Coot Veal – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Orville Inman “Coot” Veal carved out a unique niche in Major League Baseball in the late 1950s and early 1960s. People recognized him as one of the era’s most skilled defensive shortstops.

He was born in Deepstep, Georgia, in 1932. Veal’s journey through pro baseball really showed the classic “good field, no hit” type—someone who relied on top-notch defense to keep his job in the big leagues.

Veal retired from professional baseball in 1965. He spent his final MLB season with the Detroit Tigers in 1963, wrapping up a career that spanned parts of six major league seasons.

He played for three organizations: the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Veal demonstrated defensive excellence that managers valued, even though his bat never quite kept up.

But the story of Coot Veal isn’t just about numbers or game logs. His path from a tiny Georgia town to the majors shows the kind of dedication baseball demands at its highest level.

His life after baseball, and the way he impacted his community, says a lot about his character. Veal seemed to understand that real success goes way beyond what happens on the field.

Early Life and Education

Orville Inman “Coot” Veal was born July 9, 1932, in Deepstep, Georgia, to a family with baseball roots. He shined in several sports during high school in Macon and earned a scholarship to Auburn University, where he played both basketball and baseball.

Family Background

Coot Veal was the middle child of three sons in a family of four children. His parents, Forrest Watson Veal and Mary Glenn Veal, raised him in Deepstep.

Forrest worked as a railroad engineer, but he also had a brief shot at professional baseball. He played one season in Spartanburg, South Carolina, before an arm injury forced him to stop.

Baseball ran deep in the Veal house. Coot idolized St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Marty Marion and spent hours playing backyard pepper with his dad, using a glove just like Marion’s.

When Coot was four, his family moved to Macon, Georgia. That move ended up being pretty important for his athletic future.

Growing Up in Georgia

At Lanier High School in Macon, Coot stood out in several sports. He earned All-State honors in both basketball and baseball, proving his versatility.

His baseball achievements grabbed special attention. Coot put together a 45-game hitting streak over three seasons, which is just wild. That kind of consistency at the plate led to him being named MVP of the 1950 state All-Star Game at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta.

The nickname “Coot” has an odd origin. Veal remembered his coach calling him “Kook” after a third baseman from a barnstorming Black team. The name eventually morphed into “Coot” during college.

Coot graduated high school in 1950 and enrolled at Mercer University in Macon. But he only stayed for a year.

Auburn University Athletic Career

Coot transferred to Auburn University on a baseball scholarship. As a sophomore, he played both baseball and basketball, showing off the same athleticism he had in high school.

On the basketball court, he played guard and led the team in both scoring and assists. His play was so good that Kentucky’s legendary coach Adolph Rupp named Veal to his annual All-Star Team.

His baseball stats at Auburn were solid too. Coot hit .314 and led the team in hits.

Detroit Tigers scout Bill Pierre had his eye on Veal since high school and kept tabs on him at Auburn. Pierre told Coot he could sign with the Tigers whenever he was ready.

After his sophomore year, Coot decided to make the leap. “After my sophomore year I called him,” Veal said. “It was my aspiration to go to Detroit because he had taken a personal interest in me.”

Path to Professional Baseball

Coot Veal’s journey from Georgia high school standout to Major League Baseball started when Detroit Tigers scout Bill Pierre noticed his defensive skills and followed him through high school and college. After starring at Auburn, Veal signed with the Tigers in 1952 and spent six years working his way through the minors before finally making his MLB debut in 1958.

Signing with Detroit Tigers

Veal’s path to pro ball kicked off at Lanier High School, where he got All-State honors in basketball and baseball. That 45-game hitting streak and MVP award at the 1950 state All-Star Game really set him apart.

After high school, he spent a year at Mercer before transferring to Auburn on a baseball scholarship. As a sophomore, he hit .314 and led the team in hits.

Bill Pierre, the Tigers scout, stayed in touch the whole time. “It was my aspiration to go to Detroit because he had taken a personal interest in me,” Veal said.

