August 25, 1952: The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees, 1-0 at Yankee Stadium. Virgil Trucks pitches a no-hitter.
It wasn't a perfect game. Hank Bauer reached on an error in the 1st inning. In the 3rd, Phil Rizzuto reached on an error, and Mickey Mantle drew a walk. The Tigers scored their run in the top of the 7th, when Walt Dropo doubled down the left field line, and Bud Souchock singled him home.
It is the 2nd no-hitter of his career, and makes him one of the few pitchers to throw 2 no-hitters in a single season. He had pitched one against the Washington Senators on May 15, also winning that one, 1-0.
Trucks finished the season 5-19. In other words, take out the no-hitters, and he was 3-19. It was not all his fault: The Tigers finished 51-103 in 1952, 8th and last in the American League, 46 games behind the Pennant-winning Yankees.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1917, Trucks debuted with the Tigers in 1941. Serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he was discharged in time to help the Tigers win the 1945 World Series. In 1949, he was named to the All-Star Game, and led the AL in strikeouts.
Nicknamed "Fire" Trucks, he was traded to the St. Louis Browns before the 1953 season. In mid-season, the Browns traded him to the Chicago White Sox. Between the teams, he had his only 20-win season, going 20-10.
In 1954, he started for the White Sox against the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st game at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Orioles won, 3-1, with Bob Turley getting the win. In 1991, for the final Opening Day at Memorial Stadium before the move to Camden Yards, the Orioles invited Trucks and Turley, in copies of their 1954 jerseys, to throw out ceremonial first balls. Trucks made the All-Star Game again.
The White Sox traded him back to the Tigers for 1956, the Tigers traded him to the Kansas City Athletics for 1957, and the A's traded him to the Yankees in 1958. Now, he and Turley were on the same side, as Turley won the Cy Young Award, and the two of them helped the Yankees win the Pennant. However, Trucks was not placed on the World Series roster. The Yankees won, anyway.
They released him early in the 1959 season, and his career was over, with a record of 177-135. The Pittsburgh Pirates hired him as pitching coach, and they beat the Yankees in the 1960 World Series, giving Trucks another World Series ring and a measure of revenge. He later coached with the Atlanta Braves and back with the Tigers.
Trucks was elected to the Sports Halls of Fame of both Alabama and Michigan. He died in 2013. His nephew, Butch Trucks, was a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.
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August 25, 1952 was a Monday. These other baseball games were played:
* The New York Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Ken Raffensberger pitched a 6-hit shutout. Willie Mays was serving in the Korean War, and unavailable to the Giants.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1 and 9-5 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Over the 2 games, Jackie Robinson went 3-for-8 with a walk, Duke Snider went 1-for-6 with a home run, a walk and an RBI, and Stan Musial went 1-for-8 with 2 RBIs.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Senators, 7-2 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Bob Lemon outpitched Connie Marrero.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Granny Hamner hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 10th inning.
* And the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox, the Philadelphia Athletics, the St. Louis Browns, the Boston Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates were not scheduled.
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