A 1945 graduate of Muskegon High School, Ludwig lettered in football and baseball for the Big Reds. A starting halfback for Coach C. Leo Redmond’s gridiron squad in 1944, Ludwig helped pace the team to an 8-0-0 record and a mythical state championship.
On the baseball diamond, Ludwig compiled a 17-1 varsity record as a pitcher for Coach Harry Potter. Among the victories were two no-hitters and five one-hit contests as Muskegon rolled to 55 consecutive wins. His only loss came against conference rival Grand Haven, ending the unbeaten streak. When not on the mound, Ludwig’s talents as an outfielder and solid hitter kept him in the Big Red line-up continuously.
Following graduation, Ludwig enrolled at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University). In his freshman season, the Muskegon native played football and baseball for the Spartans before signing a contract to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs organization in May 1946. Sent to Hutchinson, Kansas, it was the beginning of a seven-and-one-half year stint in the minor leagues that spanned 806 ball games.
A solid hit-and-run man, Ludwig showed some power with a pair of home runs on opening day in 1948 for the Cubs’ Double A club in Shreveport, Louisiana. However, a broken ankle sidelined the 5-11, 180-pounder for much of the 1948 campaign. Assigned to Macon, Georgia, the following year, he saw action in 125 games, batting in 47 runs in 438 at bats. Promoted to Nashville of the Double A Southern Association for the 1950 season, Ludwig batted a solid .276 in 445 at-bats before suffering a skull fracture late in the year. He returned to Nashville in 1951 and rebounded with his finest season as a professional. Playing third base, he led the league with 213 hits in 664 at bats, en route to a .331 batting average and a place on the Southern Association All-Star team.
Promoted to Triple “A” ball in 1952, Ludwig saw action in 114 games for Springfield, Massachusetts of the International League. Despite a career average of .290 in 437 minor league games, Ludwig was unable to crack the Cubs roster. Unsuccessful in forcing a trade, he retired from professional baseball in 1953.