May 22, 1925: Vic Aldridge, Pirates cool off first-place Giants with 10-inning win

Winners of four straight National League pennants, the New York Giants began 1925 with their hottest season-opening pace yet. Another victory seemed imminent on May 22, when they erased an early five-run deficit at the Polo Grounds and pushed the Pittsburgh Pirates to extra innings behind Wayland Dean’s marathon relief effort. But Vic Aldridge stymied the Giants with a clutch bullpen outing of his own – previewing a run of outstanding pitching instrumental in Pittsburgh’s eventual capture of the NL flag – and Pie Traynor’s carom-shot double and George Grantham’s RBI single in the 10th inning gave the Pirates a 6-5 win.

Even after becoming the first club to reach four World Series in a row,1 manager John McGraw’s Giants were a relatively young team.2 Their Opening Day 1925 lineup included second baseman Frankie Frisch (27 years old), right fielder Ross Youngs (28), left fielder George Kelly (29), first baseman Bill Terry (26), center fielder Hack Wilson (24), and shortstop Travis Jackson (21). Nineteen-year-old Freddie Lindstrom had hit .333 in the 1924 World Series.3

Playing 26 of their first 32 games within New York City,4 the 1925 Giants left the gate even faster than their banner-bestowed predecessors. They had a six-game winning streak in April, then an eight-game streak in May. They were hitting walk-off grand slams,5 beating Hall of Fame-bound pitchers,6 and throwing one-hit shutouts.7 They were even winning without the 52-year-old McGraw, who returned home in early May to recover from sinusitis.8

The Giants boosted their record to 23-7 with a 5-4 victory over the Pirates on May 21, in the opener of a scheduled four-game series.9 They led the second-place Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Phillies by 6½ games. Through 30 games, the Giants’ four pennant winners had topped out at a 22-8 mark and a 5½-game lead in 1923.10 Fourth-place Pittsburgh, which McGraw regarded as the Giants’ biggest obstacle to a fifth flag,11 was 13-15 and nine games back.

Right-hander Hugh McQuillan took the ball a day later, in front of 4,000 Friday afternoon fans. From 1920 through 1924, he had averaged more than 220 innings per season with the Boston Braves and Giants. Seeking to cluster his power hitters, Pittsburgh manager Bill McKechnie had flipped regular second-place batter Kiki Cuyler and third-place batter Eddie Moore,12 and both reached base with one out in the first: Moore singled and McQuillan’s curveball hit Cuyler.13

With Clyde Barnhart batting, McQuillan attempted a pickoff at second, but Moore was already off for third; he slid in safely for a steal.14 Barnhart’s single gave him a 23-game hitting streak and scored Moore with the game’s first run. Pie Traynor then doubled in Cuyler; Barnhart strained a leg muscle sliding into third but remained in the game.15

Glenn Wright capped the eruption with a drive into the top of the left-field stands, just fair, for a three-run homer, his sixth of the season.16 Six batters in, the Pirates had a 5-0 lead and Hughie Jennings, filling in for McGraw,17 replaced McQuillen with the 22-year-old Dean.

In two major-league seasons, Dean had flashed what the New York Daily News labeled “sometimes brilliant form” – including a shutout in the 1925 season’s third game – alongside more walks than strikeouts and a lifetime 5.14 ERA.18

The West Virginia native closed out the first inning without further scoring, but the Pirates threatened to make it a blowout in the second, loading the bases for Wright with two outs. A groundout stranded the runners, and Dean then faced just 12 Pirates from the third inning through the sixth. Pittsburgh’s only baserunner came on Max Carey’s single in the fourth, but Moore hit into a double play.

“With a lot of stuff and a puzzling underhand delivery [Dean] stopped the Buccos completely,” noted the Pittsburgh Gazette Times.19

Pittsburgh’s Lee Meadows limited New York to one hit in the first two innings, but the Giants got on the scoreboard in the third. Frank Snyder and Dean opened the inning with singles. One out later, the left-handed-batting Youngs bunted toward third; Traynor threw him out at first as the runners advanced.20 Terry’s single drove them in, cutting the Pirates’ lead to 5-2.

