Gene Locklear

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Gene Locklear
Runs batted in
66
Teams

Gene Locklear (born July 19, 1949) is an American

Nippon-Ham Fighters
in 1978. Locklear began painting as a child and became a professional artist during his baseball career.

Early life

Locklear was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, in 1949. He was raised on a tobacco farm in Pembroke, North Carolina.[1] Locklear is a full-blooded member of the Lumbee people.[2]

Locklear attended Pembroke Senior High School, where he played baseball and

Pembroke State University.[5] After graduating from high school, he worked on a road construction crew and played baseball semi-professionally.[3][6]

Baseball career

In 1969, Locklear tried out with the

Class AAA American Association and again won the batting title, finishing the season with a .325 average.[7]

Locklear made the Reds' Opening Day roster in 1973, making his major league debut on April 5. Ken Griffey and Dan Driessen played more than Locklear, who had a .192 batting average in limited playing time. On June 12, 1973, the Reds traded Locklear and Mike Johnson to the San Diego Padres for Fred Norman.[5][9] He finished the season with a .233 average in 180 at bats between Cincinnati and San Diego. The Padres assigned Locklear to the Hawaii Islanders of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League to start the 1974 season. He batted .341 in 77 games and was promoted to the Padres, where he received 50 at bats. Locklear began the 1975 season with San Diego, but remained behind Bobby Tolan in their depth chart.[5] In May, he complained about being benched despite batting .441, while Tolan was paid more but not hitting as well, and the Padres demoted Locklear to the Islanders.[10] Locklear returned to the Padres after playing in 18 games for Hawaii and batted .321 in 237 at bats for the Reds for the 1975 season.[5]

On July 10, 1976, the Padres traded Locklear to the

September call-up, and he batted 3-for-5 in one game for the Yankees in the 1977 season.[13]

After the 1977 season, Locklear became a

Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball.[5] He batted .240 in the 1978 season and the Fighters released him. He was invited to spring training in 1979 with the Reds as a non-roster player.[16] Locklear did not make the team. The Reds offered Locklear a roster spot with Indianapolis, which he declined.[17] Locklear retired from baseball.[7]

Art career

Locklear began painting when he was young.[7] He began selling his paintings while he was in high school. In addition to athletes, Locklear also paints Native American people and landscapes.[5][1] He paints with acrylic paint during the warmer months and oil paints during colder months.[2]

Some of Locklear's art was featured at

Pembroke State College in 1969.[4] He has had paintings hung in The Pentagon, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Smithsonian Institution.[5][18] He made a painting of a country scene for Theodore C. Marrs, an advisor to President Gerald Ford, and the painting was hung in the White House from 1975 to 1976.[5][6][19] He also made 26 paintings of Pete Rose and a collage of baseball stars that Rose hung in a restaurant that he owned.[20]

Locklear has sold paintings to athletes including

1995 MLB All Star Game.[22] Locklear was the official artist of the Arena Football League and Super Bowl XXXVII.[13]

Personal life

Locklear and his wife, Susan, married in 1985.[7] They live in El Cajon, California.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Distel, Dave (September 21, 1985). "He Wasn't Painted Into a Corner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Chass, Murray (August 22, 1976). "Locklear Is a Yankee With an Unusual Past and Future". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Selman, Jim (March 20, 1972). "This Indian Isn't Angry". The Tampa Tribune. p. C1, C5. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c "Gene Locklear Stroking Ball Well In Class A". The Robesonian. August 5, 1969. p. 7. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hass, Bill (March 19, 1978). "Gene Locklear: Artist ... and Baseball Player". News and Record. p. D1, D15. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c Riordan, Jack (June 27, 2019). "Former Padres Outfielder Gene Locklear is Still Following His Dreams". Ramona Home Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Gene Locklear – Society for American Baseball Research".
  8. ^ DeLuca, Duke (August 16, 1971). "Gene Locklear Of Pembroke Among Eastern Loop Leaders". The Robesonian. The Sporting News. p. 7. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Hertzel, Bob (June 13, 1973). "Reds Deal For Pitcher". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 21. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "People in Sports". The New York Times. May 22, 1975. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "Yankees obtain Gene Locklear for farm duty". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. July 12, 1976. p. 13. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Rappoport, Ken (August 3, 1976). "Rookie Rick Sawyer Grabs First Victory". Clovis News-Journal. Associated Press. p. 7. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b c Bock, Hal (September 29, 2002). "Ex-Yankee Rediscovers His Stroke". The Times-Tribune. Associated Press. p. D2. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "The Newark Advocate 15 Jul 1977, page 10". July 15, 1977. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "The Robesonian 11 Nov 1977, page Page 9". November 11, 1977. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "The Cincinnati Post 08 Mar 1979, page 16". March 8, 1979. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Reds announce 5 more cuts". The Circleville Herald. April 2, 1979. p. 13. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "Gene Locklear: good hit, no field, great brush". Evansville Courier and Press. May 28, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "The Greensboro Record 13 Jan 1979, page 10". January 13, 1979. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "News and Record 26 Aug 1976, page 48". August 26, 1976. Retrieved June 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Ex-outfielder to unveil painting in Pembroke". Robesonian. October 5, 2015.
  22. ^ "Fort Worth Star-Telegram 07 Jul 1995, page 36". July 7, 1995. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

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