In June 1952, Veal—standing 6’1″ and weighing 165 pounds—signed with Detroit for $18,000. He said he “would have gotten more, but Harvey Kuenn, another shortstop, had signed a week earlier for $45,000 to $50,000.”

Minor League Development

Veal started his minor league career right after marrying his high school sweetheart, Mary. In 1952, he played for three teams—Durham, Williamsport, and Jamestown—and hit .418 in 13 games.

The next few years were tough. Veal bounced between teams and struggled at the plate, hitting just .231 over five seasons. “I was a contact hitter who sprayed the ball around,” Veal explained. “I had always been a good hitter, but my first year in spring training, 1953, I was given three or four different hitting instructors who taught me three or four different ways to hit. It was confusing.”

Even though he had trouble hitting, Veal’s glove stood out. At Augusta, he led the South Atlantic League in fielding percentage. In 1957 at Birmingham, he made the Southern League All-Star Team.

The minor league grind wasn’t easy on his family. “I played in strictly bus leagues. A 600-mile trip was nothing. When our kids got older it got tougher moving about. We moved every summer.”

MLB Debut and Early Impressions

After six years in the minors, Veal finally got the call in July 1958. He was at a movie in Memphis with Birmingham teammates when someone paged him to return to the hotel. “My manager was standing outside waving, telling me to calm down. He said, ‘You’re going up to the Tigers.’ I said you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Veal made his MLB debut on July 30, 1958, against the Boston Red Sox. “My knees were shaking. The first time up I got a hit down the third-base line off Ike Delock. That was a thrill.”

He made an immediate impact. Veal got hits in his first six games, and the Tigers enjoyed their longest winning streak of the season.

By late August, he was batting .306 as Detroit chased a first-division finish.

Tigers manager Jack Tighe said in spring training, “I like that fellow, Coot Veal, we are trying out. He’s a great glove man and we could afford to carry him for that alone.”

Casey Stengel noticed too, asking, “Where ya’ been hidin’ that Cooter Veal?” after seeing him play.

Veal finished his rookie season hitting .256 with a .981 fielding percentage—best among regular American League shortstops. He even landed a spot on The Sporting News MLB All-Star Rookie Team.

Major League Baseball Career Overview

Coot Veal’s MLB career spanned six seasons from 1958 to 1963. He played in 247 games for three teams and put up a .231 batting average. His defense, though, really set him apart—people considered him one of the best fielding shortstops of his time.

Years with Detroit Tigers

Veal debuted for the Detroit Tigers on July 30, 1958, at 26. In his first at-bat, he knocked a hit down the third-base line off Ike Delock.

He started strong, getting hits in his first six games. By the end of August 1958, he was hitting .306 and helped the Tigers go on their longest winning streak of the year.

His bat cooled off in September, and he finished his first season with a .256 batting average. Still, Veal posted a .981 fielding percentage—best among regular American League shortstops that year.

His defense earned him a spot on The Sporting News MLB All-Star Rookie Team. Casey Stengel even asked, “Where ya’ been hidin’ that Cooter Veal?”

The 1959 season was rougher. The Tigers brought in veteran Rocky Bridges, and manager Jimmy Dykes gave Veal just 77 games and 104 plate appearances. He hit .202 that year.

On August 11, 1959, Veal hit his only career home run off Billy Pierce in an 8-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. He returned to Detroit briefly in 1960 and 1963, putting up a .297 average in limited action in 1960.

Washington Senators Expansion and Key Moments

The 1961 MLB expansion draft changed things for Veal. The Los Angeles Angels picked him 27th overall, then traded him to the Washington Senators for Ken Aspromonte.

Veal won the starting shortstop job with the expansion Senators. On Opening Day 1961, batting leadoff, he hit an infield single for the first hit in the new Washington franchise’s history.

He started the season hot, leading the team with a .429 batting average and .500 on-base percentage through four games. But a groin injury from a collision with catcher Earl Battey in early May slowed him down.

