Books and articles about Bobby Veach

Veach was the Tigers' lefthanded-hitting left fielder for more than 11 years and batted .306 or better in 8 of them. He drove in at least 100 runs six times, tied teammate Sam Crawford for the AL lead with 112 RBI in 1915, and led with 103 RBI in 1917 and 78 in the war-shortened 1918 season. Yet Veach was overshadowed by Hall of Fame teammates Crawford, Ty Cobb, and, later, Harry Heilmann. In 1919 he topped the league in hits, doubles, and triples but finished second to Cobb in the AL batting race, hitting .355 to Cobb's .384.

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With the Yankees in 1925, Veach once pinch hit for Babe Ruth. He went to the pennant-winning Senators that August, and in the closing weeks of the season he broke up Ted Lyons's bid for a no-hitter with a two-out ninth-inning single. After ending his ML career with his only World Series appearance, he played for Toledo (American Association) in 1926-29. At the age of forty he hit .382 to capture the 1928 AA batting crown. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 22, 1915: In the 2nd inning of Game One of a doubleheader versus Detroit, the crowd sees the Senators score a run with no times at bat., the only time its ever happened. Chick Gandil and Merito Acosta walk; Buff Williams sacrifices, and George McBride hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Gandil, and the Tigers catch Acosta off 2B when OF Bobby Veach throws to Ossie Vitt. Washington's Walter Johnson goes on to win, 8–1, and snap the Tigers' 9-game win streak. » June 9, 1916: In Detroit, consecutive doubles by Bobby Veach and George Burns stop Ruth's scoreless innings at 25. Ruth evens the score with a longest drive ever seen at Navin Field, into the RF bleachers. When Ruth tires in the 9th, Carl Mays relieves and loses, 6–5. Ruth is 3-for-3 at bat. » July 30, 1917: The Tigers Ty Cobb, Bobby Veach, and Ossie Vitt follow each other in the lineup, each going 5-for-5 in a 16–4 win over Washington. Having three players collect five hits ties the major-league record for the century. Cobb also scores five times. » September 17, 1920: The Tigers Bobby Veach and the Giants George Burns hit for the cycle, the only time it has ever happened twice in the same day. The Giants beat Pittsburgh in 10 innings, 4–3, as Burns adds a 2nd double to his cycle. Detroit, behind Veach's 6-for-6, outlasts Boston in 12 innings, despite 20 Bosox batters receiving walks. Eight Tigers walk. » September 8, 1922: Detroit beats the Browns, 8–3, on Bobby Veach's two homers off Urban Shocker. First baseman Lu Blue pulls off two unassisted DPs, tying the American League record, and both are off line drives by Johnny Tobin. » January 12, 1924: OF Bobby Veach is sold by the Tigers to Boston. » May 5, 1925: Everett Scott is benched by New York manager Miller Huggins, ending his record 1,307-game playing streak. Pee Wee Wanninger replaces him at SS in the 6–2 loss to the A's. Scott will soon go to Washington on waivers. The Yanks send lefty P Ray Francis to the Red Sox for OF Bobby Veach and P Alex Ferguson. The two will be waived together in August. » September 19, 1925: In the 2nd game of a twinbill, the White Sox take a 15–0 lead against Washington after five innings, but Chicago P Ted Lyons will have to pitch to 18 different batters as Senators manager Bucky Harris juggles his lineup and sends in pinch hitters. With a no-hitter going, Lyons continues to bear down. Finally, with two out in the 9th, Washington's Bobby Veach gets a base hit to break the no-hitter. The final is 17-0 for Lyons with Tom Zachary taking the loss. Washington outfielder Sam Rice's streak of nine hits in a row is stopped, but he will end the season with 182 singles, an American League record until 1980. Washington takes the opener, 3–2, behind Dutch Ruether.