Vic Aldridge
Encyclopedia
Victor "Vic" Aldridge nicknamed the "Hoosier
Schoolmaster," was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Chicago Cubs
, Pittsburgh Pirates
and New York Giants
, and was known to be an excellent curveball
pitcher. Before his playing career he was a schoolmaster
, hence his nickname. His most significant actions as a player occurred during the 1925 World Series
, where Aldridge completed
and won Games two and five, only to have the most disastrous first inning
in the seventh game of the World Series ever. After his retirement from baseball, he served as a state senator
in the Indiana General Assembly
. Aldridge is a member of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2007.
, Vic Aldridge attended Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana
, and taught school in Miami County
. He was married to Cleta B. Wadsworth of Indian Springs.
throughout most of his career. He was known for his curveball and pinpoint accuracy. Aldridge batted and threw right-handed. He began his pro career by signing a contract with Indianapolis of the American Association
in 1915, but first played for Denver of the Western League
and then Erie of the Central League
. He played for Indianapolis in 1916 where he was scouted for the Chicago Cubs. He was sold to the Cubs on August 16, 1928.
Aldridge spent 1917 and 1918 with the Chicago Cubs, serving in the bullpen
. In 1917 Aldridge played in thirty games, winning six games and losing six, with a 3.12 earned run average
and two saves. In 1918 he played only three games, pitching only twelve innings, before joining the United States Navy
during the final year of World War I
. After returning from the war, he played for the Los Angeles Angels
, an affiliate of the Cubs, in the Pacific Coast League
. Aldridge returned to the Cubs for the 1922 season. He played the next three years for Chicago, with consistent performances. In 1922, 1923 and 1924 he played 36, 30 and 32 games respectively, with 16, 16 and 15 wins in the three seasons, with respective earned run averages of 3.52, 3.48 and 3.50. During this time his son Vic Aldridge, Jr. served unofficially as the Cubs batboy
and even had a uniform donated by Mordecai Brown
so he would look the part. In 1923 he was ejected from a game.
and Al Niehaus
, for Wilbur Cooper
, Charlie Grimm
and Rabbit Maranville
. The change in stadiums prompted him to rely more on his fastball
than his curveball, as he felt he needed to protect himself from home runs in Wrigley Field
and its smaller field, thus using the curveball to reduce the risk of being homered against, but the larger field in Pittsburgh made fastballs safer to use, and thus a better pitch to rely upon. The next year, Aldridge won fifteen games (ninth highest total in the National League
in 1925) and lost seven, for a .682 winning percentage that was the fourth highest for any NL pitcher that year. His finest moments were in the postseason that year when he pitched two complete game victories against the Washington Senators
as the Pirates won the World Series
. He won Game 2 of the series 3–2 on October 8, and Game 5 by a score of 6–3, the first two Pirates wins of the Series. Aldridge used the money from the World Series to buy a home in Terre Haute, Indiana
.
Aldridge also started the seventh game on October 15. It had been raining for a week in Pittsburgh, and the sixth game had been rainy. The weather for the seventh was even worse, and the game was played in thick pea soup fog
and drizzle
, with a very wet pitching mound. It was hoped that Aldridge would continue his success in the first two games to the seventh, but it was not to be. Although noted for his consistency, in this game Aldridge was very wild; he had had only two days rest and he kept slipping on the slick pitcher's plate. Sam Rice
was the first batter, and he hit a single. Then Bucky Harris
came out, whose fly out was the only success Aldridge had during the game. Goose Goslin
was walked
after a wild pitch
. Joe Harris was walked after a wild pitch advanced the baserunners. After a full count, Joe Judge
was walked, scoring in one run. Then Ossie Bluege
hit a single. Pirates manager Bill McKechnie
had seen enough and relieved Aldridge. In total, Aldridge gave up three walks, two hits and two wild pitches, resulting in the Senators having a 4–0 lead in the first inning. The Pirates would rally to win the game and the World Series by a score of 9–7, the first time a team won the World Series after a 3–1 deficit. It was the worst start of the seventh game for a pitcher in Series history.
, losing the second game of the series 6–2 as Babe Ruth
and Lou Gehrig
led the New York Yankees
to a sweep of the Pirates in four games. He gave up all six runs in the 7⅓ innings he pitched. After several other players had ghostwritten newspaper articles for the Christy Walsh Syndicate, he wrote an article for a Pittsburgh newspaper, who bragged that it was Aldridge himself who wrote it.
After winning 15 games again in 1927, Aldridge expected a raise, but instead Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss
traded him to the New York Giants
on February 11, 1928, for Burleigh Grimes
, citing Aldridge's 4.25 ERA in 1927 as a reason not to give him a raise. He held out for much of the year; by the time he returned, he was out of shape and pitched poorly. During the time Aldridge refused to report, Giants manager John McGraw
threatened Aldridge with less pay, and at one point tried to trade him to the Cincinnati Reds
. After the season, in which Aldridge's record was four wins and seven losses with a 4.83 earned run average after 119 innings pitched, he was sent to the Brooklyn Dodgers
. However, Aldridge refused to report and retired from baseball instead. His final game was on August 29, 1928.