Meadows threw two more scoreless innings, but it took Carey ranging to deep center to haul in Terry’s drive to strand two Giants in the fifth. In the sixth, Kelly led off with a single to right and took second when Cuyler bobbled the ball for an error.21

After Lindstrom was called out on strikes, Wilson, starting in left field, stepped to the plate. He had homered in the series opener. Antagonistic catcher Earl Smith,22 a Giant from 1919 through 1923, had needled Wilson during his two hitless at-bats against Meadows. “Warm up Meusel!” Smith shouted after Wilson took strike three in the second inning, alluding to veteran outfielder Irish Meusel, who was on the bench behind Wilson.23

This time, Wilson connected on an opposite-field home run, driving Meadows’ pitch to the second tier of the right-field stands to make it a 5-4 game.24

Two batters later, the score was tied, and Meadows’ day was done. After Jackson beat out an infield single, Snyder hit a shot to left field. Barnhart tried for the catch but smashed into the concrete wall; the ball hit the wall and rolled away.25 Snyder had an RBI triple, and McKechnie called on Aldridge with one out and the potential go-ahead run just 90 feet from home. For the 13th time in 29 games, a Pittsburgh starter had failed to complete six innings.26

A regular in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation for the previous three seasons, Aldridge had come to the Pirates in an offseason trade that sent Cooperstown-bound second baseman Rabbit Maranville, starting first baseman Charlie Grimm, and all-time franchise wins leader Wilbur Cooper to Chicago.27 Aldridge had held out until Opening Day and had an 8.66 ERA in four appearances, causing Pittsburgh’s newspapers to call him, derisively, “Victor Aldridge, holdout pitcher” and “Foolish Mr. Vic Caldridge [sic].”28

Frank Walker ran for Snyder, and Dean – already with two hits in the game – hit a shallow fly to center. Carey threw home, and Walker held at third. The ball bounded high over Smith’s head – but Aldridge was backing up, preventing the run from scoring.29 Former Pirate Billy Southworth flied out to end the inning.

Sharp Giants defense preserved the tie in the seventh. Moore singled with one out, but center fielder Southworth’s one-handed catch denied Carey extra bases.30 Barnhart sent Moore to third with his third hit of the game,31 then stole second to give Traynor two runners in scoring position. Traynor hit a high bouncer off Dean’s glove, but Jackson, “running in at fast speed,” according to the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, grabbed the ball and threw out Traynor in a “hairline decision.”32

Aldridge and Dean matched scoreless innings to keep it deadlocked. Smith narrowly missed a home run in the top of the eighth when his liner to right landed a few feet foul.33 Wilson struck out looking at an Aldridge curveball in the eighth and, per the Pittsburgh Post, “gave his bludgeon a vicious heave which sent it crashing to the home dugout.”34 In the ninth, the Giants had runners at the corners with two outs, and the Pirates walked the .378-hitting Terry to load the bases. Kelly flied out, sending the game to extra innings.

Dean was still on the mound in the 10th when Traynor’s one-out smash hit the pitcher’s left leg and caromed into right field.35 Terry chased after the ball, but Traynor reached second with a double.36 He took third on Wright’s groundout.

Grantham had been hitless in his first four at-bats. Like Aldridge, he was part of the offseason blockbuster deal with the Cubs. He started at first on Opening Day, then lost the job after a 1-for-19 start. McKechnie gave Grantham another shot in May with rookie Al Niehaus – also acquired from Chicago – batting .208 and struggling on defense.37 Nine hits in a five-game stretch suggested Grantham was regaining the form that led Chicago’s regulars in batting average and on-base percentage in 1924.38

The Giants played the left-handed-batting Grantham to pull, but he landed a Texas League single in left-center, scoring Traynor with the go-ahead run.39

Aldridge retired the Giants in the 10th to close out his first win as a Pirate. “He had the old curve working to perfection at last and his fast ones were blinding to the eyes of his opponents,” the Pittsburgh Post reported of his 4 2/3-inning, one-hit effort.40 Dean’s 9 2/3 innings of one-run relief resulted in a loss.41

A day later, New York rebounded with a 10-1 win,42 and Sunday’s game was rained out.43 It was made up when the Pirates next visited the Polo Grounds in July.

