:Willie Royster

{{short description|American baseball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Willie Royster

|position=Catcher

|image=Willie Royster Orioles.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1954|4|11}}

|birth_place=Clarksville, Virginia

|death_date={{Death date and age|2015|11|23|1954|4|11|mf=yes }}

|death_place=Ocean View, New Jersey

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 3

|debutyear=1981

|debutteam=Baltimore Orioles

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 2

|finalyear=1981

|finalteam=Baltimore Orioles

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Games played

|stat1value=4

|stat2label=At bats

|stat2value=4

|stat3label=Hits

|stat3value=0

|teams=

• Baltimore Orioles ({{mlby|1981}})

}}

Willie Arthur Royster (April 11, 1954 – November 23, 2015) was an American professional baseball player. The catcher spent eleven seasons in minor league baseball, with a brief, four-game Major League trial for the {{by|1981}} Baltimore Orioles. He threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|5|ft|11|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|180|lb}}.

Royster was chosen by the Orioles in the 22nd round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. He played in the minors from 1972 to 1976 and 1978–1981 — missing the entire 1977 season — until a breakout season with the 1981 Charlotte O's of the Double-A Southern League saw him hit 31 home runs and drive in 88 runs batted in, both career highs.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=royste001wil Minor league record from Baseball Reference] Baltimore recalled him after the September 1 roster expansion.

In Royster's four MLB games played, he appeared as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch hitter. In his four big-league at bats, he struck out twice and grounded out twice.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/Iroysw1010011981.htm Retrosheet]

He returned to the minors in 1982, and his pro career ended after the 1983 season. He played all but 66 of his 961 minor-league games in the Orioles' organization. Willie died at his home in the Ocean View section of Dennis Township, New Jersey, on November 23, 2015, at the age of 61.[http://hosting-10528.tributes.com/show/103031938 Willie Royster-obituary]