In total, Aldridge pitched 1,601 innings, won 97 games and lost 80, had 102 complete games and a combined earned run average of 3.76. Rogers Hornsby
said that Aldridge had one of the three best curveballs he had ever seen, a curveball described by the Baseball Magazine
as a "hard, sharp-breaking curve" that was one of the best curveballs in all of baseball. His batting average
was .229, a respectable average for a pitcher. Aldridge twice attempted to steal a base
, once each in 1922 and 1926, and succeeded both times.
from 1937 to 1948. He was first elected on November 4, 1936, as a Democrat
. He served as a schoolmaster full-time before his baseball career, hence his nickname "The Hoosier Schoolmaster".
Aldridge died in Terre Haute at age 79, and is buried in Trinity Springs Cemetery of Trinity Springs, Indiana
. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame on January 19, 2007, as its 131st member; his granddaughter, Mary Turner, and grandson, Vic Aldridge III, accepted the award on his behalf.
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...
Schoolmaster," was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and was known to be an excellent curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
pitcher. Before his playing career he was a schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
, hence his nickname. His most significant actions as a player occurred during the 1925 World Series
1925 World Series
In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
, where Aldridge completed
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
and won Games two and five, only to have the most disastrous first inning
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
in the seventh game of the World Series ever. After his retirement from baseball, he served as a state senator
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
in the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
. Aldridge is a member of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2007.
Personal life
Born in Indian Springs, IndianaIndian Springs, Indiana
Indian Springs is an unincorporated town in Mitcheltree Township, Martin County, Indiana....
, Vic Aldridge attended Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana
Danville, Indiana
Danville is a town in Center Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,001at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Hendricks County. -History:...
, and taught school in Miami County
Miami County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,082 people, 13,716 households, and 9,806 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 15,299 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
. He was married to Cleta B. Wadsworth of Indian Springs.
Early career
Aldridge was a dependable second or third starterStarting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
throughout most of his career. He was known for his curveball and pinpoint accuracy. Aldridge batted and threw right-handed. He began his pro career by signing a contract with Indianapolis of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in 1915, but first played for Denver of the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
and then Erie of the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
. He played for Indianapolis in 1916 where he was scouted for the Chicago Cubs. He was sold to the Cubs on August 16, 1928.
Aldridge spent 1917 and 1918 with the Chicago Cubs, serving in the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
. In 1917 Aldridge played in thirty games, winning six games and losing six, with a 3.12 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and two saves. In 1918 he played only three games, pitching only twelve innings, before joining the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the final year of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After returning from the war, he played for the Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
, an affiliate of the Cubs, in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. Aldridge returned to the Cubs for the 1922 season. He played the next three years for Chicago, with consistent performances. In 1922, 1923 and 1924 he played 36, 30 and 32 games respectively, with 16, 16 and 15 wins in the three seasons, with respective earned run averages of 3.52, 3.48 and 3.50. During this time his son Vic Aldridge, Jr. served unofficially as the Cubs batboy
Batboy
A batboy is an individual who carries the baseball bats around to a baseball team. A batboy may also lay out the equipment and mud the baseballs to be used in the game.Mascots and batboys had both been part of baseball since the 1880s....
and even had a uniform donated by Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown , nicknamed "Three Finger" or "Miner", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher at the turn of the 20th century. Due to a farm-machinery accident in his youth, Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand and eventually acquired his nickname as a result...
so he would look the part. In 1923 he was ejected from a game.
1925
Vic Aldridge was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 1924 season on October 27, 1924, along with George GranthamGeorge Grantham
George Farley "Boots" Grantham , was Major League second baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Giants between 1922 and 1934. He attended Northern Arizona University.-External links:...
and Al Niehaus
Al Niehaus
Albert Bernard Niehaus was a first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.-External links:...
, for Wilbur Cooper
Wilbur Cooper
Arley Wilbur Cooper was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A four-time winner of 20 games in the early 1920s, he was the first National League left-hander to win 200 games...
, Charlie Grimm
Charlie Grimm
Charles John Grimm , nicknamed "Jolly Cholly", was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs; he was also a sometime radio broadcaster, and a popular goodwill ambassador for baseball...
and Rabbit Maranville
Rabbit Maranville
Walter James Vincent Maranville , better known as Rabbit Maranville due to his speed and small stature , was a Major League Baseball shortstop. At the time of his retirement in 1935, he had played in a record 23 seasons in the National League, a mark which wasn't broken until 1986 by Pete Rose...
. The change in stadiums prompted him to rely more on his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
than his curveball, as he felt he needed to protect himself from home runs in Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
and its smaller field, thus using the curveball to reduce the risk of being homered against, but the larger field in Pittsburgh made fastballs safer to use, and thus a better pitch to rely upon. The next year, Aldridge won fifteen games (ninth highest total in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1925) and lost seven, for a .682 winning percentage that was the fourth highest for any NL pitcher that year. His finest moments were in the postseason that year when he pitched two complete game victories against the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
as the Pirates won the World Series
1925 World Series
In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
. He won Game 2 of the series 3–2 on October 8, and Game 5 by a score of 6–3, the first two Pirates wins of the Series. Aldridge used the money from the World Series to buy a home in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
.
