Bobby Locke – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Lawrence Donald “Bobby” Locke put together a solid nine-season run in Major League Baseball, pitching for five different teams from 1959 to 1968. This right-hander from Pennsylvania left his mark as both a starter and a reliever, moving through organizations like the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and California Angels.

Locke finished his career after the 1968 season with the California Angels, closing out nearly a decade in the majors with a 16-15 record and a 4.02 ERA in 165 games. He played during a time of real change in baseball, from the late 1950s through the wild 1960s.

From his unforgettable debut home run in 1959 to his last games during “The Year of the Pitcher” in 1968, Locke’s story feels like a snapshot of so many journeyman pitchers who made up the backbone of big league teams in baseball’s expansion era.

His stats, personal background, and the way he bounced through different organizations give us a glimpse into what life was like for a pro athlete navigating the ups and downs of mid-20th century baseball.

Early Life and Background

Lawrence Donald “Bobby” Locke grew up in a big working-class family in Pennsylvania’s coal country. Even as a kid, he showed some serious athletic ability.

At Redstone High School, he made a name for himself in both football and baseball. Eventually, he chose professional baseball over a shot at a college football scholarship.

Birthplace and Family Origins

Bobby Locke was born on March 3, 1934, in Rowes Run, Pennsylvania, a tiny mining town about 40 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. He was the eighth child of coal miner John Locke and his wife, Anne.

The Locke family ended up with ten kids in all—six boys and four girls. Bobby grew up in the tough mining country of southwestern Pennsylvania.

His dad worked down in the mines, just like most men in the area back then. The family lived in a working-class neighborhood where hard work and grit really mattered.

Family Details:

• Father: John Locke (coal miner)
• Mother: Anne Locke
• Siblings: 9 brothers and sisters
• Birth order: 8th child

High School Athletics at Redstone High School

Bobby went to Redstone High School in Republic, Pennsylvania, where he stood out in more than one sport. He played both football and baseball, and he was pretty darn good at both.

On the football field, he lined up as a fullback and a defensive back. He even made several all-star teams during his high school days.

But baseball was where he really shined. As a pitcher, he tossed two no-hitters and averaged 13 strikeouts per game. His 1952 team didn’t lose a single game, and he capped off that season by throwing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts to win the state championship.

His baseball skills earned him a spot on the 1952 USA Baseball All-Star team. He played in the famous Sandlot Classic at the Polo Grounds in New York City, going up against the best high school players in the country.

Decision to Pursue Professional Baseball

After finishing high school, Bobby took a football scholarship to Arizona State University. But his time with college football didn’t last.

“I punted in the first game, and decided I wasn’t going to play any more football,” Locke later said. “When I realized that, I hitchhiked back home.”

He headed back to Pennsylvania, deciding baseball was the better path for him. Cleveland Indians scout Laddie Placek spotted his talent and signed him in 1953.

Placek offered him a $6,000 signing bonus to join the Indians, which was a big deal for a 19-year-old. That was the start of his professional baseball career, and he never looked back.

Professional Baseball Career Overview

Bobby Locke pitched for five MLB teams over nine seasons from 1959 to 1968. He put up a 16-15 record with a 3.61 ERA in 168 games, moving from starter to reliever as his career went on.

MLB Debut with the Cleveland Indians

Locke made his big league debut on June 18, 1959, for the Cleveland Indians when he was 25. He started against the Boston Red Sox and, in his second at-bat, smacked a three-run homer over Fenway Park’s Green Monster.

The Indians called him up from Triple-A San Diego after he threw four shutouts and posted a 1.63 ERA. That first season, he moved to the bullpen in August and put up a sparkling 1.03 ERA in 13 relief outings.

His best year came in 1960 when he set career highs with 11 starts and 123 innings. He tossed his only two major league shutouts that year and finished with a 3.37 ERA.

One of his most talked-about moments happened when he faced Ted Williams. After Locke hit Williams with a pitch, Williams told reporters, “Wow, that kid really throws hard!” Locke actually held Williams to just one hit in nine meetings.

Tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies picked up Locke in May 1962 in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent parts of three seasons with Philly from 1962 to 1964, splitting his time between the big leagues and Triple-A Buffalo.

His biggest impact came during Philadelphia’s infamous 1964 collapse. They called him up from Little Rock in September, and he appeared in eight games during the team’s disastrous ten-game losing streak. He threw 19⅓ innings with a 2.79 ERA but didn’t pick up a win or loss.

Locke took the blame for one crucial loss in that stretch. With the score tied 3-3 in the tenth, he shook off his catcher’s fastball call and threw what he called “the worst pitch of my career.” Joe Torre crushed the curveball for a two-run homer.

