Looking back at the career of Virgil Trucks

Family reunions are often festive affairs with plenty of food and drink, typically featuring some type of athletic event – horseshoes, volleyball, or softball, and, of course, music. Every family has someone who can sing or play the guitar.

Virgil Trucks was a fireballing right-handed pitcher for five teams over a 17-year major league career, including two seasons near the end of his career with the Kansas City Athletics. His career spanned from 1941 to 1958, and despite missing the better part of two seasons for military service, he still finished with a career WAR of over 40.

Virgil’s nephew was Butch Trucks, a drummer who was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band and an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Butch’s nephew is Derek Trucks, an outstanding guitarist with the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Two other members of the family, Duane Trucks and Vaylor Trucks, are also musicians. I’d like to attend one of their family reunions.

Virgil Trucks was a native of Birmingham, Alabama, one of fourteen children. His father, Oliver, was also a pitcher of note in local baseball leagues but eschewed a minor league contract due to his growing family. Virgil played on the infield through his youth before moving on to play with company teams in the Birmingham city league. While playing for a company team, Trucks tried his hand at pitching and caught on rapidly.

The hard-throwing Trucks caught the eye of a scout from the Detroit Tigers and signed for a paltry $100.

He began his professional career with the Beaumont Explorers of the Class A-1 Texas League. He worked on developing a curveball and improving his control during his various minor league stops before receiving a call-up to Detroit in September of 1941. Trucks officially arrived in 1942. Overcoming a slow start, he appeared in 28 games with 20 starts, throwing 167 innings and posting a 14–8 record with a sparkling 2.74 ERA.

Along the way, he picked up one of those great old-time baseball nicknames: Fire. The nickname worked on multiple levels. “Fire Truck,” obviously, and perfect for a pitcher who threw serious heat. In his prime, Trucks’ fastball was reputed to reach triple-digit velocity.

Trucks turned in a 16–10 mark in 1943, throwing 202 innings with a 2.84 ERA. He looked poised to become an All-Star pitcher.

Unfortunately, World War II had other ideas. After the 1943 season, Trucks enlisted in the Navy and lost all of the 1944 season and most of 1945 while serving his country.

He rebounded strongly in 1946, making 29 starts and throwing 236 innings with a 3.23 ERA.

In Trucks’ day, a starting pitcher’s success was measured largely by won-loss record, and for most of his career, Trucks was a consistent winner. He won 20 games only once, in 1953, when he went 20–10 while splitting the season between the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox. He won 19 games twice, in 1949 and 1954.

He also lost 19 games in 1952—a notable season because he won just five games against those 19 losses. Two of those five wins were no-hitters. On May 15, Trucks no-hit the Washington Senators. On August 25, he did the same to the New York Yankees. He won both games by the score of 1–0.

The Tigers were horrific in 1952, finishing with a record of 50–104–2. Trucks made 29 starts, threw 197 innings, and posted a respectable 3.97 ERA. The Tigers scored fewer than two runs in 15 of his starts. Of Trucks’ five wins, two were the no-hitters, along with a one-hitter, a seven-inning two-hit outing, and a six-hitter. Viewed through today’s analytical lens, it’s clear that Trucks wasn’t the problem in 1952.

The Tigers, however, believed he was washed up and shipped him off to the Browns. His tenure in St. Louis lasted just 16 appearances. The Browns—once the pride of the city—were being buried by the Cardinals. Owner Bill Veeck was forced to sell players to cover operating expenses. Veeck planned to move the team, but once that plan was denied, he found himself in dire financial straits. Veeck explained the situation to Trucks, who appreciated his honesty.

The White Sox traded Trucks back to Detroit for the 1956 season, but by then, at age 39, it was clear he had lost a tick or three off his legendary fastball. In response, he developed a knuckleball, hoping to squeeze another season out of his arm. In December of 1956, the Tigers sent Trucks to the Athletics in an eight-player deal.

The trade was a classic Kansas City Athletics transaction. KC had a reputation for massive, multi-player deals—especially with the Yankees. In this one, Detroit sent Trucks, Wayne Belardi, Ned Garver, and Gene Host to Kansas City in exchange for Jack Crimian, Jim Finigan, Bill Harrington, and Eddie Robinson. Who won that trade? I’d give it to the Athletics. Garver was a solid contributor for four seasons, and Trucks enjoyed a late-career revival, working mostly out of the bullpen. Over the next two seasons, he went 9–8 in 64 appearances with a very respectable 2.87 ERA.

At age 41, Trucks seriously considered retiring. Instead, the Athletics shipped him to—who else—the Yankees in a deal that brought back Bob Grim and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson. Always a fan favorite, it was Simpson’s second stint in an Athletics uniform.

Trucks retired after the 1958 season with a career record of 177–135.

In retirement, he operated baseball camps for the Pirates and did scouting work for several teams. He formally retired from baseball in 1974 and returned to his native Alabama. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 95 and is buried at the Alabama National Cemetery.