Aldridge also started the seventh game on October 15. It had been raining for a week in Pittsburgh, and the sixth game had been rainy. The weather for the seventh was even worse, and the game was played in thick pea soup fog
Pea soup fog
Pea soup, or a pea souper, is a type of visible air pollution, a thick and often yellowish smog caused by the burning of soft coal. Smog, a portmanteau of hi"smoke" and "fog", can be lethal, and even the healthy may be inconvenienced by it.-London:...
and drizzle
Drizzle
Drizzle is a light rain precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain, and generally smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds. Precipitation rates due to drizzle are on the order of a millimetre...
, with a very wet pitching mound. It was hoped that Aldridge would continue his success in the first two games to the seventh, but it was not to be. Although noted for his consistency, in this game Aldridge was very wild; he had had only two days rest and he kept slipping on the slick pitcher's plate. Sam Rice
Sam Rice
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice was an American pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963....
was the first batter, and he hit a single. Then Bucky Harris
Bucky Harris
Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris was a Major League Baseball player, manager and executive. In 1975, the Veterans Committee elected Harris, as a manager, to the Baseball Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
came out, whose fly out was the only success Aldridge had during the game. Goose Goslin
Goose Goslin
Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin was a left fielder in Major League Baseball known for his powerful left-handed swing and dependable clutch hitting. He played 18 seasons with the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers, from until...
was walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
after a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
. Joe Harris was walked after a wild pitch advanced the baserunners. After a full count, Joe Judge
Joe Judge
Joseph Ignatius Judge was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Washington Senators...
was walked, scoring in one run. Then Ossie Bluege
Ossie Bluege
Oswald Louis "Ossie" Bluege was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Washington Senators from 1922 through 1939...
hit a single. Pirates manager Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
had seen enough and relieved Aldridge. In total, Aldridge gave up three walks, two hits and two wild pitches, resulting in the Senators having a 4–0 lead in the first inning. The Pirates would rally to win the game and the World Series by a score of 9–7, the first time a team won the World Series after a 3–1 deficit. It was the worst start of the seventh game for a pitcher in Series history.
Late career
The 1925 proved to be the pinnacle of Aldridge's career. In 1926 he suffered a record of 10 wins and 13 losses, with a 4.07 earned run average. The year 1927 was better for Aldridge. He won fifteen games, losing only ten, with a 4.25 earned run average. Aldridge also played in the 1927 World Series1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
, losing the second game of the series 6–2 as Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
led the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
to a sweep of the Pirates in four games. He gave up all six runs in the 7⅓ innings he pitched. After several other players had ghostwritten newspaper articles for the Christy Walsh Syndicate, he wrote an article for a Pittsburgh newspaper, who bragged that it was Aldridge himself who wrote it.
After winning 15 games again in 1927, Aldridge expected a raise, but instead Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss
Barney Dreyfuss
Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to 1932....
traded him to the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
on February 11, 1928, for Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was...
, citing Aldridge's 4.25 ERA in 1927 as a reason not to give him a raise. He held out for much of the year; by the time he returned, he was out of shape and pitched poorly. During the time Aldridge refused to report, Giants manager John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
threatened Aldridge with less pay, and at one point tried to trade him to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. After the season, in which Aldridge's record was four wins and seven losses with a 4.83 earned run average after 119 innings pitched, he was sent to the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. However, Aldridge refused to report and retired from baseball instead. His final game was on August 29, 1928.
In total, Aldridge pitched 1,601 innings, won 97 games and lost 80, had 102 complete games and a combined earned run average of 3.76. Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
said that Aldridge had one of the three best curveballs he had ever seen, a curveball described by the Baseball Magazine
Baseball Magazine
Baseball Magazine is a now-defunct baseball magazine that existed from the dead-ball era to the 1950s. It is considered a good source for researchers researching those eras....
as a "hard, sharp-breaking curve" that was one of the best curveballs in all of baseball. His batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
was .229, a respectable average for a pitcher. Aldridge twice attempted to steal a base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
, once each in 1922 and 1926, and succeeded both times.
Post career
After his playing career ended, Aldridge attended law school at the Voorhees School of Law and served in the Indiana State SenateIndiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
from 1937 to 1948. He was first elected on November 4, 1936, as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He served as a schoolmaster full-time before his baseball career, hence his nickname "The Hoosier Schoolmaster".
Aldridge died in Terre Haute at age 79, and is buried in Trinity Springs Cemetery of Trinity Springs, Indiana
Trinity Springs, Indiana
Trinity Springs is an unincorporated community in Mitcheltree Township, Martin County, Indiana, United States. Trinity Springs is north of Shoals. The community is the site of three natural springs and was a popular tourist destination in the early 1900s; at one point, seven different hotels...
. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame on January 19, 2007, as its 131st member; his granddaughter, Mary Turner, and grandson, Vic Aldridge III, accepted the award on his behalf.