The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame is proud to announce the selection of Leo Wurtz of Lloydminster into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, Individual Category, as a player/builder on Aug. 20 in Battleford.
Wurtz, is the son of Andrew Wurtz Jr. and Mary [Waldner] Wurtz, that farmed south of Dalmeny. Leo loved the game of baseball as a youth and to this day, continues to enjoy the game and researches and supports Saskatchewan baseball history.
Wurtz played with the Saskatoon Optimist Juniors when the team won the Provincial Junior Championship before losing the Western Canada Junior Baseball Championship final to the host team from Edmonton.
In 1958 and 1959, Wurtz played for the Saskatoon Gems Junior baseball team. After losing the 1958 championship, the team won the Saskatoon and District Baseball League title a year later by defeating the Asquith Braves in the semifinal and the mighty Saskatoon Mac’s in the final. They were in provincial playoffs but again, fell short of taking the championship.
Wurtz played first base with the Gems. He batted fifth in their powerful line-up, with a consistent personal batting average of over .300.
In 1960 and 1961, Wurtz played first base with the Marysburg Royals, replacing his boyhood idol, Glenn Hall. He won many tournaments as the team traveled every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the province. Both those years saw Marysburg compete in the Provincials, but they lost out to Swift Current and Yorkton.
In 1962, Wurtz played with the Revelstoke Spikes, in the British Columbia Caribou League and they won the North Okanagan Baseball Championship. In the fall of that year, Wurtz returned home and played with the Saskatoon Quakers team coached by Joe Zeman.
Wurtz also umpired throughout the province, including the Long Lake Baseball League for nearly 20 years from the early 1950’s through 1971. Many of those games were provincial finals from Senior A to Intermediate A championship tournaments.
Wurtz has been a very committed member of the Selection Committee of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of fame, as well as very active supporter for the organization.
Wurtz taught school around the province, including the city of Lloydminster. He is a very community minded citizen and was involved extensively in hockey in that city.
He and Brenda, his wife, continue to live in Lloydminster.
