The Kaukauna Comet

Profile: Loy Oldfield

Born: March 10, 1898 – Kaukauna, WI

Position: Center Field

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Height/Weight: 6’0”, 165 lbs

Nickname: “The Kaukauna Comet”

Loy Oldfield was born in the small paper mill town of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, along the banks of the Fox River. From an early age, it was clear that he was blessed with rare speed, outrunning every child in the neighborhood in footraces and covering more ground on the sandlots than seemed possible. His father, a mill worker and former semi-pro ballplayer, recognized his son’s gift early on and encouraged him to take up baseball.

Oldfield quickly became a sensation in Wisconsin amateur circles. Playing for the Kaukauna Nine, a club team of local teenagers, he was an electrifying presence—chasing down fly balls with an almost unnatural ease and lashing line drives all over the diamond. His reputation spread beyond his hometown, and soon he was the subject of fierce competition among regional scouts.

At 15, he joined the Oregon Academy Blues, a developmental team in the Legacy Baseball Academy League, where he faced older and more experienced competition. It didn’t take long for him to prove he belonged. By 17, he was leading the club in extra-base hits and stolen bases, and his defensive prowess in center field was already being described as major league caliber. However, his erratic throwing arm began to raise concerns—one day he’d gun down a runner at third with pinpoint accuracy, the next he’d sail a throw into the stands.

By 18, Oldfield was the most sought-after prospect west of the Mississippi River. Legacy Baseball League scouts flocked to his games.

Oldfield is described as quietly confident, not one for grandstanding but utterly focused on the game. He plays hard and expects the same from his teammates. Despite his youth, he carries himself with a professionalism beyond his years. Some scouts believe he could develop into a clubhouse leader, provided his game matures as expected.

He is also known for his humble background and strong work ethic—traits that have made him a favorite among coaches and teammates alike. Unlike many young stars, he shuns the spotlight, preferring to let his play do the talking.

Oldfield is a potential franchise player whose skill set could make him a superstar. If he harnesses his arm, he could go toe-to-toe with the Kings’ Neil Pound and Cincinnati’s Calvin Culliford in a rivalry to become the defining center fielder of their generation. If not, he will still be a dangerous offensive weapon and an elite outfielder—just not quite the complete player he could be.

Regardless of how his arm develops, one thing is certain: Loy Oldfield is destined to make an impact in Legacy Baseball League—and likely sooner rather than later.

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Malcolm Franklin’s Scouting Journal – Portland, OR – Scouting Oregon Academy

May 8, 1916 – Oregon Academy Blues vs. Pacific Academy Whites

• Early to the park. Cloudy, light rain. Smells like pine and damp dirt.
• Oregon Academy Blues taking infield. Oldfield in center.
  • First impression – big strides, smooth movements. Covers ground easy.
  • Even in warm-ups, calling out plays, directing outfielders. Taking extra repetitions.

First At-Bat – Bottom 1st, Man on Second

• First pitch – belt-high fastball, takes it. Good eye.
• Second pitch – curveball, swings over it.
• Third pitch – fastball, outer half.
  • CRACK. Line drive roped into right-center gap.
  • Runner scores, Oldfield flying around first, thinking two.
  • Right fielder bobble—he’s going.
  • Slide. Safe. Double.
  • Dust settles. No celebration, just fixes cap, looks to third.

Defensive Work – Top 3rd

• Runner on first. Pacfic’s best hitter at bat.
• Hard liner to deep left-center. Looks like extra bases.
• Oldfield takes off. Ball tailing away, bad angle—
• BUT HE GETS THERE.
  • Full-speed, one-handed grab on the run.
  • Plants, fires to first – wild throw. Runner retreats.
  • The arm is live, but untamed.

Second At-Bat – Bottom 4th

• Lefty reliever in.
• Pitch one – slider, outside. Doesn’t bite.
• Pitch two – heater, fouls it back.
• Pitch three – another fastball—he’s ready.
  • Drilled past short, into left.
  • Doesn’t force two this time. Stays at first. Smart play.

More Defense – Top 6th

• Shallow fly to center. Runners on the corners.
• Oldfield comes in fast. Catch and throw home in one motion.
• Throw is high, but CATCHABLE. Runner slides—OUT.
• Accuracy is a problem, but arm strength is real.

Final At-Bat – Bottom 8th

• Two outs, Blues up one.
• First pitch – fastball, middle.
  • Jumped all over it.
  • Towering shot to deep left.
  • Fielder drifts, drifts—off the wall!
  • Oldfield flies around second, going for three.
  • Throw comes in—too late. Stand-up triple.
  • His second extra-base hit of the day.

Final Notes

• Speed? Elite. Covers ground with ease.
• Bat? Gap power already despite being so skinny. Easy swing and strong wrists. Hits it hard. Once fills out, will be devastating hitter.
• Instincts? Sharp. Sees plays develop before they happen.
• Throwing? Big arm, but scattershot. Needs work.
• Demeanor? Never too high, never too low. Focused.
• Young but already very polished. Natural talent in all facets. Shot to debut in LBL at 20 years old.
• Oldfield should be one of game’s best.
• Talk to Williams about trading up.

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Malcolm Franklin’s Scouting Journal – Kaukauna, WI – Final Cross-Check

June 30, 1916

• Off train early. Town smells like river and pulp. Cold wind for summer. Can’t get warm.
• Here for Loy Oldfield. Need to know more about makeup.

Paper Mill Stop

• Men coming off shift. Found an older fellow with a cigarette.
• Asked about Oldfield. “Shows up early, don’t complain, works like he means it.”
• Plenty of boys start, few last. Strong work ethic. Loyal.

