Former Browns Player, Matt Batts, who caught Satchel Paige, passes away at age 91

Former Major League catcher Matthew Daniel "Matt" Batts died at his home in Baton Rouge Sunday at the age of 91.

In 1951, he was among the first catchers teamed up with Satchell Paige when Paige became the first black pitcher in the American League.  He was also catcher for Detroit pitcher Virgil Trucks when Trucks became only the third Major League pitcher to throw a second no-hitter in a season.

Born in San Antonio and a standout player for Baylor, 20-year-old Batts accepted tuition money from the Boston Red Sox for signing in 1942.  As a result, he was kicked off the team and joined the Army Air Corps for the duration of World War II.  Batts would later be inducted into the Baylor Hall of Fame.

In a fluke position change on San Antonio's semipro team, Batts found his niche behind the plate.  Hired as backup catcher in Boston, Batts wowed Sox fans at his debut in 1947 by cracking a home run in his first Major League at bat.  He batted .500 in his first sixteen appearances at the plate.

"When you woke in the morning," he recalled to New York sportswriter Peter Golenbock, "you wanted to get to the ballpark because you enjoyed it… loved the people, loved manager Joe McCarthy, coaches and the great ballplayers."

After four seasons, Boston traded Batts to the St. Louis Browns in 1951 where he hit .302 and caught for Satchell Paige.  He was there when, as a publicity stunt, 3-foot-7-inch tall pinch-hitter Eddie Gaedel made his only at-bat wearing Browns' jersey number "1/8."  The following year, St. Louis traded Batts to the Detroit Tigers where he started 116 games as catcher.

On August 25, 1952, Batts caught for Virgil Trucks when Trucks threw his second record-setting no-hitter.  In 1954, Detroit traded Batts to Chicago, then to Baltimore later that year.  Finally, the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds purchased Batts' contracts.  His last appearance on the diamond was May 8, 1956, catching for Cincinnati.  In 546 games of which he started 409, Batts racked up 26 home runs, 219 runs batted in, a batting average of .269 and a fielding percentage of .985.

Batts retired to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where fans asked him to coach baseball clinics.  He and wife Arleene started Batts Printing, donating programs and tickets for games.

Former 5-time CWS Championship Baseball Coach and LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman recalls, "Matt Batts really was an unsung hero who was legendary for helping kids play better ball.  Long after he left the big leagues, he always gave of himself as an instructor, and he and Arleene donated printing to help the clinics and LSU baseball.  He will be missed."

James Carville adds, "Matt Batts had arguably one of the greatest names in the history of baseball.  All of his contributions to baseball serve only to compliment his later contributions to Baton Rouge. The city lost one of its great citizens and treasures in Matt."

Virgil Trucks Passes; 20-game Winner in '53

We are sad to report the death of former pitcher Virgil Trucks, at age 96, on March 23rd at his home in Calera, Alabama.  Trucks was the Browns last 20-game winner (1953), although 75% of his wins were recorded for the Chicago White Sox, to whom he was traded mid-season.  He was also the opening day pitcher for the Browns in what would be their final season before moving to Baltimore.

In a 17-season career, Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 534 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA in 2,682 innings pitched. In addition to the Browns and the White Sox, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers (1941–1943, 1945–1952, 1956), Kansas City Athletics (1958) and New York Yankees (1958). 

The right-hander was born Virgil Oliver Trucks in Birmingham, Alabama and is the uncle of a line of southern rock musicians, starting with Allman Brothers Band co-founder Claude Hudson "Butch" Trucks.

Trucks was one of 12 surviving players who played baseball before World War II. He was the oldest living member of the defunct St. Louis Browns, of which only 29 players presently survive.

Trucks was traded to the Browns in December 1952, with Johnny Groth and Hal White for Owen Friend, Bob Nieman and  J.W. Porter (the youngest living Brownie and crowd-favorite at BFC luncheons - Ed.).

The trade was actually a "step up" for Trucks.  The Tigers were 104-game losers in 1952 (Trucks himself  had contributed to 19 of those 104).  In contrast, the Browns were "on the way up", having improved their record by 12 games over 1951 by only losing 90 in 1952. Wheeler-dealer Bill Veeck, who had traded away Ned Garver four-months before, was getting back a serious gate attraction with Trucks, who won a World Series game with Detroit in 1945 and who, despite 19 losses, had pitched two no-hitters in '52.*

On April 10, 1953, Trucks received the honors from Manager Marty Marion of starting the season's opening game, a home game against the Tigers.  It was also the first game ever in a stadium called Busch, which name has emblazoned three St. Louis stadia in the last 60 years.  Trucks hurled a four-hit shutout of his former teammates; his new colleagues supported him with 10 runs.  He would be

the last opening-day starter in Browns history.  (The first opening day starter for the Browns was Francis L. "Red" Donahue, April 23, 1902 in the very same stadium where Trucks toiled, then known as "Sportsman's Park".)

