Bobby Veach - Career

Career

Bobby Veach was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1913 to 1923. Despite being one of the most productive hitters in baseball during his years in Detroit, Veach played in the shadows of three Detroit outfielders who won 16 batting titles and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb in center field and Sam Crawford followed by Harry Heilmann in right field. Noted baseball historian Robert Creamer described Veach as "urely one of the least remembered of the truly fine hitters”.

Veach put up impressive numbers as a batter and was a fine fielder as well. He led the American League in RBIs three times (1915, 1917, and 1918) and was among the league leaders 10 times. Nobody in baseball had as many RBIs or extra base hits as Veach did during 1915–1922. In 1919, playing in the final year of the "Dead-ball era," he led the American League in hits (191), doubles (41), and triples (17), and also hit .355—No. 2 behind Ty Cobb. Veach also ranked among the American League leaders in batting average six times and hit .306 or better in nine seasons. He had a career batting average of .311.

In addition to hitting for power and average, Veach could also play "small ball," and ranks No. 24 on the All Time Major League list with 271 sacrifice hits. He was also a fine fielder, collecting 3,754 putouts and 207 assists in left field. Veach was also the only player to pinch hit for Babe Ruth (August 9, 1925) in the years after the Babe was converted from a pitcher to an outfielder.

Baseball historian Bill James ranks Veach as the 33rd best left fielder of all time. (Bill James, "The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract" (2001), pp. 673–674)

Career statistics