Kilgore Drillers

The Kilgore Drillers were a minor league baseball team that was member in the Lone Star League from 1947 to 1948 and the East Texas League from 1949 to 1950. Based in Kilgore, Texas playing their home games at Driller Park giving the Ballpark its name, it was the city's last professional baseball team. ^[1] Joe Kracher managed and played for the team in 1947, 1948 and 1949, leading the club to consecutive league championships in '47 and '48 (the team lost the league finals in '49). Fred Baczewski also played for the team in 1948 and the 1949 club featured Merv Connors and Jerry Fahr. The 1950 club, managed by Al Kubski, lost in the first round of the league playoffs. Connors played for the team that year, as well. ^[2]

The Kilgore Drillers folded after the 1950 season. They had played consistently winning baseball claiming two consecutive championships in the Lone Star League, were the runners-up in 1949, and had a respectable finish in 1950 before being disbanded.^{[ citation needed ]} It was 58 years before Driller Park saw another team take residence.^{[ citation needed ]}

Seasons

1947 season

They finished the regular season at the top of the standings with a 78–60 record. In the playoffs, they swept the Tyler Trojans while the Marshall Comets beat the Longview Texans, 4–1. In the championship series, the Drillers defeated the Comets 4 games to 2 to become the 1947 Lone Star League champions.

1948 season

They finished the regular season at the top of the standings once again, with a 94–44 record. In the playoffs, they defeated the Henderson Oilers 4 games to 3 while the Longview Texans defeated the Tyler Trojans 4 games to 3 also. In the championship series, the Drillers beat the Texans to become Lone Star League champions again.^{[ citation needed ]}

1949 season

In their first season in the East Texas League, the Drillers finished in 4th place with a record of 75–65. In the playoffs, they defeated the Longview Texans 4 games to 3; the Gladewater Bears defeated the Paris Panthers 4 games to 3 also. In the championship series, Kilgore finished as the runner-up to Gladewater being beaten in four games.

1950 season

The Drillers finished 3rd in 1950. In the playoffs, Kilgore was beaten by the Marshall Browns 4 games to one in the first round.

1953 Revival and Financial Crisis

After being inactive for the 1951 and 1952 seasons, a community effort was made to revive the Drillers for the 1953 season. The new team, composed of local players, joined the Northeast Texas Amateur League. However, the revival was immediately plagued by the same financial issues that caused the earlier team to disband. In an article dated May 31, 1953, the Kilgore News Herald reported that the club was again on the verge of bankruptcy due to a severe lack of attendance, with no home game drawing more than 300 fans. Business Manager J.D. Holmes stated the team's funds had dwindled to just over $300, making it uncertain if the revived club would be able to complete the season. ^[3]

Key Players and On-Field Performance

The 1953 amateur team was managed by Jimmy Dalrymple, Sr., and its pitching staff was slated to be bolstered by the return of former Driller pitcher Eugene Biddle. ^[4] An unusual characteristic of the team's brief season was that the infield supplied most of the offense. Infielders accounted for all four home runs hit by the team (two by Steele McKinney, one by Jimmy Dalrymple Jr., and one by Jack De Voll) and ten of the team's thirteen doubles. Manager Jimmy Dalrymple, Sr., and infielder Tommy Lockhart led the team in doubles with three each. ^[4]

Opening Night

The opening home game of the revived team took place on Thursday, May 7, 1953, against the Gladewater Cubs at Driller Park. The event was launched with significant community support, featuring a pre-game concert by the Kilgore High School Band and a ceremonial first pitch thrown by City Commissioner John Hill. Ahead of the game, team management stated a goal of surpassing the 550 fans who had attended their recent away game against the same opponent. ^[5]

Financial Crisis and Attendance

The 1953 revival was immediately beset by financial trouble. Admission for home games was set at 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. ^[5] Despite a hopeful start, the team failed to draw crowds to its home games. By the end of May, Business Manager J.D. Holmes reported that no home game had drawn more than 300 spectators, with one game against a second-place team drawing fewer than 50. A financial statement published on May 31 showed that from an initial $995 collected in ticket and sign sales, the club's balance had fallen to just $303.72 after expenses and losses on games played, placing the team on the verge of bankruptcy less than a month into the season. ^[4]

Driller Park plaque

On April 24, 1947, the Drillers played their first game in front of a full house. A Texas Historical Commission plaque outside Driller Park states:

On April 24, 1947, more than 3,100 fans celebrated the postwar return of baseball as the Kilgore Drillers played the Henderson Oilers on Driller Park's opening day. Erected by the Kilgore Baseball Club for $100,000 on land deeded to the city of Kilgore by S. S. Laird, the park straddles the line between Gregg and Rusk Counties. An excellent example of small stadium engineering, the ballpark was constructed of oil field pipe, tank steel, and concrete with an infield underground drainage system. Though the Drillers disbanded in 1950, Driller Park continues to be a haven for baseball in the city of Kilgore. ^[6]

References

1. Kilgore BR page
2. BR Minor page
3. Allen, Ted (1953-05-31). "Kilgore Drillers Facing Bankruptcy". Kilgore News Herald. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
4. Allen, Ted (1953-05-31). "Kilgore Drillers Facing Bankruptcy". Kilgore News Herald. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
5. "Hill To Toss First Ball At Game Tonight". Kilgore News Herald. 1953-05-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
6. "Driller Park - Kilgore, Texas".