Gene Locklear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Locklear |
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Locklear with the Padres in 1975
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 19, 1949 Lumberton, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: April 5, 1973, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| NPB: April 7, 1978, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 2, 1977, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: September 19, 1978, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 9 | ||
| Runs batted in | 66 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .240 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 38 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Gene Locklear (born July 19, 1949) is an American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. He also played in Japan for the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Besides baseball, Gene Locklear is also a talented commercial artist. He started painting as a child and became a professional artist during his baseball career.
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Early Life and Art Beginnings
Gene Locklear was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, in 1949. He grew up on a tobacco farm in Pembroke, North Carolina. Gene is a full-blooded member of the Lumbee people.
He went to Pembroke Senior High School. There, he played both baseball and gridiron football. He finished high school in 1968. Gene also studied commercial art through a correspondence course. This was because his school did not offer art classes.
After high school, he worked on a road construction team. He also played baseball semi-professionally.
Baseball Journey
In 1969, Gene tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He didn't get a contract with them. Later, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds for no signing bonus. He began his professional baseball career that year.
He played for several minor league teams. These included the Tampa Tarpons and the Sioux Falls Canaries. He missed part of the 1970 season. This was because he served in the United States Army.
After his service, he continued playing in the minor leagues. In 1971, he led the Eastern League in batting average. He hit .323 for the Trois-Rivières Aigles. In 1972, he won another batting title. He hit .325 for the Indianapolis Indians.
Major League Debut
Gene Locklear joined the Cincinnati Reds on their Opening Day roster in 1973. He made his first MLB appearance on April 5. He didn't play much for the Reds.
On June 12, 1973, the Reds traded him to the San Diego Padres. He played more games with the Padres. In 1974, he started with the Hawaii Islanders (a minor league team). He hit very well, with a .341 average. This led to him being called up to the Padres again.
In 1975, he started with the Padres. He hit well, but didn't get much playing time. He was sent back to the Islanders briefly. He returned to the Padres and finished the 1975 season hitting .321.
Playing for the Yankees and in Japan
On July 10, 1976, the Padres traded Gene to the New York Yankees. He played for the Syracuse Chiefs, a Yankees minor league team. He joined the Yankees in August 1976.
In 1977, he played mostly for the Syracuse Chiefs. He had a great year, hitting over .300 with 25 home runs. He even hit four home runs in one game! This tied a league record. The Yankees called him up again in September. He played one game for them that season.
After the 1977 season, Gene became a free agent. He signed a contract to play in Japan. He joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 1978. He played one season there. After that, he retired from baseball.
Art Career Highlights
Gene Locklear started painting when he was very young. He even sold his artwork while still in high school. He paints many different subjects. These include athletes, Native American people, and landscapes. He uses acrylic paint in warm weather and oil paint in colder months.
His art has been shown in famous places. Some of his paintings were displayed at The Pentagon. Others were at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Smithsonian Institution. He even had a painting hung in the White House from 1975 to 1976. This painting was for an advisor to President Gerald Ford.
Gene has sold paintings to many famous athletes. These include Ted Williams, Lance Armstrong, and Tiger Woods. Some of his paintings have sold for over $30,000. He has also painted murals live in front of crowds. He did this at events like Super Bowl XXVII and the MLB All-Star Game. He even designed the cover for the program of the 1995 MLB All Star Game. Gene was also the official artist for the Arena Football League and Super Bowl XXXVII.
Personal Life
Gene Locklear and his wife, Susan, got married in 1985. They live in El Cajon, California.