Butcher Shop

• Butcher grinned wide when I asked. “Hell of a boy. Polite as they come.”
• Always checks on butcher’s wife. Respectful. Good manners.
• Trouble? “Only trouble he ever gets into is having to get out of town fast after embarrassing opposing pitching.”

Schoolhouse

• Teacher already knew why I was here. Small town.
• Said he tries hard, even if not particularly gifted student.
• “Good heart, Mr. Franklin. The kind you’d want beside you in a fight.”

Meeting the Family

• Oldfield home – modest, clean, porch with a rocking chair. Chickens in the yard.
• Mother answered. Sturdy woman, flour on her hands. Baking.
  • Warm but cautious. “Loy’s out at the field. You a ball man?”
  • Explained my business. She nodded, wiped hands on her apron.
  • “He loves the game. Always has. He’d play barefoot in the snow if he had to.”
• Father – rail-thin, sun-beaten face, pipe in hand.
  • Listened, didn’t say much at first. Then:
  • “Boy doesn’t stop. Always been that way.”
  • I ask about the arm. Father nods. “Wild, yeah. He’s working on it. Always working.”
• Two younger sisters peeked from the doorway. Giggled when I tipped my hat.
• House smelled of bread, wood smoke. Humble folks, hard-working. No airs.
• Mother: “If he goes, just tell me he’ll be looked after.”
  • I promised as much as I could.

Final Thoughts

• Work ethic? Check.
• Respect? Check.
• Character? Bigger than I expected.
• Family? Solid. Loyal. Raised right.
• Easy first pick.

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LOY OLDFIELD: A WHALE OF A BALLPLAYER IN THE MAKING

By James C. Rodgers, Baseball Monthly — July 1916

The game of baseball, like the mighty nation that cherishes it, is forever in search of fresh talent to carry its proud traditions forward. And in the young and sure-footed Loy Oldfield, the Brooklyn Whales may have found a player fit to roam the green pastures of center field for years to come.

Hailing from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Oldfield is a ballplayer of the finest Midwestern stock—hard-nosed, fleet of foot, and blessed with the kind of bat that can send a pitcher to ruin on any given afternoon. At but eighteen years of age, he already stands out as a rare specimen, a player with the tools to thrill the spectators in Kings County and frustrate the opposition for a long time. It was little surprise, then, when the Whales—defending champions of the Legacy Baseball League—made Oldfield the first overall selection in this year’s amateur draft, securing for themselves a talent that many believe will be the next great guardian of Brooklyn’s center field.

A GLOVE LIKE LIGHTNING, LEGS LIKE THE WIND

There are few sights in baseball more pleasing to the eye than a center fielder gliding across the grass to snatch a would-be hit from the air, and in this regard, Oldfield is already a master of his trade. The young man is swift as a racehorse and smooth as silk, his ability to track fly balls giving pitchers the confidence to let batters swing away.

“They say he could catch a bird in flight if he had a glove big enough,” said one rival coach in the Legacy Baseball Academy League, where Oldfield dazzled spectators all spring as a member of the Oregon Academy Blues. “Every time you think a ball’s got a chance to drop, there he is, galloping under it like he knew all along where it would land.”

Indeed, Oldfield’s defensive work is nothing short of wizardry, and even in the esteemed history of the Whales, he may one day be counted among the finest glove men ever to patrol the borough’s center field.

A BAT THAT THREATENS IN MANY WAYS

But do not mistake Oldfield for some mere glove merchant. He wields the bat with confidence and authority, striking the ball with a clean and powerful stroke. His .274 career average in the Academy League was no fluke, nor were his 129 stolen bases, nor the host of extra-base hits that kept his team in the thick of competition.

“He can lace a liner into the alley, he can chop a ball where they ain’t, and if a pitcher isn‘t careful, he’ll put one over the fence,” says Malcolm Franklin, Brooklyn’s chief scout and the man responsible for bringing Oldfield into the fold. “And once he’s on base? Lord help the defense.”

A terror on the basepaths, Oldfield turns singles into doubles and doubles into triples with reckless abandon, his speed forcing errors and misplays from even the surest hands. A player of his caliber is rarely idle once he reaches first, and pitchers in the Eastern League will soon learn that allowing Oldfield aboard is but an invitation to chaos.

THE ONE IMPERFECTION

If there is a chink in the young man’s armor, it lies in his throwing arm, which, while strong as an ox’s, is about as reliable as a politician’s promise. His throws from the outfield can be marvelous or maddening, at times hitting the intended target with precision, at others veering so wildly that they land in places known only to Heaven.

Still, if an erratic throwing arm is the price of admission for a player of Oldfield’s caliber, then Brooklyn will gladly pay it. One can teach accuracy, but one cannot teach speed, instinct, and the unshakable will to win—and in those departments, Oldfield is already a rich man.

A WHALE IN THE MAKING

Brooklyn is a city that appreciates hard work, and Oldfield is the kind of player who thrives on it. His quiet humility, his unyielding hustle, and his willingness to improve make him a natural fit for a club managed by the great and foul-mouthed Marques Williams, who has little patience for idlers or loafers.

“He’s a d*** fine ballplayer,” Williams said when asked about his new outfielder, “and if he ain’t, by God, he’ll become one before I’m done with him.”

With the legendary skipper at the helm and a championship-winning club behind him, Loy Oldfield has found himself in the perfect place to grow into a star. If the raw talent he has already displayed is any indication, Brooklyn fans should prepare to witness something special in the coming years.

For in the grand tradition of the Whales, Brooklyn has found another great Royal Fish to patrol the deep waters of center field—and rest assured, Loy Oldfield is ready to swim.