Virgil Trucks

Born: 4/26/1917 in Birmingham, AL, USA

Died: 3/23/2013 in Calera, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-09-27 | Final Game: 1958-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 198 lbs

Full name: Virgil Oliver Trucks

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Biography

Virgil Trucks was a talented pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1958. Born in 1917, Trucks made a name for himself during an era characterized by fierce competition and a transition in the game’s style, moving towards a more offensive approach in the post-World War II period. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 177 wins and 135 losses, posting a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.39. Known for his durability and ability to strike out batters, he recorded a total of 1,534 strikeouts and contributed 30 saves throughout his time in the league. Trucks was selected as an All-Star twice, a testament to his skill and effectiveness on the mound. He was particularly noted for his resilience and capacity to perform in high-pressure situations, making him a valuable asset to his teams. His performances helped to shape the pitching landscape of his era, leaving a lasting legacy as a formidable competitor in the game. Virgil Trucks remains a significant figure in baseball history, remembered not only for his statistics but also for his contributions to the sport during a pivotal time in its evolution.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
3.0	3.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0.333	0.333	0.667	1.000

Pitching

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
1.0	0	0	1.0	1.0	0	0	0.0	4.0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1945	3.0	3.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	0	0	1.0	0	0	0	0.333	0.333	0.667	1.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
1945	1.0	0	0	1.0	1.0	0	0	0.0	4.0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
177	135	517	328	124	33	30	2682.3	2416	1009	188	1088	1534	3.39	0

Career ERA 3.39 vs. league average 3.89 across their career seasons — 12.9% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1941	DET	AL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2.0	4	2	0	3	9.00	—	0.0
1942	DET	AL	14	8	28	20	8	2	0	167.7	147	51	74	91	2.74	3.57 (+23%)	2104.8
1943	DET	AL	16	10	33	25	10	2	2	202.7	170	64	52	118	2.84	3.50 (+19%)	2780.9
1945	DET	AL	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	5.3	3	1	2	3	1.69	—	0.0
1946	DET	AL	14	9	32	29	15	2	0	236.7	217	85	75	161	3.23	3.59 (+10%)	702.7
1947	DET	AL	10	12	36	26	8	2	2	180.7	186	91	79	108	4.53	3.97 (-14%)	557.4
1948	DET	AL	14	13	43	26	7	0	2	211.7	190	89	85	123	3.78	4.10 (+8%)	2208.1
1949	DET	AL	19	11	41	32	17	6	4	275.0	209	86	124	153	2.81	4.12 (+32%)	4129.4
1950	DET	AL	3	1	7	7	2	1	0	48.3	45	19	21	25	3.54	4.36 (+19%)	-207.7
1951	DET	AL	13	8	37	18	6	1	1	153.7	153	74	75	89	4.33	4.04 (-7%)	1570.8
1952	DET	AL	5	19	35	29	8	3	1	197.0	190	87	82	129	3.97	3.70 (-7%)	2436.4
1953	SLA	AL	5	4	16	12	4	2	2	88.0	83	30	32	47	3.07	4.14 (+26%)	1784.9
1953	CHW	AL	15	6	24	21	13	3	1	176.3	151	56	67	102	2.86	4.14 (+31%)	-
1954	CHW	AL	19	12	40	33	16	5	3	264.7	224	82	95	152	2.79	3.90 (+28%)	-
1955	CHW	AL	13	8	32	26	7	3	0	175.0	176	77	61	91	3.96	4.00 (+1%)	-
1956	DET	AL	6	5	22	16	3	1	1	120.0	104	51	63	43	3.83	3.96 (+4%)	-3195.4
1957	KC1	AL	9	7	48	7	0	0	7	116.0	106	39	62	55	3.03	3.83 (+21%)	-2007.5
1958	KC1	AL	0	1	16	0	0	0	3	22.0	18	5	15	15	2.05	3.86 (+47%)	-264.4
1958	NYY	AL	2	1	25	0	0	0	1	39.7	40	20	24	26	4.54	3.86 (-18%)	-

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
517	949	63	171	23	1	2	70	1	9	153	0.180	0.189	0.213	0.402	-6144.7

Career AVG .180 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 30.6% below league average.

