Peek-A-Boo Veach
Encyclopedia
William Walter "Peek-A-Boo" Veach (June 15, 1862 – November 12, 1937) was an American
Major League Baseball
player born in Indianapolis, Indiana
. Veach began his career with the ill-fated Union Association
in when he joined the Kansas City Cowboys
as a pitcher
/outfielder
. As a pitcher he started and completed
all 12 games in which he pitched, resulting in a 3 win and 9 loss record. Three years later he pitched just one game for the Louisville Colonels
, a complete game loss. This would be the last game he would pitch in the majors until he returned three later in , this time as a first baseman
, splitting time with the Cleveland Spiders
and the Pittsburg Alleghenys
. As a batter, he had career total that included a .215 batting average
and three home run
s.
Veach acquired his nickname when playing for Kansas City in 1884. It was during this season that his manager
Ted Sullivan
had set up timing plays to pick runners off first base through the use of signals that Veach would have to wait and look for. Players had caught on to this trick and began calling him Peek-A-Boo because he would be looking around for signals. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War
, so near the end of his life he admitted into the United States Hospital in Indianapolis. It was here that he died at the age of 75, and is interred at Floral Park Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player born in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Veach began his career with the ill-fated Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
in when he joined the Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a team in the Union Association during its only season, . Referred to as the "Cowboys" mostly by historians, they had no official nickname during their short life and were most frequently referred to by local press of the day as the "Unions" and by the press of other...
as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
/outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. As a pitcher he started and completed
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
all 12 games in which he pitched, resulting in a 3 win and 9 loss record. Three years later he pitched just one game for the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
, a complete game loss. This would be the last game he would pitch in the majors until he returned three later in , this time as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, splitting time with the Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
and the Pittsburg Alleghenys
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. As a batter, he had career total that included a .215 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and three home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s.
Veach acquired his nickname when playing for Kansas City in 1884. It was during this season that his manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Ted Sullivan
Ted Sullivan (baseball)
Timothy Paul "Ted" Sullivan was an Irish-American manager and player in Major League Baseball who was born in County Clare, Ireland.-Career:...
had set up timing plays to pick runners off first base through the use of signals that Veach would have to wait and look for. Players had caught on to this trick and began calling him Peek-A-Boo because he would be looking around for signals. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, so near the end of his life he admitted into the United States Hospital in Indianapolis. It was here that he died at the age of 75, and is interred at Floral Park Cemetery.