Jeff Locke Information & Jeff Locke Links at HealthHaven.com

**Jeff Locke**
Jeff Locke
; Jeff at the 2007 New Hampshire Baseball Dinner
	Pittsburgh Pirates — No. --
	Starting Pitcher
	Born: November 20, 1987 (age 22); North Conway, New Hampshire
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Career highlights and awards
	Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week (July 17-23, 2007); Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star (2007); Baseball America Rookie All-Star (2007); Carolina League Pitcher of the Week (April 28 - May 4, 2009);

Jeffrey Alan. Locke (born November 20, 1987), nick-named "The Redstone Rocket", is a minor league left-handed starting pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization currently assigned to their Class A Advanced Carolina League team, the Lynchburg Hillcats. The 6'2", 180 lb. hurler was the first selection in the second round in the 2006 Atlanta Braves Draft.^[1]

[edit] Background^[2]

Locke graduated June, 2006 from A. Crosby Kennett High School^[3] During his high school freshman year (2002 - 2003) Locke was known as "The Kid". On June 6, 2006, The Conway Daily Sun sports editor Lloyd Jones established Locke's new nickname, the "Redstone Rocket". He bestowed the nickname on Locke because of Locke's fastball, the name of his home village (Locke's hometown is Redstone, New Hampshire, which is located in the town of Conway, New Hampshire), and in reference to America's first man in space, Alan Shepard of Derry, New Hampshire, whose Freedom 7 flight was launched by a Redstone rocket.^[4]

Locke was assigned to the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie League) upon signing with the Braves on June 18, 2006.^[5] In June 2007 the Atlanta Braves assigned Locke to the Danville Braves in the Advanced Rookie Appalachian League.^[5]

On June 3, 2009, the Braves traded Locke to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernández in exchange for Nate McLouth. The Pirates assigned him to their Class A Advanced affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats.^[6]