By then, Pittsburgh had taken over first with a surge of 30 wins in 40 games that started on May 25, a day after leaving New York. The Pirates took the pennant by 8½ games over the Giants and went on to beat the Washington Nationals in a seven-game World Series.44 Aldridge won eight consecutive decisions in September and October, on his way to a 15-7 record, then recorded two complete-game wins in the World Series.

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Laura Peebles and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Photo credit: Vic Aldridge, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org for pertinent information, including the box score and play-by-play.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1192505220.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1925/B05220NY11925.htm

Notes

1 The Giants won two of three World Series from the New York Yankees from 1921 through 1923, then lost to the Washington Nationals in 1924. In the “World’s Series” between the champions of the NL and American Association played from 1884 through 1890, the St. Louis Browns – who later became the NL’s Cardinals – represented the AA for four seasons in a row in the 1880s.

2 “Law of Averages Looms as Giants’ Stumbling Block: But McGraw Has Performed Miraculous Stunt of Rebuilding Team While Winning Flags,” Brooklyn Standard Union, March 29, 1925: 22.

3 Lindstrom missed the first three games of the 1925 season with an ankle injury. Will Murphy, “Boston Opener Likely to Have Nehf on Mound,” New York Daily News, April 14, 1925: 27. As of 2025, Lindstrom remained the youngest player – 18 years, 10 months in October 1924 – to appear in the World Series.

4 Of their first 32 games, the Giants played 24 in the Polo Grounds, two at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, three in Boston, and three in Philadelphia.

5 Harry Schumacher, “Giants Win Again in 9th, 5 to 2: Southworth Hits Homer with Two Down, Bags Full,” New York Daily News, May 9, 1925: 20.

6 Charles Segar, “Vance Knocked from Mound as Giants Win, by 7 to 5: Champions Overcome Early Lead of Brooklyn Team; Fournier Gets Fourth Homer,” Brooklyn Citizen, May 3, 1925: 16; Jack Ryder, “Reds Drop Fourth Game to Giants, 2 to 1: Bentley Beats Rixey in Pitchers’ Duel, When Visitors Get but Three Lonesome Hits,” Cincinnati Enquirer, May 17, 1925: 20; Harry Schumacher, “Terry’s Homer Defeats Cubs: Giants Plaster King Alexander All Over Place,” New York Daily News, May 19, 1925: 28.

7 Harry Schumacher, “Nehf Shuts Out Reds; Gives One Hit: Giants’ Hurler Also Sparkles with 5 Assists,” New York Daily News, May 14, 1925: 26.

8 “Manager McGraw, Napoleon of Baseball, Down with Influenza,” Yonkers (New York) Herald, May 4, 1925: 10: Charles C. Alexander, John McGraw (Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1988), 268.

9 The Giants had capitalized on four Pirates’ errors to score three unearned runs. Harry Schumacher, “Giants Win on Pirate Errors: Scott Cops 6th Despite Homers; Hack Slams One,” New York Daily News, May 22, 1925: 34.

10 The last time the Giants had started out 23-7 was 1918, a season that they began with 18 wins in 19 games. They finished second to the Chicago Cubs that year, 10½ games back.

11 “M’Graw Thinks Pirates Team He Has to Defeat,” Muskogee (Oklahoma) Daily Phoenix, January 22, 1925: 6; Henry L. Farrell (United Press), “Pittsburgh Pirates Look Like Only Rivals of the Giants for N.L. Pennant,” Pottsville (Pennsylvania) Herald, May 23, 1925: 7.

