{{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox Minor League Baseball | name =Bakersfield Drillers | firstseason =1910 | lastseason = | allyears =1910, 1929 | city =Bakersfield, California | logo = | uniformlogo = | class level =Class D (1910, 1929) | league =San Joaquin Valley League (1910)<br />California State League (1929) | majorleague =None | nickname ='''Bakersfield Drillers ''' (1910)<br />Bakersfield Bees (1929) | ballpark =Recreation Park (1910) | classnum = | classchamps = | leaguenum =1 | leaguechamps =1910 | confnum = | conferencechamps = | divnum = | divisionchamps = | wildcardnum = | wildcardberths = }} The '''Bakersfield Drillers''' were a minor league baseball team based in Bakersfield, California. In 1910, the Drillers played as members of the Class D level San Joaquin Valley League, winning the league championship in a shortened season in the only season for the league. Bakersfield returned to minor league play in 1929 when the Bakersfield "Bees" played in the final shortened season of the California State League. Bakersfield hosted home games at Recreation Park.
==History== Minor league baseball was first hosted in Bakersfield, California in 1910, when the Bakersfield Drillers became founding members of the four–team Class D level San Joaquin Valley League. The Coalinga Savages, Tulare Merchants and Visalia Pirates joined Bakersfield as charter members to begin the season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=ff09e73d|title=1910 San Joaquin Valley League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>
On September 12, 1910, Bakersfield had a record of 21–9 under manager Brick Devereaux when the San Joaquin Valley League folded. Bakersfield was 7.5 games ahead of second place Visalia (13–17) in the standings at the time the league folded. Previously, the Tulare (13–15) franchise had folded on August 8, 1910 and Coalinga (9–14) folded on August 18, 1910.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1910 Bakersfield Drillers Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bd10288/y-1910|title=1910 Bakersfield Drillers minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref><ref name="encyc">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor-first1=Lloyd |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first2=Miles |editor-last2=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}</ref> Pitcher Willard Meikle of Bakersfield led the league with 11 wins, 101 strikeouts and an 11–4 record.<ref name="encyc"/>
The Bakersfield use of the "Drillers" moniker corresponds with oil drilling in the area. The Kern River Oil Field began oil production in 1899 and is still in operation today.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=168102|title=Discovery Well Historical Marker|website=www.hmdb.org}}</ref>
thumb|right|(1910) Kern River Oil Field. Bakersfield, California.
Minor league baseball returned briefly to Bakersfield in 1929. The '''Bakersfield Bees''' began the season as members of the four–team Class D level California State League. The San Diego Aces, San Bernardino Padres and Santa Ana Orange Countians joined Bakersfield in league play.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=1963dffe|title=1929 California State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Josh Clark was president of the Bakersfield team.<ref name="auto">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLF6Nf9WeD8C&q=BAkersfield+Bees+baseball+1929&pg=PA93|title=Baseball in San Diego: From the Plaza to the Padres|first=Bill|last=Swank|date=September 3, 2005|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9780738534121|via=Google Books}}</ref>
On opening day, April 10, 1929, Santa Ana defeated Bakersfield 7-6 at Recreation Park in Bakersfield.<ref name="auto"/>
During the season, on June 17, 1929, the California State League permanently folded. At the time the league folded, Bakersfield was in 2nd place with a 32–28 overall record. Managed by Louis Guisto and Ned Porter, the Bakersfield Bees finished 2.5 games behind the 1st place San Diego Aces in the final standings. Lou Martin of Bakersfield led the league in hitting, batting .389 and player/manager Ned Porter led the California State League with 15 home runs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=CASL&class=D|title=California State League (D) Encyclopedia and History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1929 Bakersfield Bees Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bb10284/y-1929|title=1929 Bakersfield Bees minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref><ref name="encyc"/>
Bakersfield next hosted minor league baseball when the 1941 Bakersfield Badgers began play as members of the Class C level California League.<ref name="encyc"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1941 Bakersfield Badgers Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> thumb|(1909) Santa Fe Depot. Bakersfield, California.
==The ballpark== Bakersfield hosted minor league home games at '''Recreation Park'''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DP-TyWkAUgwC&q=BAkersfield+Drillers+baseball+1910&pg=PA84|title=The Great Red Sox Spring Training Tour of 1911: Sixty-Three Games, Coast to Coast|first=Bill|last=Nowlin|date=January 10, 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786462209|via=Google Books}}</ref>
==Timeline== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" ! Year(s)!! # Yrs.!! Team!! Level !!League!!Ballpark |- | 1910 || 1 || Bakersfield Drillers ||rowspan=2|Class D ||Southern California League||rowspan=2|Recreation Park |- | 1929 || 1 || Bakersfield Bees || California State League |- |}
== Year-by-year records == {|class="wikitable" ! Year!! Record!! Finish!! Manager!! Notes |- align=center |1910||21–9||1st||Brick Devereaux||League folded September 12<br />'''League champions''' |-align=center | |-align=center |1929||32–28||2nd||Louis Guisto / Ned Porter||League folded June 17 |-align=center |}
==Notable alumni== {{div col|colwidth=25em}} *Roy Joiner (1929) *Monte Pearson (1929) *Bill Phebus (1929) *Frenchy Uhalt (1929) {{div col end}}
==See also== Bakersfield Bees players
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Bakersfield&state=CA&country=US Bakersfield - Baseball Reference]
Category:Defunct baseball teams in California Category:Baseball teams established in 1910 Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1910 Category:Professional baseball teams in California Category:Sports clubs and teams in Bakersfield, California Category:San Joaquin Valley League teams Category:1910 establishments in California Category:1910 disestablishments in California