,000 hits and a .310 average without a Cooperstown plaque.
The Tigers outfielder finished in the league’s top-10 in batting average six times, on-base percentage four times, and slugging percentage five times.
He was in the AL’s top-10 in hits, doubles, triples, and total bases eight times each. In three seasons he outdistanced all AL batters in runs batted in, finishing in the top-10 in ten campaigns.
In this letter of September 9, 1987 former commissioner Happy Chandler writes about Bobby Veach and the Hall. The letter reads, “Bobby Veach is certainly worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame. However, the 75% rule has kept many like Bobby out of the Hall of Fame. If we could get that rule changed, many more worthy players would be elected.”
Late in his career Bobby Veach played in his only World Series in 1925 with the Senators
Late in his career Bobby Veach played in his only World Series in 1925 with the Senators
Bobby Veach roamed big league outfields for 14 years. Though he played on many fine teams, Veach reached the World Series only once.
In 1925, his final season in the Show, Veach played for the Red Sox and Yankees before finishing the year with the Senators. Selected by Bucky Harris’ Washington club off of waivers on August 17th, Veach appeared in 18 games for the DC team.
The Senators won the American League pennant and took Veach to his only Fall Classic. In the 7-game loss to the Pirates, Veach had an RBI in his only at bat.
Shown above is a letter written and signed by manager Harris. Dated 17 days before the opening of the 1925 World Series, the letter reads, “As the World Series approaches we need your help to have a winning team. Hope you have made arrangements to come at once. You will be a great help to the team. The players seem to have more courage and pep when you’re around. Please do not fail us. Sincerely, Stanley “Bucky” Harris”
Letters from this era handwritten by members of the Hall of Fame are rarely seen.
Does Bobby Veach have a case for induction into the Hall of Fame?
Does Bobby Veach have a case for induction into the Hall of Fame?
Veach has numbers for a strong Cooperstown candidacy. Three times he led the league in RBI while posting 100+ in three additional seasons. Twice he lead the league in doubles, once in triples and hits.
The leftfielder has a .310 lifetime batting average to go along with a .370 on-base mark. Does Bobby Veach belong in Cooperstown?
Hall of Famer Joe Sewell says yes. In this handwritten letter, Sewell lends his support to the former outfielder, writing “Bob Veach was a great player…He should be in the Hall of Fame…”
The two men played against each other in the American League for five seasons, Sewell as a member of the Indians at the start of his career; Veach as his career wound down with Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, and Senators.