By then, Locke pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen. After early June 1961, he made just one start in his last 101 appearances through 1968.

St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds Stints

Locke’s time with the St. Louis Cardinals was short and marked the start of his journeyman phase. The Cubs traded him to St. Louis three days before the 1962 season started, but he pitched just two innings before the Cardinals dealt him to Philadelphia.

He joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1965 after a mid-season trade from the California Angels. The Reds got Locke in late July along with pitcher Jim Coates, but his stay in Cincinnati didn’t last long.

These quick stops showed just how tough it was for Locke as he bounced from team to team. He spent all of 1966 in the minors before the Angels bought his contract back from the Reds in June 1967.

Final Seasons with the California Angels

The California Angels gave Locke his last shot in the majors from 1967 to 1968. Most of 1967, he pitched for Triple-A Seattle, but a September call-up let him show he still had something left.

Locke went 3-0 in nine September outings with a 2.31 ERA, working almost entirely in relief. That strong finish earned him a spot on the 1968 roster for his final season.

He made his last big league appearance on September 29, 1968. Injuries had worn him down by then, including an elbow problem that took the edge off his fastball and an old wrist fracture from high school football that doctors said made him a “one in a million” case to pitch professionally.

He kept playing in 1969 with two Triple-A teams, the Hawaii Islanders and Syracuse Chiefs, before calling it a career at 35.

Career Highlights and Statistics

Bobby Locke finished with a 16-15 record and a 4.02 ERA over nine MLB seasons from 1959 to 1968. He had some standout moments, including two shutouts in 1960 and a memorable debut homer at Fenway Park.

Pitching Performance and Notable Games

Locke’s best year was 1960 with the Cleveland Indians, where he posted a 3.37 ERA over 123 innings. He threw his only two big league shutouts that season and made a career-high 11 starts.

His MLB debut on June 18, 1959, against the Red Sox really turned heads. After a strong run in Triple-A San Diego with a 1.63 ERA, he made an impression right away.

Locke had trouble staying consistent throughout his career, finishing with 194 strikeouts in 168 games. The move from starter to reliever wasn’t easy, and after June 1961, he started only once in his last 101 games.

He had some of his most memorable outings against Ted Williams, holding the Red Sox icon to just one hit in nine meetings, striking him out four times and walking him once.

Batting Contributions and Unique Achievements

Locke didn’t get many chances to hit, but he made his mark. He launched his only big league home run in his second career at-bat during his 1959 debut against Boston.

That three-run shot came off Frank Sullivan and cleared Fenway Park’s Green Monster. Hitting a homer in your first game? That’s something special, and it showed Locke’s athleticism went beyond just pitching.

Pitchers didn’t get many at-bats back then, so that home run stands out as a rare highlight in his offensive stats.

Season-by-Season Statistical Summary

Locke’s nine years in the majors saw him play for five teams: Cleveland Indians (1959-1961), St. Louis Cardinals (1962), Philadelphia Phillies (1962-1964), Cincinnati Reds (1965), and California Angels (1967-1968).

His 1961 season with Cleveland was his only full year in the majors. The Indians traded him to the Cubs after that, but he never played for Chicago because of their odd coaching system.

Locke’s last season in 1968 saw him go 3-0 in nine September games for the Angels. He put up a 2.31 ERA during that late run, working mostly out of the bullpen.

He wrapped up his career with 16 wins, 15 losses, and 194 strikeouts in 168 games. That 4.02 ERA shows how tough it was for him to switch between starting and relief roles over the years.

Personal Identity and Legacy

Lawrence Donald Locke became known everywhere as “Bobby” during his baseball days, a change that fit his personality and his desire to be genuine. His teammates called him “Orbit” because of his spacey demeanor, and his offbeat quotes and unique style made him a favorite with sportswriters and fans.

Origin of the Name Bobby Locke

Lawrence Donald Locke was born in Rowes Run, Pennsylvania, but the switch from “Larry” to “Bobby” is one of baseball’s funnier name stories. When Cleveland sportswriters first met him in Boston, they kept calling him “Larry” because that’s what the roster said.

After hearing “Larry” for the third time, Locke finally spoke up. “Where do youse guys get that Larry business?” he asked, according to Akron Beacon Journal columnist Jim Schlemmer.

The writers apologized, and Locke set the record straight. “I was at Tucson, but my name ain’t Larry and never was, it’s Bobby,” he told them. “It’s my name, that’s why.”

When they asked why he answered to Larry in spring training, Locke shrugged. “Because I was just a rookie then and didn’t want to cross youse writers.” He also cleared up another detail, saying he came from Rowes Run, not Grindstone. “Rowes Run is just a little place. We get our mail in Grindstone.”

