Pirates legend Bob Veale, World Series champion in 1971, dead at 89

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Longtime Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale, who helped the franchise win a World Series championship in 1971, died over the weekend at 89 years old. 

The Pirates released a statement on Veale, who spent 11 of his 13 seasons with Pittsburgh. 

"Bob was an integral member of the Pirates who helped our team capture back-to-back division titles as well as the 1971 World Series," team owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. "He was one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in all of Major League Baseball during his remarkable big league career that he proudly spent a majority of as a member of the Pirates. He was a great man who will be missed."

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Bob Veale poses in Pirates uniform. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Veale played the final two-and-a-half seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 1972-74. 

According to AL.com, Veale died "in his beloved hometown with his family by his side" over the weekend, though specifics were not made known. 

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Veale earned himself back-to-back All-Star nods in 1965 and 1966 during his Pirates career, which began in 1962 as a 26-year-old left-hander. 

Pitching in just 11 games that year, Veale earned a 3.74 ERA before making his name known with a 1.04 ERA over 34 games (seven starts) during the 1963 season. It came over just 77.2 innings of work, but the Pirates saw a starter they could utilize for years to come. 

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bob Veale (39) poses for a portrait at Forbes Field.  (Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

In 1964, Veale took on an even