Career OBP .189 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 43.1% below league average.

Career SLG .213 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 43.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.402 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — 43.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1941	DET	AL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1942	DET	AL	28	65	4	8	1	0	0	3	0	0	12	0.123	.253 (-51%)	.323 (-62%)	.349 (-60%)	.672 (-61%)	-635.3
1943	DET	AL	33	72	7	13	1	0	0	7	0	2	4	0.181	.255 (-29%)	.324 (-38%)	.346 (-44%)	.671 (-41%)	-474.9
1945	DET	AL	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	DET	AL	32	95	4	17	4	0	0	5	0	0	13	0.179	.256 (-30%)	.328 (-46%)	.358 (-38%)	.687 (-42%)	-669.6
1947	DET	AL	36	70	7	19	2	0	0	5	0	1	7	0.271	.262 (+3%)	.336 (-16%)	.376 (-20%)	.712 (-18%)	-228.8
1948	DET	AL	43	79	6	13	0	1	0	2	0	2	14	0.165	.263 (-38%)	.340 (-46%)	.379 (-50%)	.719 (-48%)	-666.1
1949	DET	AL	41	100	6	12	2	0	0	3	0	1	15	0.120	.262 (-54%)	.343 (-60%)	.384 (-64%)	.727 (-62%)	-1090.3
1950	DET	AL	7	20	2	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.150	—	—	—	—	0.0
1951	DET	AL	37	55	5	13	3	0	0	14	0	0	12	0.236	.260 (-9%)	.336 (-30%)	.385 (-25%)	.721 (-27%)	-269.8
1952	DET	AL	35	64	3	12	0	0	1	3	1	1	11	0.188	.252 (-26%)	.326 (-39%)	.369 (-37%)	.696 (-38%)	-406.5
1953	SLA	AL	16	25	0	4	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	0.160	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	CHW	AL	24	63	6	15	3	0	1	6	0	0	10	0.238	.264 (-10%)	.335 (-26%)	.397 (-16%)	.733 (-20%)	0.0
1954	CHW	AL	40	93	5	17	2	0	0	8	0	1	21	0.183	.261 (-30%)	.333 (-44%)	.390 (-48%)	.723 (-46%)	-761.8
1955	CHW	AL	32	64	2	8	1	0	0	6	0	0	12	0.125	.258 (-52%)	.332 (-63%)	.393 (-64%)	.726 (-64%)	-708.4
1956	DET	AL	22	45	4	11	2	0	0	2	0	0	4	0.244	—	—	—	—	0.0
1957	KC1	AL	48	28	1	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	10	0.143	—	—	—	—	0.0
1958	KC1	AL	16	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1958	NYY	AL	25	8	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	0	2	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1945	WS	DET	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1	0	2	2	0	13.3	14	5	5	7	3.38

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year	Round	Team	W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1945	WS	DET	1	0	2	2	0	13.3	14	5	5	7	3.38

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	517	82	156	420	27	14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1941	DET	P	1	0	1	0	0	0
1942	DET	P	28	0	5	28	3	0
1943	DET	P	33	0	16	24	0	0
1945	DET	P	1	0	1	1	0	0
1946	DET	P	32	0	11	33	3	1
1947	DET	P	36	0	13	22	2	0
1948	DET	P	43	0	13	28	0	1
1949	DET	P	41	0	13	33	2	2
1950	DET	P	7	0	2	13	1	1
1951	DET	P	37	0	11	32	3	2
1952	DET	P	35	0	21	37	2	1
1953	SLA	P	16	0	3	13	6	1
1953	CHA	P	24	0	11	29	0	2
1954	CHA	P	40	33	10	48	0	1
1955	CHA	P	32	26	4	33	0	1
1956	DET	P	22	16	6	18	3	1
1957	KC1	P	48	7	8	21	1	0
1958	KC1	P	16	0	4	3	1	0
1958	NYA	P	25	0	3	4	0	0