Dresser, Peter (1993)
Pete Dresser dominated Maine baseball in any league he ever played.
in being inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, Pete joins a number of other Hall of Famers with strong ties to his hometown of Cape Elizabeth.
This power pitcher, feared hitter, and excellent outfielder started his organized baseball career on the Family Field Little League Field in Cape Elizabeth and ended it in the Twi-Light League on Deering Oaks in Portland.
From start to finish, few Maine players have excelled at the game as Dresser did every step of the way.
Peter's baseball career flourished in the baseball hot bed of Cape Elizabeth .
Joining a high school program which had flourished under Durward Holman and Leroy Rand, Dresser and new Cape High coach Vic Woodbrey continued the tradition.
Under Woodbrey's expert handling, and playing with a strong supporting cast, Dresser pitched and battled Cape Elizabeth High School to Triple-C championships in 1967 and 1968. High school pitching masterpieces included a 21 strike-out, one hitter against Freeport and a 20 K, eleven in a row, no-hitter versus Scarborough. Pete capped his high school career with a 2-0 victory over Greely for the Triple C championship, striking out 10 and walking 1.
Peter's earlier accomplishments in the Portland Babe Ruth League were equally impressive.
Playing for Leroy Rand's Red Rose Cardinals, Pete led his team to a 22-0 record in the summer of 1966. He started the season pitching 2 no-hitters in a row while striking out 37 batters.
During the season, he allowed a total of only 8 hits!
Peter led the Deering League All-Stars to the state championship in 1966 and was awarded the Frank H. Vail Award as the tournament's outstanding player-sportsman.
Dresser and Rand continued together into Legion Baseball with the Stewart P. Morrill Post. Dresser and his mates from Cape Elizabeth and South Portland captured state titles in 1967 and 1968.
Pater dominated the state tourney in 1968 from 3 different positions.
He played first base in game one, pitched game two, and played center field in game three.
He won his own game in the second contest with a 350 foot two-run homer that accounted for the only runs of the game.
After pitching no-hitters in Little League, Babe Ruth, High School, and Legion baseball, Peter went on to pitch for the University of New Hampshire.
During his senior year, he won six games and lost only 2.
He struck out 78 batters in 64 1/3 innings while on his way to a 1.96 ERA; impressive numbers considering the Wildcats ended the season with just over a .500 record.
Dresser's potential did not go unnoticed by the major league scouts, and in 1972 he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.
Pete pitched for Bradenton, Florida in the Gulf Coast League, where he posted a 4-0 record with a 1.75 ERA. At Midland, Texas in the Texas League he was 2-2 with 43290 ERA.
Pete pitched at Quincy, Illinois, in Double A ball before arm trouble ended the dream of a trip to the majors.
Even with a chance at the majors ended, Peter's arm was still strong enough to rejoin the Portland Twi-Light League.
In 1971, he joined with future Hall of Famers Phil Martin, Brian Swasey, John Gleason (battery mate in Legion ball and at UNH) and Rick Swan to power Yudy's Tire to the league title. Dresser won the batting title that year, hitting .440. Dresser and Gleason joined again in 1979 to help In town Portland to the Twi-League (Crown.
An outstanding player-sportsman and likable friend all through his career, Dresser was, according to veteran umpire and Hall of Famer, Eddie Ainsworth, “the fastest pitcher | ever umpired for’. Peter lives in Florida with his wife, Karen, and children, Meredith and Lucas.
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