Tom Aldrich’s legendary power at the plate has cemented
his place not only in the Bowdoin record books but also in the
hearts and memories of long-time fans of Polar Bear baseball. His
impossibly long home runs will forever be the lore of baseball at
Bowdoin.
A native of Somerset, Massachusetts, Aldrich was not only a
standout baseball player at Somerset High School but also a solid
hockey and soccer athlete. At the end of his senior season at
Bowdoin, Aldrich owned nine school career batting records: home
runs (42), at bats (424), runs (122), hits (152), runs batted in
(155), doubles (31), extra base hits (81), total bases (325), and
slugging percentage (.767). In six of those categories, he still
holds the top place in Bowdoin’s record book. More impressive
than his career numbers are his individual season records that
indicate Aldrich was more than a one-year sensation.
He still holds the top three marks for home runs in a season,
including a record 15 as a senior. When he graduated, he held the
top four marks in runs batted in, one spot for each season he spent
with the Polar Bears. He also graduated with the top four
single-season performances in total bases and extra base hits. Not
content to be simply the greatest slugger Bowdoin had ever known,
Aldrich also showed his speed on the base paths, graduating third
in career stolen bases and second in stolen base percentage.
For all of his raw numbers, it was Aldrich’s consistent
performance that set him apart. He graduated with the record for
consecutive games with a hit, and only twice since has a Bowdoin
baseball player matched or bettered his eighteen straight. His
longest single-season hitting streaks were the best at the time as
well, and those numbers have been topped only as a result of the
ever-extending season. His 1988 mark of four consecutive games with
home runs still stands. A two-time All-New England selection, and
an All-American in his senior year, Tom Aldrich remains the
greatest slugger, the greatest offensive presence, and perhaps the
greatest ballplayer Bowdoin College has seen in more than 130 years
of baseball.
Aldrich was also a four-year contributor to Bowdoin’s hockey
program, and was a part of the 1985-86 ECAC Championship team. When
the football program found itself without a kicker, Aldrich was
recruited to join the squad and then distinguished himself on the
kickoff team. Twice named captain of the baseball team, he was also
a two-time recipient of the Francis S. Day Trophy, awarded to the
athlete demonstrating outstanding character, sportsmanship, and
enthusiasm for the game.
Aldrich was a draft pick of the Detroit Tigers and played four
years of minor league baseball and two seasons in the winter league
in Mexico. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Rookie League
during his first year as a professional. Aldrich lives in
Mooresville, North Carolina with his wife, Dawn, and their
three-year-old daughter. He was a dean’s list student and
graduated from Bowdoin with a degree in mathematics.
