The Woodstock Lions Baseball club of 1953 joined the ranks of such baseball immortals as the Marysville Royals and the perennial New Brunswick Senior Champions of the 30’s, the St. Stephen St. Croix, as they repeated as rulers of senior baseball in the province.

No team represented the decade of Woodstock baseball better than the ’53 Lions, as the season saw the operation of four senior leaguers in the province heavy into talent recruitment, determined to capture the title. Baseball was enjoying its greatest support in the period just before television became popular in the province.

Playing its first season in the York, Sunbury, Carleton loop, the team finished third in league play behind Fredericton Tigers and Marysville Royals, but went on to win sets of league playoffs.

Provincial Semifinals

Woodstock defeated Border League Campion St. Kiwanis 3 games to 2 (2 games went to extra innings).

North Shore League Champion, Dalhousie Dodgers defeated Southern NB League Champion, Saint John Dodgers 3 games to 1.

Provincial Finals

Woodstock swept Dalhousie 4 games straight in the best of 7 final.

"All around baseball effectiveness” would characterize the Woodstock boys of summer 1953, with superb pitching, timely hitting, sound fielding and managerial cunning ever prevalent.

The Lions of ’53 enjoyed a tremendous following and it was estimated that at their home games, league and provincial playoffs, fan attendance averaged between 1200 and 1500 spectators during the September/October playoff period, it is not known how many local fans followed the team on the road but the support often surpassed that of the home team.

~ INDUCTION MAY 11, 1996 ~