Vale Roy Watson

Baseball WA is saddened to hear of the passing of Roy Watson, a former Claxton Shield representative and inaugural inductee of the Braves Legends Club. 

Roy was much-loved by the Braves and he was inducted as a club legend in 2013. He spent many years playing baseball with the Braves, and he was a talented sportsman in both baseball and cricket.

Roy was playing cricket in Fremantle when he was introduced to baseball, and it wasn’t long before he was a standout second baseman. He became the first state baseball player to be selected from Braves Baseball Club in 1954. He went on to win Braves batting awards in the 1958/59 and 1959/60 seasons, and he was a member of the Claxton Shield in 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1960.

One of the highlights of Roy’s career was his outstanding 1957 Claxton Shield series, where he impressed in the field and at the plate. He collected six hits and five walks in two games against Victoria and NSW, and at the conclusion of the carnival he was selected to the All-Australian side as a second baseman. This marked the first time a Braves player won Australian selection.

Roy was a passionate sportsman who was one of only four players selected to represent WA in both cricket and baseball before 1960. He encouraged others to make the most of their time on the field and was a highly respected member of the baseball community.
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We offer our condolences to the Watson family during this difficult time.