Along for the Ride with Chris Ryan
New Hampshire has a incredibly proud baseball tradition from Penacook’s Red Rolfe being selected as a All-Star four times to Charlestown’s Carlton Fisk representing the American League eleven times to Exeter’s Chris Carpenter taking the hill for the senior circuit three times.
Now a new Granite State baseball star has emerged. His name is Jeff Locke, he hails from North Conway and before this season he was recognized just as much for being a Clay Buchholz look alike as a Pittsburgh Pirates prospect.
But, that has all changed. Locke, 25, is 8-2 this year for Pittsburgh with a 2.15 ERA
“It’s really humbling to be a part of it,” he said before last night’s All-Star game at Citi Field in New York. “I’ve known I’ve wanted to do this my whole life. As long as I’ve been playing baseball, I’ve wanted to play it at the highest level possible.”
Locke comes from a typical Northern New Hampshire family. His dad is retired, but keeps his hands busy with odd jobs. His mother works as a caregiver to the elderly.
His success this year is as surprising as it is amazing. Prior to this season Locke was just 1-6 with a ERA just south of six as a September call-up in 2011 and ’12. He came into this season shooting to make the Pirates as the 5th starter and although he is the only starter to make the All-Star team he is staying humble.
“You’ve got to expect the best from yourself and never settle less,” said Locke. “But, the point where I was at was things really weren’t going well for me at this level. But, I also hadn’t had a extended period of time up here so it was tough to tell.”
Overall though he says the biggest difference in the pitcher he is now versus previous years is confidence.
Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen said that Locke is a big reason the Pirates are contending for their first postseason appearance since 1992.
“He just goes in and does his job,” he said. “He’s not boasting about it. You don’t see him bragging about it, he just gets it done.”
Fitting since that’s kind of the New Hampshire way.
