Lafayette Drillers Flashback: Ernest Young

The Lafayette Drillers, a Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, called Lafayette, Louisiana their home for two years, from 1975-1976.

The Drillers, who played their home games at Clark Field, were co-champions of the Texas League in 1975 with the Midland Cubs, finishing 72-57, before going 58-76 in 1976, the last year of affiliated professional baseball in Lafayette.

A number of outstanding players, who eventually made it into Major League Baseball ranks played at Clark Field in 1975 & 1976, including five former Lafayette Driller players.

All summer long, we’re taking a look back at some of the former players for the Drillers.

Today, Ernest Young.

Young was a catcher for the Drillers during both the 1975 and 1976 seasons.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Young went to Denby High School, before being drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the San Francisco Giants in 1973.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Young made minor league stops in Great Falls, Montana, Decatur, Georgia, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa before joining the Drillers in 1975.

With Lafayette, Young played sparingly, hitting a .186 with no home runs and five runs batted in.

In 102 at-bats, Young collected 19 hits, including three doubles, along with four walks and 21 strikeouts.

Defensively, Young appeared in 28 games behind the plate, committing only two errors.

Young went on to play four more seasons of professional baseball, retiring after the 1979 season, having never made it past the AA level.

Young compiled a .242 career batting average, along with 14 home runs and 125 RBI's in 399 minor league games, covering seven seasons.