User:FranDoe16/sandbox/Bruce Aldridge

Bruce James Aldridge (born August 4, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Aldridge was on the Detroit Tigers coaching staff from 2011 to 2014, serving as the bullpen coach. He has also served as an assistant pitching coach for the Houston Astros (2017) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2018–2019).

Amateur career
Aldridge was raised outside of Houston, Texas and attended Pearland High School where he led the schools baseball team to the 5A State Finals in 1980. Upon graduating from high school, Aldridge was drafted by the San Diego Padres, but he did not sign. He played college baseball for Oklahoma State, where he had a 14–6 win-loss record during his four-year career. After graduating from Oklahoma State, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 14th round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft.

Professional career
Aldridge made his major league debut for the Pirates on July 28, 1987, making one spot start before returning to the minor leagues.

During the offseason, Aldridge was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for infielder Glenn Ryan. He made 22 appearances for the Twins in 1988, including 3 starts; he pitched to 1–4 record and a 7.42 earned run average (ERA). Aldridge played in the minor leagues for two more seasons before retiring from professional baseball in 1991.

Post-playing career
In 1993, Aldridge joined his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, as assistant coach and pitching and recruiting coordinator. He remained with the college through 1997.

From 1998 to 2000, Aldridge served as the pitching coach of the Tulsa Drillers, the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate. From 2001 to 2008, Aldridge was listed by the Rangers as a special assistant for player development.

In 2009, Aldridge joined the Detroit Tigers organization as the field coordinator of player instruction for the organizations farm system. Following the 2010 season, the Tigers hired Aldridge as their bullpen coach, replacing Jeff Jones. He served in this role until the end of the 2014 season.

On November 6, 2016, the Houston Astros named Aldridge as the team's assistant pitching coach for the 2017 season. Aldridge had spent the previous two seasons as the pitching coach for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the Los Angeles Dodgers Triple-A affiliate.

Prior to the 2018 season he was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to be their assistant pitching coach. He served in this role through the 2019 season.

Personal life
Aldridge is married to the former Mary Chapman, and the couple has four children. Aldridge's son, Dallas, a right-handed pitcher, played for the Texas Rangers from 2013 to 2019.

Aldridge's twin brother, John, works in law enforcement in Denton, Texas.