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Virgil Oliver Trucks (born April 26 1917) is a former starting pitcher
Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher, often abbreviated as starter, is the pitcher who pitches the first pitch to the first batter of a game....
 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit, Michigan in ....
 (1941-1943, 1945-1952, 1956), St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball based in Baltimore. They are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1953), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major North American professional sports teams baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox presently play in the American League's American League Central in Major League Baseball....
 (1953-1955), Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the American League West of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1958) and New York Yankees
New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1958). He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
.

17-season career, Virgil "Fire" Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 1534 strikeout
Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strike during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher , although it is recognized that the style of swing that generates home runs also leaves the batter somewhat susceptible to striking out....
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. The ERA tells the average number of runs a pitcher would surrender over the course of a full game had he been kept in for the full nine innings....
 in 2682.2 innings pitched
Innings pitched

In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter s and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game....
.






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Virgil Oliver Trucks (born April 26 1917) is a former starting pitcher
Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher, often abbreviated as starter, is the pitcher who pitches the first pitch to the first batter of a game....
 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit, Michigan in ....
 (1941-1943, 1945-1952, 1956), St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball based in Baltimore. They are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1953), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major North American professional sports teams baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox presently play in the American League's American League Central in Major League Baseball....
 (1953-1955), Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the American League West of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1958) and New York Yankees
New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (1958). He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
.

Career

In a 17-season career, Virgil "Fire" Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 1534 strikeout
Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strike during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher , although it is recognized that the style of swing that generates home runs also leaves the batter somewhat susceptible to striking out....
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. The ERA tells the average number of runs a pitcher would surrender over the course of a full game had he been kept in for the full nine innings....
 in 2682.2 innings pitched
Innings pitched

In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter s and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game....
. Trucks had an excellent pre-war minor league career (1938-41). He threw 4 no-hitters in the minors and still holds the American Baseball strikeouts in a season record of 418 strikeouts (1938). He struck out another 30 batters in the playoffs.

Trucks is also the uncle of Butch Trucks, a founding member of the legendary group, the Allman Brothers Band. Trucks' great nephew, Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks

Derek Trucks is a Grammy Awards-nominated United States guitarist. He first attracted the attention of the music industry as a nine-year old child prodigy on the guitar, first playing with his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, and by age 12 was sitting in with several high profile artists, such as Buddy Guy, touring with The Allman Brothers Band...
, 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.

Best season

  • - 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
    MLB Most Valuable Player Award

    The Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America....
     vote (1953, behind Al Rosen
    Al Rosen

    Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", was an United States major league third baseman and right-handed slugger....
    , Yogi Berra
    Yogi Berra

    Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career for the New York Yankees and was elected to the baseball National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1972....
    , Mickey Vernon
    Mickey Vernon

    James Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an United States first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates ....
     and Minnie Miņoso
    Minnie Miņoso

    Saturnino Orestes Armas Mi?oso Arrieta, commonly referred to as Minnie Mi?oso , is a former star left fielder in Major League Baseball. He had earlier been a standout third baseman in the Negro league baseball, and would later play several seasons in Mexican baseball....
    )
  • Led AL in strikeouts (1949 [153])
  • Twice led AL in shutout
    Shutout

    In team sports, in American English, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
    s (1949 [6], 1954 [5])
  • While with the Tigers in , pitched a pair of no-hitter
    No-hitter

    In baseball, a no-hitter refers to a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting a hit . 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 Senators
    Minnesota Twins

    The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The Twins are a member of the American League Central of Major League Baseball's American League....
     (May 15) and New York Yankees (August 25), joining Johnny Vander Meer
    Johnny Vander Meer

    John Samuel Vander Meer was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1937 in sports through 1951 in sports, he played for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians ....
    , Allie Reynolds
    Allie Reynolds

    Allie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.He was born in Bethany, Oklahoma, the son of a strict preacher. His nickname of the Superchief came because he was one quarter Creek Native Americans in the United States ....
     and Nolan Ryan
    Nolan Ryan

    Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. is a retired pitcher in Major League Baseball and current president of the Texas Rangers . Ryan played in a major league record 27 seasons for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers , from to ....
     as the only major league pitchers to accomplish this feat in a single season
  • During his minor league
    Minor league baseball

    Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball....
     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
    United States Navy

    The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
     less than two weeks before his start in the second game of the 1945 World Series
    1945 World Series

    The 1945 World Series matched the American League Detroit Tigers against the National League Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won the Series, four games to three, giving them their second championship and first since 1935 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
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
    . He defeated the Cubs in that game.
  • As of 2008, Trucks is the oldest living pitcher to have thrown a Major League no-hitter.


See also

  • 1945 Detroit Tigers season
    1945 Detroit Tigers season

    The 1945 Detroit Tigers won the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. The season was their 45th since they entered the American League in 1901....
  • List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
  • List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
    List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

    Major League Baseball recognizes strikeout champions in the American League and National League each season....
  • List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
    List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

    This is a list of no-hitters in Major League Baseball history of baseball in the United States. In addition, all no-hitters that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games are listed, although they are not currently considered official no-hitters....


Sources