Reputation Among Peers and Nicknames

Bobby Locke’s Cleveland teammates started calling him “Orbit” because of his spacey personality and quirky behavior. Cleveland General Manager Frank Lane once joked, “If we can get Larry out of the clouds, he will be terrific.”

Locke’s reputation went beyond just being scattered. He pulled off some legendary stunts that people still talk about. During a Cubs intrasquad game, he just walked off the mound when his arm tightened up, not really sure which coach to tell thanks to their confusing “College of Coaches” setup.

“I’m the only pitcher around here smart enough to do what I did,” he told reporters later. He didn’t hold back about the Cubs’ coaching mess: “I never saw a setup like that with all these coaches, it’s like we got a new president of the U.S. every two weeks.”

Philadelphia beat writers loved covering Locke. He always gave them something to write about. One offseason, he even announced he was planning to open a beauty salon after earning a beautician license—definitely not your typical ballplayer move.

Remembering Bobby Locke After Retirement

After he retired in 1969 at age 35, Bobby Locke found success outside of baseball but stayed close to his athletic roots. He worked as a salesman for Frito-Lay Inc. for 26 years, making a name for himself in his Pennsylvania community.

The baseball world honored him with several hall of fame inductions. The Mid-Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame welcomed him in 2006, and the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame followed in 2009.

Locke always seemed to embrace his reputation for being a little different. “I don’t mind being called flaky,” he once admitted. “You have to be flaky to play this game.”

When Bobby Locke passed away on June 4, 2020, at 86 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, baseball writers and fans remembered him for his colorful personality just as much as his pitching. His story stands as proof that baseball’s greatest characters often come from small Pennsylvania towns.

Retirement and Later Years

Bobby Locke’s baseball career wrapped up in 1968 after nine big league seasons. He moved into a business career and stayed in Pennsylvania until his death in 2020.

Concluding His MLB Career in 1968

He played his last MLB season with the California Angels in 1968. That year, he made 29 relief appearances, finishing with a 2-3 record and a 6.44 ERA.

His final game came on September 29, 1968, when he was 34. The season ended up being a letdown after a promising 1967 with the Angels, when he notched 3 wins, 2 saves, and a 2.33 ERA in just 9 games.

His control just didn’t hold up in his last year. After 1968, Locke headed to the minor leagues and pitched for Hawaii and Syracuse in 1969.

He retired from professional baseball at age 35. His career stats: a 16-15 record, 10 saves, and a 4.02 ERA over 165 games.

Life Post-Baseball

Once he left baseball, Lawrence Donald Locke built a solid career outside sports. He worked as a Frito-Lay salesman for 26 years, which gave him stability and let him stay close to home in Pennsylvania.

Locke kept playing amateur baseball in Pennsylvania for a few years after leaving the pros. It helped him stay involved with the sport he loved while adjusting to regular life.

He received recognition for his athletic achievements. In 2006, the Mid-Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame inducted him.

Three years later, in 2009, he entered the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame.

Passing and Community Impact

Bobby Locke died on June 4, 2020, in Dunbar, Pennsylvania, at 86. They buried him at Sylvan Heights Cemetery in Uniontown, not far from his birthplace in Rowes Run.

His journey took him from small-town Pennsylvania to major league stadiums across the country. Locke pitched for five teams: the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and California Angels.

People in baseball circles remembered Locke for more than just his pitching. His teammates gave him the nickname “Orbit” for his spacey ways, and he became known for his unique quotes and offbeat approach.

References and Further Research

Several thorough baseball databases and specialized resources document Bobby Locke’s nine-year MLB career from 1959 to 1968. The Baseball Almanac and local sports hall of fame archives offer more biographical info and career highlights.

Baseball-Reference and Retrosheet Resources

Baseball-Reference.com lists Bobby Locke’s complete stats. His career spanned five teams: Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and California Angels.

He finished with a 16-15 win-loss record and a 4.02 ERA over 165 big league games. The site has game logs, including his last appearance on September 29, 1968, against the Chicago White Sox.

Retrosheet keeps detailed box scores from Locke’s playing days. Researchers can find specifics about games like his MLB debut on June 18, 1959, at Fenway Park.

The site also tracks his moves between teams, like his 1962 trade from Cleveland to Chicago for Jerry Kindall.

Other Notable Sources for Bobby Locke’s Career

The Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame archives share extensive biographical material. You’ll even find quotes from Locke about his days at Redstone High School and his 1952 WPIAL championship in those records.

Baseball Almanac digs into his minor league development. They trace his path from Class D baseball in Daytona Beach to that big 18-9 season up in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The Mid Mon-Valley Sports Hall of Fame adds a regional angle on what he did after baseball. Their 2006 induction materials mention his 26-year run with Frito-Lay after he finished his pro career.