Bill Drescher

{{short description|American baseball player (1921-1968)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Bill Drescher

|position=Catcher/Pinch hitter

|image=

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1921|5|23|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Congers, New York

|death_date={{death date and age|1968|5|15|1921|5|23}}

|death_place=Haverstraw, New York

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 19

|debutyear={{By|1944}}

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 28

|finalyear={{By|1946}}

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.266

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=16

|teams=

• New York Yankees ({{By|1944}}–{{By|1946}})

}}

William Clayton Drescher (May 23, 1921 – May 15, 1968) was an American professional baseball catcher who appeared in 57 games in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees between in {{mlby|1944}} and {{mlby|1946}}. Born in Congers, New York, he batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and was listed as {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and {{convert|190|lb}}.

Nicknamed "Dutch", Drescher had a 12-year professional career that began in 1942 and ended in 1954; he did not play during the 1951 season. Most of his MLB action occurred during {{mlby|1945}}, the last wartime season, when Drescher caught 266{{fraction|1|3}} innings, second only to Mike Garbark among backstops on the Yankee roster. In 1946, with war veterans returning to baseball, Drescher got into only six May games and caught 12 innings before returning to the minor leagues. He played at Triple-A for the rest of his pro career.

With the Yankees, Drescher had 37 career hits, including four doubles, one triple and 16 RBIs, batting .266 in 57 games. He died at age 46 on May 15, 1968, in Haverstraw, New York.