That injury really messed with his game. His average dropped to .205, and he lost his starting spot.

Veal finished the 1961 season hitting .202 in 69 games. Even with the struggles, he had a couple memorable moments, like catching home run balls from Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris while in the outfield bullpen.

Brief Stint with Pittsburgh Pirates

The Washington Senators sold Veal to the Pittsburgh Pirates in November 1961. Manager Danny Murtaugh thought about moving Dick Groat to third and making Veal the starting shortstop.

That plan didn’t happen. Don Hoak played well at third, so Groat stayed at shortstop. Veal made the Pirates’ Opening Day roster but only got into one game as a pinch-hitter by early May.

The Pirates sent him down to Columbus in the International League, where he struggled at the plate. That short stint with Pittsburgh pretty much signaled the end of his MLB career.

Veal returned to Detroit for a final season in 1963, playing sparingly before retiring from professional baseball. His MLB career wrapped up on June 20, 1963, at age 30.

Playing Positions and Defensive Skills

Coot Veal built his pro baseball career on exceptional defensive skills. He mostly played shortstop and earned a reputation as one of the best fielders of his era.

He sometimes filled in at second or third base, but his glove at shortstop is what people really remember from his six years in the majors.

Primary Role as Shortstop

Coot Veal really made a name for himself as a top defensive shortstop from 1958 to 1963. He finished with a .976 fielding percentage, actually beating Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio by four points.

Casey Stengel saw Veal play and said, “Where ya’ been hidin’ that Cooter Veal?” Cal Ermer, who managed Veal in Birmingham, told people, “He can make all the plays that Luis Aparicio makes.”

In his 1958 rookie season with Detroit, Veal put up a .981 fielding percentage. No other regular American League shortstop topped that mark that year.

He made The Sporting News MLB All-Star Rookie Team thanks to his defense. Veal had a knack for the spectacular, like in a Southern League All-Star game when he slipped in the mud behind second, got his face dirty, and still threw out the runner at second.

Contributions at Third Base and Second Base

Shortstop was his main spot, but Veal also played second and third base when teams needed him. The Pittsburgh Pirates once thought about moving him to shortstop and shifting Dick Groat to third, but that never actually happened.

He brought value with his ability to handle multiple infield positions. That versatility mattered even more in his later years, when teams used him as a utility infielder.

Jack Tighe, who managed the Tigers, appreciated Veal’s defensive flexibility. He said, “He’s a great glove man and we could afford to carry him for that alone.” That kind of flexibility really helped Veal stick around in the majors, even though he didn’t hit much.

Defensive Reputation and Fielding Statistics

People in the minors already knew Veal for his defense before he made it to the majors. He led the South Atlantic League in fielding percentage while playing at Augusta. In 1957, he made the Southern League All-Star Team thanks to that same steady glove.

Key Defensive Statistics:

• Career fielding percentage: .976
• 1958 AL shortstop fielding leader: .981
• Higher than Luis Aparicio’s .972 career average

Writers often praised his glove, even if his bat didn’t impress. One columnist called him “the slickest-fielding shortstop the Southern League has seen in decades.”

Veal was the kind of shortstop teams wanted back then—defense first, hitting second (or third). He really fit the “good field, no hit” mold that clubs loved in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

Professional Achievements and Statistical Highlights

From 1958 to 1963, Coot Veal played six seasons in the majors, showing off exceptional defensive skills at shortstop. He got recognized as one of the league’s best fielders, even if his offense was never the main story.

His .981 fielding percentage in 1958 led all American League shortstops. He reached several milestones while bouncing between three teams.

Career Batting Statistics

Veal finished with a .231 career batting average in 247 MLB games. He picked up 141 hits, scored 75 runs, and had 51 RBIs while playing for the Tigers, Senators, and Pirates.

He only hit one home run, and that was on August 11, 1959, against the White Sox off Billy Pierce. The ball barely cleared Tiger Stadium’s left-field fence.

