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 "Donnie" Tyrone Veal (born September 18, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves. Donnie was first chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 2005 MLB draft. Today, he works as a pitching coach for the White Sox's minor league teams.
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Donnie Veal's Baseball Journey
Donnie Veal had an exciting career playing baseball. He started in college and then moved up to play in the major leagues. After his playing days, he became a coach.
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 began his professional career with the Cubs' rookie team. He also played for the Low-A Boise Hawks. In 2006, he played for the Single-A Peoria Chiefs and the High-A Daytona Cubs. He had a great year, winning 11 games and striking out 174 batters. For the next two years, 2007 and 2008, Donnie played for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies.
Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In December 2008, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Donnie in the Rule 5 draft. This special draft allows teams to pick players from other teams who are not protected. Donnie made his big league debut with the Pirates on April 7, 2009. He pitched one inning and struck out three batters. He spent the 2009 season helping the Pirates from the bullpen.
In 2010, Donnie had an arm injury. He needed a surgery called Tommy John surgery, which meant he missed the rest of the season. After recovering, he played in the minor leagues for the Pirates in 2011.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
Donnie signed with the Chicago White Sox in November 2011. He started the 2012 season with their Triple-A team, the Charlotte Knights. Later that year, he was called up to the major leagues. He pitched very well for the White Sox in 2012, with a low earned run average (ERA) of 1.38.
In 2013, Donnie played in 50 games for the White Sox. He continued to pitch from the bullpen. In 2014, he played in a few games for the White Sox before being sent back to the minor leagues. He then became a free agent.
Short Stint with the Atlanta Braves
In November 2014, Donnie signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. He started the 2015 season with their Triple-A team, the Gwinnett Braves. He was called up to the major leagues with the Braves in April 2015. However, after a few appearances, he was sent back to the minor leagues and later released by the Braves.
Independent League and Texas Rangers
After leaving the Braves, Donnie played for the Long Island Ducks in an independent baseball league in July 2015. He pitched very well for them. In December 2015, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He was released by the Rangers in April 2016.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Donnie Veal became a coach. In 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. Since 2024, he has been an assistant pitching coordinator for the White Sox.
Pitching Style
Donnie Veal mainly threw two types of pitches:
- A four-seam fastball that was very fast, usually between 91 and 94 miles per hour. He used this pitch to set up his other pitches.
- A curveball that was slower, around 77 to 79 miles per hour. His curveball was very effective and helped him get many strikeouts.
He also sometimes threw a changeup to right-handed batters and a two-seam fastball. His excellent curveball often made batters miss, and it also caused many ground balls.
See also
- Rule 5 draft results
