Don Lock
Don Wilson Lock was an American professional baseball player and outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1962 to 1969 for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Lock attended Kingman High School in Kingman, Kansas and then attended what is now Wichita State University. He stood tall and weighed 202 pounds, and threw and batted right-handed.
Lock signed with the New York Yankees in 1958 but never appeared in an MLB game for the Yanks. Instead, he was recalled from the Triple-A Richmond Virginians on July 11, 1962, and immediately traded to Washington for veteran first baseman and pinch hitter Dale Long. Lock played left field for Washington that season, but by early he became the Senators' regular center fielder, supplanting the colorful Jimmy Piersall, who was traded to the New York Mets.
His two most productive seasons were and, when he hit 27 and 28 home runs and drove home 82 and 80 runs batted in respectively. Lock led American League center fielders in put-outs, assists and double plays turned in 1963, and all AL outfielders in assists the following year. As a batter, he finished second in the league in strikeouts in both 1963 and 1964.
Overall, Lock appeared in 921 games over eight seasons, batting.238 with 122 home runs and 373 RBI. He managed in the Red Sox farm system for two seasons, and in part of 1973 for the Wilson Pennants, a co-op team in the Carolina League, after his playing career ended.
