The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame announced Frederick Gordon Cardwell from Red Deer, Alta., formerly of Regina, will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame as a player Aug. 16.
Cardwell, a right-handed power pitcher, was born Feb. 7, 1948 and came through minor league baseball in Regina. He played in senior leagues with Regina and Moose Jaw before settling in Red Deer.
In 1959 and '60, Cardwell won the little league city championship in Regina. He followed with back-to-back championships in the Pony League in 1961 and '62. Two more city championships followed in the 1963 and '64 juvenile division.
Cardwell led Regina to become midget Alberta-Saskatchewan champions in 1964 with victories over Edmonton and North Battleford. He also won a junior provincial championship with Regina in 1965. In the Canadian finals in Winnipeg, Man., Cardwell was the opening game winner, pitching seven innings of relief in an 11-inning victory. He also debuted in the Southern League in 1965 and was named an All-star in his first season as a member of the Regina Red Sox.
Cardwell earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Oregon and was a leading starter for the Ducks in the Pac-8 Conference during the late 1960s. He was a key member of Canada's national teams, being selected to play in eight international competitions including the Pan-Am Games in 1971. He was a perennial all-star at all levels. Between 1966 and 1972, Cardwell continued to play for the Red Sox.
He moved to Alberta in 1973 and joined the Red Deer Generals of the Alberta Major Baseball League. Cardwell continued playing through 1979 with the Red Deer Generals, Edmonton Tigers and the Calgary Jimmies. He participated in the Intercontinental Cup series in Italy and the World Series tournament in Nicaragua in 1973.
In 1974, he led the Edmonton Tigers to a 5-1 win over Nova Scotia for the Canadian senior title. Cardwell was also a member of Team Canada at the World Senior Championships in Florida, pitching a 7-2 opening game win over Italy.
In 1975, Cardwell was a member of the Calgary Jimmies, the Alberta representatives in the Canadian Senior Championships in Vancouver, B.C. He was also part of Team Canada at the Intercontinental Cup held in Moncton, N.B. and Montreal, Que. He won the MVP award in the Calgary Tournament as he tossed a four-hitter as Red Deer took top money. He also earned a 4-2 win over South Korea and an 8-0 shutout of Puerto Rico in the international series.
In 1976, Cardwell battled arm woes. He saw his final action in 1979 with Red Deer Generals at the Lacombe Tournament before retiring.
Former teammate Glennis Scott stated Cardwell would have been a major league prospect if there had been scouting at that time. Catcher Larry Tollefson, a 2013 Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, considered Cardwell the consummate power pitcher with a devastating fastball and wicked curve. Tollefson considered Cardwell one of Canada's top pitchers of the 1960s and 1970s.
After attending the University of Oregon, he later received a law degree at the University of Saskatchewan. Cardwell began practising law in Alberta before taking a teaching position at Red Deer College. He retired from teaching in 2013.
Cardwell is now in the process of moving to Kelowna, B.C. with his wife and son.
