Lafayette Drillers Flashback: Rob Dressler

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, pitcher Rob Dressler.

Dressler didn’t call Lafayette home for long, but he sure did make an impact.

The Portland, Oregon native was to opening night starter for the Drillers in 1975, and threw a two-hit shutout against the Alexandria Aces as a 21-year old, before going 5-1, with a 1.96 ERA. in six starts for the Drillers.

Dressler was called up to AAA Phoenix, and then later to the San Francisco Giants, where he pitched two years (1975-1976), before moving on to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978, and then the Seattle Mariners (1979-1980), where he finished his playing days.

Over his five-year MLB career, Dressler went 11-23, with a 4.17 ERA., while appearing in 82 games, starting 48.

The right-hander’s best season was with the Mariners, in his final major league season in 1980, when he had a 3.98 ERA in 149.1 innings pitched.

In his six games with the Drillers in 1975, all starts, Dressler went 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA. In 46 innings, the right-hander allowed 32 hits, and ten earned runs, while walking nine hitters, and striking out five.

The Drillers finished fourth in the league in overall team ERA. in 1975, with a 4.40 ERA., behind the Midland Cubs (3.97), the Jackson Mets (4.26), and the Shreveport Captians (4.39), and Rob Dressler was a part of the reason why.