Frederick Lloyd Woolley will be posthumously inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame as a player, Aug. 16 in Battleford.
"Lloyd was one of the very best pitchers I ever had the pleasure of playing against," said Bert Olmstead of High River, Alta., a Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in 1993.
Woolley was born in Regina, July 8, 1929. In 1946, at the age of 17, Woolley began his baseball career as a left-handed pitcher in the Â鶹´«Ã½AVern Saskatchewan Baseball League while still a student at Scott Collegiate in Regina. He retained both this position and a better than average hitting ability throughout his eight-year baseball career.
"Woolley displayed a lot of confidence and maturity as well as ability," said Ernie Franks of Melville, a 2000 inductee into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame. "He was a pleasant young man who was well liked by his teammates. It was evident that he had a great future in baseball."
In 1949, Woolley and Scott Collegiate beat the Liberty Montana Eagles 6-1 as he pitched a two hitter. Woolley then attended the Brooklyn Dodger Baseball School in Great Falls, Mont.
Dick Irvin Sr., a Regina resident and coach of the Montreal Canadiens hockey club, wrote Montreal Royals - the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate - general manger Buzzi Bavasi. The letter stated Woolley was invited to the Verlo Beach, Fla. training camp. He was assigned to a Hazelton, Pa. team where he played until injuring his heel. Woolley finished the season with Lumsden Royals of the Â鶹´«Ã½AVern Saskatchewan Baseball League.
Woolley attended the Dodgers' camp again in 1951. He earned a contract to play for Valdosta, Ga. In 1952, he was invited to play for the Carmen Cards of the MAN-DAK League, but played for the Regina Royal Caps. In the 1953 season with the Royal Caps, he won five games and had a batting average of .318. Woolley also won pitching honours that season.
Woolley continued with the Royal Caps in 1954. He had a 4-1 record, adding three hits including a home run in a 18-4 loss to Estevan-Bienfait.
After another season with the Royal Caps in 1955, Woolley played for the Regina Cardinals in 1956, while also being the league umpire. He continued his umpiring from 1965-68 in the AAA Calgary Giants Baseball League.
"Throughout the years of Lloyd playing baseball, Saskatchewan was a hotbed of excellent baseball league play, tournaments and top class touring teams," said Bill Mooney, a two-year player of the SSBL. "He was highly respected by players, coaches, managers and owners for his playing ability."
Frederick Lloyd Woolley died September 29, 2013.
