This Day in Baseball History: August 25th, 1952

He had 4 no-hitters in the minors.

On August 25, 1952:

Virgil Trucks throws a no-hitter.


Virgil Trucks began his career in 1941 as a 24-year old, but he received his first piece of major playing time in 1942. He won 30 games over the next 2 seasons before losing essentially 2 seasons to World War II, but he came back stronger than before. Over the course of the next 4 seasons, he had double-digit wins in each season leading up to his very impressive 1949 season in which he went 19-10 with a 2.81 ERA and league-leading 152 strikeouts. After losing most of 1950 with arm injuries, he responded with a solid 1951 season.

1952 was an up-and-down year for Trucks. On the one hand, he lost 19 games with an ERA close to 4. On the other, he accomplished a feat that only Johnny Van Der Meer, Allie Reynolds, and Nolan Reynolds have done in the history of baseball -- throw 2 no-hitters in the same season. On May 15th, he dismantled the Washington Senators for a 1-0 victory. Three months later on August 25th, he threw his second no-hitter, another 1-0 win, this time against the defending American League champion New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. But the 19 losses loomed larger than the 2 no-hitters, and Trucks was sent to the St. Louis Browns.

The Tigers regretted that. Trucks won 20 games the next season on his way to a 5th place voting in the MVP race. The Browns traded him to the White Sox mid-way through the 1953 season to the Chicago White Sox, and the White Sox didn't regret their decision. He won 15 of his 20 for them, and he went on to win 19 and 13 games over the next two seasons. After the 1955 season, the Tigers traded for him, and they lived to regret that decision. Now 39, he was no longer able to hold up for an entire season.


Trivia Time
Virgil Trucks nephew is Butch Trucks, who is the founder of what band?

Yesterday's Answer --> Put names on the back of uniforms.