Saturday, April 10, 2021

#118 Skip Lockwood

At the time Milwaukee property....Career record 57 wins....Lost 40 more games but was a inning eater in the Milwaukee Brewer’s early years.....Some unusual jukes in his career….Story goes wrote in a “1” in front of the 35K offer put out by the A’s organization; ballsy but the organization went with it….Pitched in High School but was made a position player in minors…..the Rule 5 caveat placed him in KC with the big club 1965….very little impact appearing 42 games mostly in late inning defensive work….only played in two entire games….wedged in 33 at bats and 4 singles……returned to minors for a couple of year with no appreciable forward progress…..made the metamorphosis from position player to the mound in 1968....taken in the 46th round of the expansion draft by Seattle…..one of few people who can say played for the Pilots near the terminus of their existence….Followed fellows refugees into brewtown…..A four year starter completed 729 innings and a fair 3.75 ERA….a trade to the Angels gave Lockwood a taste of relief but limited ineffectiveness….Wound up with Oakland’s farm system for 1975….using two AAA team was able to resurface with the NY Mets…the late season call up resulted in his best MLB work….was able to parlay the progress into being the Met’s closer for most of four years….Tested free agent and was signed by his native Boston Red Sox….unfortunately both sides regretted the move, Red Sox claiming Lockwood hid prior injuries and Skip claiming underutilization….released in 1981 spring training although Lockwood was  ½ million dollars richer via Rouge Hose coffers… .Money not wasted after forgoing collegiate offers out of high school was able to get college degrees in off season….Changed teams in off season many times but only part of two trades….Wore corrective eyewear during career although sometimes this hidden from his employers




6 comments:

  1. I seem to recall (not going to use the Google) that he was the second to last Seattle Pilots player active in MLB.

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  2. You are right. Mike Marshall was the last Pilot active going a year longer. Surprising in that both were taken late in expansion draft when almost nobody had MLB career to speak of. Now if you look what Pilot played professional ball longest, it is neither. The winner is George Burnet who played in Mexican League until 1984. Even more odd is that Burnet was the second oldest Pilot at age 34. That man liked baseball.

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  3. I wonder who played for more teams: George Brunet or Oscar Gamble?

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    1. Brunet did with 9 teams. I never had a card of his, and if I didn't have card of a player they virtually unknown to me. I pity Tony Horton in that regard.

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  4. Wasn't Fred Stanley the last active Seattle Pilots player? He played until the end of the 1982 season and was with the Pilots briefly at the end of the '69 season. If so, then Lockwood would be the third to the last. Still not using the Google for this...

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  5. I forgot about Stanley. His playing was so limited he's the patron of saint of players staying on a MLB roster.

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