David duPlessis
An athlete with a 6’6” inch frame would normally be found in a basketball gym, however, Dave DuPlesis’ powerful left handed baseball swing led him to the baseball field. From the first time he picked up a baseball bat he knew this was his sport. At Antioch High School in 1988, he was selected first team All DVAL, second team All East Bay, Team MVP and the Tribune Prep of the Week.
After high school, Dave enrolled at Diablo Valley College and in the 1990 baseball season he was one of their best hitters. He was second on the team with a .326 Batting Average and tied for first with 24 RBI’s. His hitting performance caught the attention of professional baseball scouts and he was selected in the 33rd round of the 1991 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians.
In 1992 he split time with the Salinas Spurs in the California League and the Watertown Indians in the New York-Penn League. In 130 games his combined line with both teams was a .267 BA with 24 doubles, 14 homers and 58 RBI’s. In 1993, he played for the Columbus Red Stixx of the South Atlantic League. He appeared in 52 games and had a .289 BA with 8 home runs and 32 RBI’s.
Following the 1993 season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos and was assigned to play for the West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League. In a tough hitters league he had another solid season at the plate. In 115 games he hit .260 with 24 doubles, 8 homers and 58 RBI’s. This would prove to be his last year in professional baseball. After four years, his career stats included 1144 plate appearances with a .268 BA, 55 doubles, 30 home runs and 148 RBI’s.