Virgil Trucks

Virgil Trucks
Trucks during his tenure with the Browns
Pitcher
Born: April 26, 1917 (1917-04-26) Birmingham, Alabama
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 27, 1941 for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
September 26, 1958 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics
Win–Loss record	177–135
Earned run average	3.39
Strikeouts	1,534
Teams
Detroit Tigers (1941–1952) St. Louis Browns (1953) Chicago White Sox (1953–1955) Detroit Tigers (1956) Kansas City Athletics (1957–1958) New York Yankees (1958)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star selection (1949, 1954) World Series champion (1945) Pitched two no-hitters

Virgil Oliver Trucks (born April 26, 1917) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers (1941–1943, 1945–1952, 1956), St. Louis Browns (1953), Chicago White Sox (1953–1955), Kansas City Athletics (1958) and New York Yankees (1958). He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama.

Career

In a 17-season career, Virgil "Fire" Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 1,534 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA in 2,682.2 innings pitched. In 1952, despite a 5-19 record, Trucks became just the third Major League pitcher to hurl two no-hitters in one season (two others have since matched the feat).

Coaching

After retiring as a player Trucks joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the 1960 World Series with them against his old team the Yankees. He continued coaching with the Pirates then the Atlanta Braves and finally ending his MLB career with the Tigers in 1974.[1]

Personal life

Trucks is the uncle of Butch Trucks, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. Trucks' great nephew, Derek, is also currently a member of the Allman Brothers Band and fronts his own band, The Derek Trucks Band. In addition, several of Trucks' other relatives are accomplished musicians.

According to a 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, he lives in Calera, Alabama.^{[citation needed]}He is married to Elizabeth Ann Newman

Best season

• 1953 - 20-10, 149 SO, 2.93 ERA, including eight straight victories.

Highlights

• Twice made American League All-Star team (1949, 1954)
• Fifth in American League MVP vote (1953, behind Al Rosen, Yogi Berra, Mickey Vernon and Minnie Miñoso)
• Led AL in strikeouts (1949 [153])
• Twice led AL in shutouts (1949 [6], 1954 [5])
• While with the Tigers in 1952, Trucks had a 5-19 record; however, two of those victories were no-hitters, both by a score of 1-0, against the Washington Senators on May 15, and New York Yankees on August 25, joining Johnny Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds, Roy Halladay and Nolan Ryan as the only major league pitchers to accomplish this feat in a single season.
• During his minor league career, set a record with 418 SO in a single season (1938) and also pitched four no-hitters.
• Trucks had been out of the Navy less than two weeks before his start in the second game of the 1945 World Series. The leagues waived the rule requiring players to have been on the team's roster by September 1 to qualify for post-season play, because of the circumstances of World War II. He defeated the Cubs in that game.
• One of a very small number of pitchers traded in a season during which he would eventually win 20 or more games. In 1953 Trucks went 5-4 for the St. Louis Browns (AL) before being traded to the Chicago White Sox (AL) where he went 15-6 for an overall season record of 20-10.
• As of 2011, Trucks is the oldest living pitcher to have thrown a Major League no-hitter.

See also

• Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
• 1945 Detroit Tigers season
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Sources

• Baseball Library
• Baseball Reference

Preceded by Bob Feller	American League Strikeout Champion 1949	Succeeded by Bob Lemon
Preceded by Allie Reynolds Carl Erskine	No-hitter pitcher May 15, 1952 August 25, 1952	Succeeded by Carl Erskine Bobo Holloman