He was the unsung part of one of the best relief pitching staffs in big league history when he played for the White Sox in the mid-late 1960’s.
On Monday, news broke that Bob Locker, a big righthander with a devastating sinker, passed away on August 15 in Bozeman, Mont. He was 84.
Locker grew up in Iowa and pitched at Iowa State. In fact, perhaps he was destined to have a White Sox future, as he hooked up against future Sox teammate Joe Horlen in a memorable college game.
Horlen remembered that matchup when I interviewed him in 2005: “Bob pitched for Iowa State and he beat me 1-0 in a game that was probably over in less than an hour and a half.