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201. Virgil Trucks

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201. Virgil Trucks
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: April 26, 1917 in Birmingham, AL USA
  • Weight: 198 lbs.
  • Height: 5'11"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: September 27, 1941
  • Final Game: September 26, 1958
  • MVP - 1949
  • MVP - 1951
  • MVP - 1953
  • MVP - 1954
 
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While we never thought Virgil Trucks' nickname of "Fire" was that creative, we did believe that the Alabaman was a pretty good Pitcher in his day.

Trucks Strikeout numbers may not be that impressive today, but for his day, he was one of the most capable flamethrowers in Baseball.  The righthander played the first two-thirds of his career with the Detroit Tigers.  In Detroit, he had five seasons where he posted at least 14 Wins, and was an All-Star in 1949 when he went 19-11 and led the American League in Strikeouts with 153.  Trucks helped Detroit win the 1945 win the World Series, winning his lone start in their championship over the Chicago Cubs.

Trucks was traded from Detroit before the 1952 season to the St. Louis Browns, where he had a strange season, as St. Louis traded him in June that year to the Chicago White Sox.  In his combined year in St. Louis and Chicago, he went 20-10 with a 2.93 ERA and a fifth-place MVP finish, his highest ever.  Trucks was an All-Star again in 1954, with a 19-12 record and a 2.79 ERA.  He played until 1958 with another stop in Detroit, Kansas City, and the New York Yankees.

He would leave the game with a record of 177-135 and 1,534 Strikeouts.  Trucks was in the top yen in SO/9 and SO/BB ten times, and after he left the game, he lived a long life, finally passing in 2013 at the ripe old age of 95.   That sounds like a great life to us! 

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.
  • Eligible In: Wednesday, 01 January 1964
  • Position: Pitcher
  • Played For: Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Rings (1) (Detroit Tigers, 1945) 
    All-Star (2) (1949 & 1954)
    Most Strikeouts (1) (AL) (1949)
    Most Shutouts (2) (AL) (1949 & 1954)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Pitcher (4) (AL) (1943, 1948, 1954 & 1955)

  • Other Points of Note:

    Top Ten MVP Finishes:
    (AL: 1953, 5th)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (bWAR for Pitchers)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (ERA)
    6 Top Ten Finishes (Wins)
    6 Top Ten Finishes (WHIP)
    6 Top Ten Finishes (H/9)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (BB/9)
    10 Top Ten Finishes (SO/9)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (Games Pitched)
    2 Top Ten Finishes (Saves)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Innings Pitched)
    8 Top Ten Finishes (Strikeouts)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Games Started)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (Complete Games)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (Shutouts) 
    10 Top Ten Finishes (SO/BB)
    2 Top Ten Finishes (Games Finished)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (ERA+)
    7 Top Ten Finishes (FIP)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (Win Probability Added)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (Championship Win Probability Added)

  • Notable All Time Rankings:

    87. Shutouts: 278

  • Vote Percentage Received for the Hall of Fame:

    1964: 2.0%

  • Should be Inducted As A: Detroit Tiger

Should Virgil Trucks be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 100%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 0%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 0%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 0%

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