Veal managed a quirky stat line: his on-base percentage (.298) was higher than his slugging percentage (.288). That really shows he was a contact hitter—he didn’t strike out much, but he didn’t hit for power either.

His best season with the bat came in 1958, his rookie year in Detroit. He hit .256 while starting at shortstop most days. By late August, he was batting .306, but he cooled off in September.

Memorable Games and Milestones

Veal debuted in the majors on July 30, 1958, against the Red Sox. In his first at-bat, he smacked a hit down the third-base line off Ike Delock. He hit safely in his first six games, and the Tigers won all six.

On Opening Day 1961, Veal became the first player to get a hit for the new Washington Senators. His infield single as the leadoff batter set the mark for the first hit in team history at Griffith Stadium.

That lone home run? Veal joked he “knocked two people out of the game at the same time.” Outfielder Al Smith got hurt trying to catch it, and pitcher Pierce got pulled for a pinch-hitter not long after.

In 1961, Veal caught home run balls by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris while working in the Senators’ bullpen. Those were Mantle’s 44th and Maris’s 45th homers during Maris’s famous season.

Awards and Honors

Veal’s defense earned him a spot on The Sporting News MLB All-Star Rookie Team in 1958. He led all regular AL shortstops in fielding percentage that year.

Managers and scouts kept praising his glove. Casey Stengel, after watching Veal play, asked, “Where ya’ been hidin’ that Cooter Veal?” Cal Ermer, his 1958 Birmingham manager, said, “He can make all the plays that Luis Aparicio makes.”

Veal’s career fielding percentage of .976 beat Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio by four points. That number really shows how sharp he was defensively.

In the minors, he made the Southern League All-Star Team in 1957 with Birmingham. He also led the South Atlantic League in fielding percentage while at Augusta.

Life After Retirement and Legacy

After he retired in 1963, Orville Inman “Coot” Veal headed back home to Macon, Georgia. He built a quiet life away from the baseball spotlight.

His legacy as a skilled, steady shortstop stuck around, thanks to that memorable nickname and his contributions in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

Post-Baseball Career

After hanging up his spikes in 1963, Coot Veal moved back to Macon, Georgia. He decided to keep a low profile after finishing his six-year MLB run.

Veal stayed in his hometown for many years. The shift from baseball to regular life let him focus on family and things outside the spotlight.

Unlike some former players who stayed in the game as coaches or broadcasters, Veal mostly stepped away from baseball. He lived quietly in Georgia, far from the stadiums where he once showed off his defensive skills.

In his later years, he faced health challenges. He battled neuropathy for a long time before passing away on March 14, 2021, at age 88, with family by his side.

Community Involvement and Recognitions

Not much is known about Coot Veal’s community involvement after he retired. He mostly kept his life in Macon private.

Veal’s funeral was held at Haddock Baptist Church in March 2021, which suggests he had ties to the local church. Rev. Ron McClung led the service, so Veal probably had some relationships in that community.

Baseball historians and fans noticed when he passed. The RIP Baseball organization posted an obituary honoring his career and his defense.

The Society for American Baseball Research has kept records of his career, making sure stories and stats about Coot Veal stay around for future fans and researchers.

Lasting Impact on Baseball

Coot Veal’s nickname just sticks with you. Baseball writers have even joked that it deserved a spot in the Hall of Fame by itself.

Even now, fans still talk about that unusual name, years after he hung up his cleats.

People who saw him play shortstop remember his defense more than anything. Casey Stengel once blurted out, “Where ya’ been hidin’ that Cooter Veal?” after catching him in action, which says a lot about the respect Veal earned from legends.

Veal managed a quirky stat line too. His career on-base percentage (.298) actually topped his slugging percentage (.288), which really shows how much he focused on defense.

He finished with a .976 career fielding percentage, beating Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio by four points. That comparison makes Veal’s defensive skills look even more impressive, even if his bat never got much attention.