BRADENTON, Fla. — When Jeff Locke took the mound Wednesday, he test-drove a delivery the likes of which he hadn’t used in seven years.
After Locke joined the Pirates organization in June 2009 in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, he reported to high Class A Lynchburg. Before the trade, in 10 starts at Myrtle Beach, he was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA and 26 walks in 45u2154 innings.
“I was 21 years old, new pitching coaches, new teammates, new team,” Locke said. “Anything that they were going to want to do with me, I was all aboard.