Virgil Trucks
Encyclopedia
Virgil Oliver Trucks 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
.
s 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).
, 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.http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10286/1094612-63.stm
, 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
. He is married to Elizabeth Ann Newman
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in 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...
. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1941–1943, 1945–1952, 1956), St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1953), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1953–1955), Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1958) and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1958). He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
.
Career
In a 17-season career, Virgil "Fire" Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 1,534 strikeoutStrikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 3.39 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 2,682.2 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. 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 PiratesPittsburgh 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...
, winning the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
with them against his old team the Yankees. He continued coaching with the Pirates then the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and finally ending his MLB career with the Tigers in 1974.http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10286/1094612-63.stm
Personal life
Trucks is the uncle of Butch Trucks, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. Trucks' great nephew, DerekDerek Trucks
Derek Trucks is a Grammy Award-winning, American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He founded The Derek Trucks Band and worked as a session musician when he was still in his early teens. Throughout those teenage years, he toured with The Allman Brothers Band primarily as a slide...
, 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
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
article, he lives in Calera, Alabama
Calera, Alabama
Calera is a city in Chilton and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the location of Birmingham's Shelby County Airport. Its population was 3,158 at the 2000 census, but as of 2010 the population had nearly quadrupled to 11,620 making it the fastest growing city in...
. He is married to Elizabeth Ann Newman
Highlights
- Twice made American League All-Star team (1949, 1954)
- Fifth in American League MVPMLB Most Valuable Player AwardThe Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
vote (1953, behind Al RosenAl RosenAlbert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
, Yogi BerraYogi BerraLawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, Mickey VernonMickey VernonJames Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...
and Minnie Miñoso) - Led AL in strikeouts (1949 [153])
- Twice led AL in shutoutShutoutIn team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s (1949 [6], 1954 [5]) - While with the Tigers in , Trucks had a 5-19 record; however, two of those victories were no-hitterNo-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s, both by a score of 1-0, against the Washington SenatorsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on May 15, and New York Yankees on August 25, joining Johnny Vander Meer, Allie ReynoldsAllie ReynoldsAllie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
, Roy HalladayRoy HalladayHarry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Nolan RyanNolan RyanLynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
as the only major league pitchers to accomplish this feat in a single season. - During his minor leagueMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
career, set a record with 418 SO in a single season (1938) and also pitched four no-hitters. - Trucks had been out of the NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
less than two weeks before his start in the second game of the 1945 World Series1945 World Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. 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 IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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 season1945 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers was the team's 45th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. It was the second World Series championship for the Tigers...
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters