Virgil Trucks
| Virgil Trucks | |||
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Trucks during his tenure with the Browns
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: April 26, 1917 Birmingham, Alabama |
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Died: March 23, 2013 (aged 95) Calera, Alabama |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 27, 1941, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last MLB 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 | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Virgil Oliver "Fire" Trucks (April 26, 1917 – March 23, 2013) was a starting pitcher and coach 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.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Trucks posted a 177–135 won-loss record with 1,534 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA in 2,682.2 innings pitched over a 17-year career.
Trucks was a two-time All-Star and a two-time league leader in shutouts. In 1952, Trucks became the third major leaguer to throw two no-hitters in a season. After his playing career, Trucks coached for several years in the major leagues. At the time of his death in March 2013, he was one of the oldest living former major league players.
The Detroit Tigers signed Trucks as an amateur in 1938. In his first pro season, Trucks set a minor league record with 418 strikeouts. He also threw four no-hitters in the minors. He debuted with the Tigers in the fall of 1941.
Trucks missed two seasons due to military service in World War II and was discharged from the Navy less than two weeks before his start in the second game of the 1945 World Series. Because of the circumstances, the leagues waived the rule requiring players to have been on the team's roster by September 1 to qualify for post-season play. He defeated the Chicago Cubs in that game. (At the time of his death, he was the last living pitcher to face the Cubs in a World Series game.) The only other pitcher to win a post-season game without winning a regular season game is Chris Carpenter of the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals.
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