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 Southern 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 Southern 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.
