The Lafayette Drillers baseball club was an American
minor league baseball franchise representing
Lafayette, Louisiana, that played for two seasons, –
76, in the
Double-A Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
as an affiliate of the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
. The team played its home games at Clark Field.
The Drillers were created when the
Amarillo Giants
The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas–New Mexico League, the Class A Western League (1900–1958), Western League and the Double- ...
transferred to Lafayette after a 1974 campaign that saw them draw a total of less than 46,000 fans.
[Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007] Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757â ...
previously hosted minor league teams in the
Evangeline League
The Evangeline League began in 1934 as a six–team Class D level minor league with teams based in Louisiana, United States, later adding Mississippi and Texas based franchises. In 1935, the league was expanded to eight teams and ceased operation ...
(Class D, 1934–42; Class C, 1948–57), Louisiana State League (Class D, 1920) and the early-20th century Gulf Coast League (Class D, 1907). Those teams sported nicknames such as the
Browns,
Hubs,
White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
,
Bulls and
Oilers
Oiler may refer to:
Ships
* Replenishment oiler
* Tanker (ship)
Sports
* Cape Breton Oilers, a former American Hockey League team
* City Oilers, Ugandan basketball team
* Edmonton Oilers, a National Hockey League team based in Edmonton, Alberta, ...
.
Texas League co-champions (1975)
The 1975 Drillers captured the Texas League's East Division title and attendance rose by 57 percent over the 1974 Amarillo team's showing, ranking fourth among the eighth teams in the circuit. The Drillers were declared league co-champions with the
Midland Cubs
Midland may refer to:
Places Australia
* Midland, Western Australia
Canada
* Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick
* Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick
* Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Midland, Ontario
India
* Midland Ward, Kohima, Na ...
when the playoffs were rained out after four games and the series was tied at two wins each. With the muddy field causing unplayable conditions, league president
Bobby Bragan
Robert Randall Bragan (October 30, 1917 – January 21, 2010) was an American shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball and an influential minor league executive. His professional baseball career encompassed 73 years, fro ...
suggested that the Drillers and Cubs settle matters with a
tug of war
Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certa ...
. Thirty years later, then-Driller radio announcer John Steigerwald recalled: "So, the fans who came to Clark Field in Lafayette to see future major leaguers decide a
Double-A championship saw 50 young guys trying to pull each other into a pile of mud."
The Indiana Gazette, 2008.11.01
/ref>
The Drillers' 1976 edition posted the league's worst record, and also plummeted to last in fan support. The Lafayette franchise then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, in 1977, returning the city to the Texas League fold after eleven years in Triple-A. The Tulsa Drillers have remained in the Texas League ever since. Meanwhile, the Giants moved their 1977 Double-A affiliate to the Eastern League. Lafayette returned to professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
with an independent league franchise, the Bayou Bullfrogs, in 1998.
Notable alumni
* Gary Alexander
* Jack Clark
See also
* Tulsa Drillers
References
External links
Lafayette, Louisiana Encyclopedia
at Baseball Reference
Baseball-Reference is a website providing baseball statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics. It offers a variety of advan ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafayette Drillers
Defunct Texas League teams
Professional baseball teams in Louisiana
San Francisco Giants minor league affiliates
Sports teams in Lafayette, Louisiana
Baseball teams established in 1975
Baseball teams disestablished in 1976
1975 establishments in Louisiana
1976 disestablishments in Louisiana
Defunct baseball teams in Louisiana