12 “Pirate Notes,” Pittsburgh Post, May 23, 1925: 11. In the previous day’s game, Cuyler had hit what was reported as “one of the longest homers in the history of the Polo Grounds.” It reached the Eddie Grant memorial in center field, a few feet from the fence and an estimated 460 feet from home plate. “Kiki sprinted around the bases and didn’t have to slide to complete the home run,” the Pittsburgh Gazette Times observed. Charles J. Doyle, “Giants Top Bucs in Series Opener: Record Home Run by Cuyler Wasted in 5-to-4 Defeat,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 22, 1925: 11.

13 Edward F. Ballinger, “Aldridge Scores First Victory as Pirates Beat Giants, 6 to 5: Grantham’s Single in Tenth Clinches Hard-Fought Game,” Pittsburgh Post, May 23, 1925: 9.

14 “Pirate Notes.”

15 Lou Wollen, “Pirates Hope to End Journey in Blaze of Glory: ‘Take Next Two’ Corsairs’ slogan,” Pittsburgh Press, May 23, 1925: 9.

16 Charles J. Doyle, “Pirates Down Giants in Tenth, 6 to 5: Aldridge, Wright Heroes as Bucs Deadlock Series,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 23, 1925: 11. Fifteen days earlier, on May 7, Pirates shortstop Wright had turned an unassisted triple play against the St. Louis Cardinals.

17 Wollen, “Pirates Hope to End Journey in Blaze of Glory.”

18 Harry Schumacher, “Dean Shuts Out Braves 2 to 0; Bats in Big Run,” New York Daily News, April 18, 1925: 21.

19 Doyle, “Pirates Down Giants in Tenth, 6 to 5.”

20 “Pulled out of the Fire,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 23, 1925: 11.

21 “Pulled out of the Fire.”

22 “Hardly a Giant escaped the tongue of the live-wire catcher,” the Pittsburgh Gazette Times reported. “Smith has a. quaint way of ‘riding’ the enemy; there is no spleen in what he says, but he is terribly aggravating.” Charles J. “Chilly” Doyle, “Chillysauce,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 23, 1925: 11. Eight days earlier in Boston, Smith had gone into the stands to punch a spectator who was heckling him; another spectator later threw a chair that hit Smith on the head. NL President John Heydler suspended Smith for three games. “Pirate Catcher Hurt in Riot at Boston Game: Smith Hit With Chair in Clash at Ball Park,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 15, 1925: 1; “Suspension Lifted on Earl Smith; May Catch in Today’s Game at Brooklyn,” Pittsburgh Post, May 19, 1925: 13.

23 Doyle, “Chillysauce.”

24 Ballinger, “Aldridge Scores First Victory as Pirates Beat Giants, 6 to 5.”

25 Doyle, “Chillysauce.”

26 It was the sixth time a Pittsburgh starter had allowed five or more earned runs, and the 13th time a Pirates starter had allowed five or more total runs. Pittsburgh’s team ERA entering the game was 4.69, more than a run and a half higher than the Giants’ 3.12.

27 Irving Vaughan, “Grimm, Cooper, And Maranville Traded to Cubs: Pirates Get Grantham and Aldridge,” Chicago Tribune, October 28, 1924: 23; Edward F. Ballinger, “Pirates Trade Maranville, Cooper and Grimm to Cubs: Bucs Get Aldridge, Grantham, Niehaus in Drastic Shakeup,” Pittsburgh Post, October 28, 1924: 1; “Trade Profit to Bucs, New Yorkers Say: Need of Discipline Is Motive Seen by Experts in Gotham,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, October 30, 1924: 14.

28 Charles J. Doyle, “Pirates Stopped by Dodgers, 12 to 7: Grimes Scores Easy Win When Aldridge Fails to Last Route,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 19, 1925: 11; Ralph Davis, “Sport Chat,” Pittsburgh Press, May 20, 1925: 29. “Vic Aldridge has started two games and he has been in others in the relief role,” summarized the Pittsburgh Gazette Times after his most recent outing, a 3⅓-inning, 6-run effort in a loss to Brooklyn on May 18. “He has yet to turn in a success and he may not get into the victory column before June arrives, judging by his proneness to weaken in the middle of a ball game.” Charles J. “Chilly” Doyle, “Chillysauce,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 19, 1925: 11.

