Chuck Locke facts for kids

Charles Edward Locke (born May 5, 1932 – died January 9, 2015) was an American professional baseball player. He was known as Chuck Locke. He was a right-handed pitcher, which means he threw the ball to the batter. Chuck played in two Major League Baseball (MLB) games for the Baltimore Orioles in 1955. Even though he didn't let any batters get hits or score any runs in his three innings of playing time, he never played in the Major Leagues again. He was a relief pitcher, meaning he came into the game after the starting pitcher.

Chuck Locke's Baseball Journey

Chuck Locke was about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds. He played professional baseball for nine years, from 1950 to 1958. Most of his career was spent with the Baltimore Orioles organization. He first signed with the team in 1950 when they were called the St. Louis Browns.

Making it to the Major Leagues

In 1955, Chuck was playing really well in the minor leagues. He won 18 games for the San Antonio Missions, which was a Double-A team in the Texas League. Because of his great performance, the Orioles called him up to play in the Major Leagues.

His First MLB Game

Chuck Locke made his first MLB appearance on September 16, 1955. The game was at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and the Orioles were playing against the Washington Senators.

• He entered the game in the eighth inning.
• The Orioles were behind, with the score 7–4.
• Chuck allowed one player to get on base because of an error (a mistake by a fielder).
• But he got out of the inning without any runs scoring! This happened when a batter hit a fly ball that led to a 9–6–5 double play. A double play means two players are out on the same play.
• Chuck left the game in the bottom of the eighth inning for a pinch hitter (a player who bats instead of the pitcher).
• The Orioles then made a big comeback and tied the game! They eventually won the game 8–7.

His Last MLB Game

A week later, Chuck Locke played in his second and final Major League game. This game was also against the Senators, but it was played at Griffith Stadium.

• Chuck pitched the last two innings of the game.
• The Orioles lost this game 7–3.
• In the seventh inning, he got all three Washington batters out in order.
• In the eighth inning, he got his only Major League strikeout (when a batter misses three pitches). The player he struck out was Eddie Yost.
• He also gave up one base on balls (a "walk") to José Valdivielso.

Back to the Minor Leagues

After his two games in the Major Leagues, Chuck Locke went back to minor league baseball in 1956. He continued playing until the end of the 1958 season. In his minor league career, he played in 274 games and had a won–lost record of 82 wins and 97 losses.