After retiring as a player Trucks joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the 1960 World Series with them against his old team the Yankees. He continued coaching with the Pirates, then the Atlanta Braves and finally ending his MLB career with the Tigers in 1974.

As news of Trucks' death was reaching the Brownie Fan Club members in St. Louis, said members could not help but notice the irony: a freak Spring snowstorm which bore the name "Winter Storm Virgil" was heading east from Kansas City and bearing down on the Gateway City. Even more ironic, eventually "Virgil" would dump snow on all the cities in which Trucks played, from Kansas City all the way to New York.  St. Louis even received 12 inches, a total not seen in 31 years. Springfield, Illinois received an all-time record 18.5".  In late March, two weeks before opening day!

Browns Fan Club President Bill Rogers had recently spoken to Mr. Trucks' daughter who reported that he was ill and would not be able to attend the 2013 Browns reunion luncheon. But she told Bill that Virgil sends his regards for everyone.**

Brownie fans world wide take pause to salute Virgil Oliver "Fire" Trucks.  Requiescat in pace!

* Trucks was only the third pitcher in baseball history to pull off this feat. Johnny Vander Meer and Allie Reynolds had done it previously and only Nolan Ryan and Roy Halladay have done it since.

** Ping me if you get that Southern Rock reference.

Virgil Trucks Oldest Living Player

With the passing of Benny McCoy, Virgil Trucks becomes the oldest former Tiger at 94 years old. He is also the oldest player who also played with the Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, and St. Louis Browns.

Virgil Oliver Trucks was born on April 26, 1917. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers (1941–1943, 1945–1952, 1956), St. Louis Browns (1953), Chicago White Sox (1953–1955), Kansas City Athletics (1958) and New York Yankees (1958). He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama.

In a 17-season career, Virgil "Fire" Trucks posted a 177-135 record with 1,534 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA in 2,682.2 innings pitched. In 1952, despite a 5-19 record, Trucks became just the third Major League pitcher to hurl two no-hitters in one season (two others have since matched the feat).

After retiring as a player Trucks joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the 1960 World Series with them against his old team the Yankees. He continued coaching with the Pirates then the Atlanta Braves and finally ending his MLB career with the Tigers in 1974.

Highlights of Trucks' Career

> 1953 - 20-10, 149 SO, 2.93 ERA, including eight straight victories.

> Twice made American League All-Star team (1949, 1954)

> Fifth in American League MVP vote (1953, behind Al Rosen, Yogi Berra, Mickey Vernon and Minnie Miñoso)

> Led AL in strikeouts (1949 [153])

> Twice led AL in shutouts (1949 [6], 1954 [5])

> While with the Tigers in 1952, Trucks had a 5-19 record; however, two of those victories were no-hitters, both by a score of 1-0, against the Washington Senators on May 15, and New York Yankees on August 25, joining Johnny Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds, Roy Halladay and Nolan Ryan as the only major league pitchers to accomplish this feat in a single season.

> During his minor league career, set a record with 418 SO in a single season (1938) and also pitched four no-hitters.

> Trucks had been out of the Navy less than two weeks before his start in the second game of the 1945 World Series. The leagues waived the rule requiring players to have been on the team's roster by September 1 to qualify for post-season play, because of the circumstances of World War II. He defeated the Cubs in that game.

> One of a very small number of pitchers traded in a season during which he would eventually win 20 or more games. In 1953 Trucks went 5-4 for the St. Louis Browns (AL) before being traded to the Chicago White Sox (AL) where he went 15-6 for an overall season record of 20-10.

> As of 2011, Trucks is the oldest living pitcher to have thrown a Major League no-hitter.

Virgil Trucks: Two No-Hitters in One Season

Virgil Trucks played in 517 games as a pitcher, primarily for the Detroit Tigers. He also played for the St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees and the Kansas City Athletics. Trucks pitched two no-hitters and a one-hitter in the same season.

Virgil "Fire" Trucks today, living in Alabama.

Trucks with the Tigers after one of his no-hitters

The Toast of The Town

With a 7-1 victory over the Padres on Wednesday night in August (2008), newest Brewer CC Sabathia improved to 7-0 in beer stripes, marking the third-longest undefeated streak for a starting pitcher following a midseason trade in the last 90 years.

Elias Sports Bureau says the only more impressive introductions were Virgil Trucks' 8-0 start with the White Sox after being traded from the St. Louis Browns in 1953 and Doyle Alexander's legendary 9-0 pennant-clinching finish for the Tigers after coming over from the Braves for a young John Smoltz in 1987.

Bet you didn't know that!