29 Charles J. “Chilly” Doyle, “Chillysauce,” Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, May 23, 1925: 11.

30 Doyle, “Chillysauce.”

31 Barnhart made it a 25-game hitting streak before going hitless against the Cubs on May 26.

32 “Pulled out of the Fire.”

33 “Pulled out of the Fire.”

34 “Pirate Notes.”

35 “Pulled out of the Fire.”

36 Ballinger, “Aldridge Scores First Victory as Pirates Beat Giants, 6 to 5.”

37 “Perhaps McKechnie is not satisfied with the willow work of the young firstbaseman [Niehaus], but it is more likely that his off-color play in the field is a contributing factor in the decision to switch,” concluded the Pittsburgh Press. Lou Wollen, “M’Kechnie to Bench Al Niehaus: Grantham to Cover First,” Pittsburgh Press, May 13, 1925: 28.

38 Grantham batted .316 with a .390 on-base percentage in 1924.

39 “Baseball Gossip of the Major Leagues,” Pittsburgh Press, May 23, 1925: 9. From May 13 through the end of the season, Grantham started 94 of the Pirates’ 133 games at first base. For the season, he batted .326, recorded a .413 on-base percentage, and slugged .493, all career highs to that point.

40 Ballinger, “Aldridge Scores First Victory as Pirates Beat Giants, 6 to 5.”

41 Dean had a 10-7 record and 4.64 ERA in 33 games (14 starts) in 1925. The Giants traded him to the Phillies in the 1925-26 offseason. He appeared in 96 major-league games over four seasons and died of tuberculosis in 1930 at age 27. Bob Husted, “The Reference,” Dayton Herald, April 11, 1930: A-12; “Dean’s Death Real Tragedy of Baseball: Lost Heart After His Trade to the Phillies and Went Downhill,” Brooklyn Eagle, May 4, 1930: C 5.

42 The Giants jumped on Emil Yde for four first-inning runs and never looked back, while 22-year-old Kent Greenfield, making his second major-league start, scattered 11 hits for the win.

43 Charles J. Doyle, “Rain Keeps Bucs Idle; Cubs Here Today: Final Game of Giant Series Is Postponed; Showing in East Good,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 25, 1925: 8.

44 The Giants finished 86-66. Several key players missed significant time with injuries, including 1924 starting third baseman Heinie Groh (appeared in only 25 games because of a knee injury), Frisch (out for five weeks in May and June with a broken finger), Jackson (out for four weeks in July and August with a knee injury, and McQuillan (did not pitch after July 9 because of an arm injury, shortly before New York newspapers reported that his wife had sued for separation of their marriage because of his alleged infidelities). Youngs, stricken with the kidney condition that resulted in his death in 1927 at the age of 30, had the worst season of his career. Moreover, Wilson slumped to a .239 batting average and hit only two homers after the May Giants-Pirates series at Polo Grounds; he was traded to Toledo of the American Association in August. “M’Quillan Has Lame Arm; Rest Ordered,” Brooklyn Standard Union, July 16, 1925: 12; “M’Quillan Love Wrecked: Beauty of Bronx Named in Suit by Giant Ace’s Wife,” New York Daily News, July 26, 1925: 2; Harry Schumacher, “M’Graw Calls on Minors for Aid; Hack Wilson Out,” New York Daily News, August 9, 1925: 51; “M’Quillan Has Lame Arm; Rest Ordered,” Brooklyn Standard Union, July 16, 1925: 12; Harry Schumacher, “Giants Face a Shakeup by McGraw: Outfield Fails to Carry Punch Old Jawn Wants,” New York Daily News, August 30, 1925: 54.