Donnie Veal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Donnie Veal |
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Veal with the Chicago White Sox
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 18, 1984 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 7, 2009, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 31, 2015, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 3–3 | ||
| Earned run average | 5.48 | ||
| Strikeouts | 73 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Donald Tyrone Veal (born September 18, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A pitcher is a player who throws the baseball from the mound to the catcher. Veal played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for three different teams. These teams were the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves. He was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the 2005 MLB draft. Today, he works as a pitching coach for the White Sox's minor league teams.
Contents
Playing Baseball
Starting with the Chicago Cubs
Donnie Veal was picked by the Chicago Cubs in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 68th player chosen overall. Before this, he played college baseball at Pima Community College and the University of Arizona.
He started his professional career in 2005 with the AZL Cubs and the Boise Hawks. In 2006, he played for the Peoria Chiefs and Daytona Cubs. He had a great year, winning 11 games and having a low 2.16 ERA. An ERA (Earned Run Average) shows how many runs a pitcher gives up per game. He also had 174 strikeouts that year. Veal then spent 2007 and 2008 playing for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies.
Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In December 2008, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked Veal in a special draft called the Rule 5 draft. This allowed him to join their team. He made his first Major League Baseball appearance on April 7, 2009. He pitched one inning, giving up one run but striking out three batters.
He spent the 2009 season with the Pirates, mostly pitching in relief. He played in 19 games that year. In 2010, Veal had an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery. This is a major surgery that helps pitchers recover from arm injuries. He missed the rest of the 2010 season because of it. After his surgery, he worked hard to get back to playing. He played for several minor league teams in 2011 as he recovered.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
In November 2011, Veal signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox. He started the 2012 season in Triple-A, which is one step below the Major Leagues. He was called up to the White Sox in July 2012.
Veal pitched very well for the White Sox in 2012. He appeared in 24 games and had a great 1.38 ERA. In 2013, he pitched in 50 games for the White Sox. He continued to play for them in 2014 before moving to their minor league team.
Short Time with the Atlanta Braves
In November 2014, Veal signed with the Atlanta Braves. He started the 2015 season in Triple-A. He was called up to the Braves' main team in April 2015. He pitched in a few games for them before being sent back to the minor leagues. He was released by the Braves in June 2015.
Later Career Teams
After playing for the Braves, Veal joined the Long Island Ducks in July 2015. This was an independent baseball league. He pitched very well for the Ducks, with a 1.45 ERA in 20 games. In December 2015, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He pitched in spring training but was released by the Rangers in April 2016.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Donnie Veal became a baseball coach. In February 2021, he was named the rehab pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox. This means he helped pitchers recover from injuries. In 2022 and 2023, he was the pitching coach for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. This is a team in the White Sox's minor league system. Before the 2024 season, he became an assistant pitching coordinator. In this role, he helps guide pitching development across the White Sox organization.
How He Pitched
Donnie Veal mainly threw two types of pitches. He used a four-seam fastball, which is a very fast pitch, usually around 91–94 miles per hour. He also threw a curveball, which is a slower pitch that curves as it gets to the batter. This pitch was around 77–79 miles per hour. He sometimes threw a changeup to right-handed batters. His curveball was very effective and helped him get many strikeouts.
See also
- Rule 5 draft results
