1952 Topps #262 Virgil Trucks
About Virgil Trucks
Virgil "Fire" Trucks was a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur in the late 1930s, and he announced himself by setting an Organized Baseball single-season record with roughly 418 strikeouts for Andalusia in 1938 — the same year Birmingham sportswriter Jack House tagged him with the enduring nickname "Fire." Debuting with Detroit in 1941, he pitched 17 major-league seasons (1941-1958) for the Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, and New York Yankees, finishing 177-135 with a 3.39 ERA and 1,534 strikeouts. A two-time All-Star (1949, 1954), he led the American League in strikeouts and shutouts in 1949 while going 19-11, and he won a complete-game start in Game Two of Detroit's 1945 World Series title over the Cubs. His signature feat came the same year as this card: in 1952 Trucks went just 5-19 for a last-place Tigers club, yet two of those five wins were no-hitters — May 15 against Washington and August 25 at Yankee Stadium — making him only the third pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a single season. He later coached on Pittsburgh's 1960 championship staff. Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1917, Trucks died in 2013 at age 95.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 558 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 77 | 126 | 119 | 180 | 3 |
| SGC | 91 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 46 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-22. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Virgil Trucks card?
It is card #262 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Detroit Tigers player.
Is the 1952 Topps Virgil Trucks valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: the Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, and PSA & SGC population reports. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-05.