Ethel Boyce

Ethel Phoebe Boyce (June 27, 1917 – August 24, 1996) was a Canadian ballplayer who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed.[1][2]

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Boyce was one of the 57 Canadians to join the AAGPBL in its twelve-year history. She appeared in five games for the Kenosha Comets in its 1946 season, and went hitless in three at-bats.[2] An avid professional softball player in her country, Boyce was recognized for her interest in people, being particularly interested in young people and helping them to succeed in life.[3]

The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York since November 5, 1988, that honors the entire league rather than any individual figure.[4]

Ethel Boyce Phoebe died in 1996, aged 79. In 1998, Boyce and all Canadian AAGPBL players gained honorary induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.[5]

That same year, Boyce's sister, Mrs. Ruth A. Laing, created the Ethel Boyce Achievement Award through a donation in the memory of her sister. The award is administered by Softball Canada and is awarded annually, to a female and a male recipient.[3]