Virgil Trucks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Virgil Trucks |
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Trucks with the St. Louis Browns
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 26, 1917 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Died: March 23, 2013 (aged 95) Calera, Alabama, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 27, 1941, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 1958, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 177–135 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.39 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,534 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Virgil Oliver "Fireball" Trucks (born April 26, 1917 – died March 23, 2013) was a famous American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for several teams, including the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, and New York Yankees. His career lasted from 1941 to 1958. Virgil was known for throwing with his right hand.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Trucks had a great career. He won 177 games and lost 135. He also recorded 1,534 strikeouts and had a good ERA of 3.39. He pitched for over 2,600 innings during his 17 years in baseball.
Virgil Trucks was chosen for the All-Star team twice. He also led the league in shutouts two times. In 1952, he made history by throwing two no-hitters in one season. After he stopped playing, Trucks became a coach for several years. When he passed away in 2013, he was one of the oldest living former major league baseball players.
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Playing Career Highlights
The Detroit Tigers first signed Virgil Trucks in 1938 when he was an amateur player. In his very first season playing professionally, Trucks set a minor league record. He had an amazing 418 strikeouts! He also threw four no-hitters while playing in the minor leagues. He joined the Tigers' main team in the fall of 1941.
Serving in World War II
Trucks missed two baseball seasons because he served in World War II. He was in the Navy. He was released from the Navy less than two weeks before he started in the second game of the 1945 World Series. Because of the war, baseball leagues changed a rule. Players did not have to be on a team's roster by September 1 to play in the post-season.
In that World Series game, he helped his team win against the Chicago Cubs. At the time of his death, he was the last pitcher alive who had faced the Cubs in a World Series game. Only one other pitcher, Chris Carpenter, has won a post-season game without winning a regular season game.
All-Star Seasons and No-Hitters
In 1949, Trucks was picked for the MLB All-Star Game. That year, he led the league in both shutouts and strikeouts.
The year 1952 was very special for Trucks, even though his team, the Detroit Tigers, had a tough season. Trucks had a record of 5 wins and 19 losses, and the Tigers won only 50 games. Despite this, Trucks became only the third pitcher in major league history to throw two no-hitters in a single season. A no-hitter is when a pitcher completes a game without allowing the other team to get any hits. He won both of these no-hitters by a score of 1-0. He beat the Washington Senators on May 15 and the New York Yankees on August 25.
In the 1953 season, Trucks had a fantastic record of 20 wins and 10 losses. He also had 149 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA. He finished fifth in the voting for the American League MVP award. He was traded early that season from the St. Louis Browns to the Chicago White Sox. This made him one of the few pitchers to be traded during a season where they won 20 games. He earned his second All-Star selection in 1954. In that year, he led the American League in shutouts for the second time.
Besides his two no-hitters, Trucks also threw four one-hitters and four two-hitters during his major league career.
Life After Playing Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Virgil Trucks became a coach. He joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He even won the 1960 World Series with them when they played against his old team, the Yankees. He continued coaching with the Pirates for a while. Later, he coached for the Atlanta Braves. He finished his Major League Baseball coaching career with the Detroit Tigers in 1974.
Family Connections
Virgil Trucks was the uncle of Butch Trucks, who was a founding member of a famous band called The Allman Brothers Band. Virgil also had another nephew named Chris Trucks. Virgil's great-nephew, Duane (Chris's son), is a member of the band Widespread Panic. Duane's brother, Derek, is in a band with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, called Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek was also part of the final lineup of the Allman Brothers Band.
Later Years and Legacy
Virgil Trucks was honored for his achievements in baseball. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. Later, in 1985, he was also inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
In the summer of 2012, Trucks was injured in a fall, but he recovered well. He passed away on March 23, 2013, at the age of 95. He died in Calera, Alabama, after being hospitalized for pneumonia shortly before his death.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
