Robert "Red" Locke, the high school baseball coach who led Bishop Canevin to the WPIAL playoffs in all 19 of his seasons, has died, said Bob Jacoby, the school's football coach and former athletic director. Locke was 73.
Locke, who coached there until 2007, had a career record of 273-91. His teams won 13 section titles and two WPIAL Class AA crowns (1993 and 2000). They also were WPIAL runners-up four times and finished second in the state in 1997.
"As a baseball coach, he was a tactician," Jacoby said. "He was really good at determining strategy during a game."
Locke, whose health had been failing, died Wednesday night after a heart attack, Jacoby said. He is survived by his wife, Brenda.
"When I was the softball coach here, I learned so much from Red," said Jacoby, who adopted many of the practice drills that Locke used. "The all-around ability that he had really benefited our program."
Dale Checketts, who replaced Locke as coach, also played for him from 1996-99. Checketts said Locke's influence led him to become a coach, first as Locke's assistant and later as the head coach.
"He knew the game inside and out, and he always wanted to share it," he said. "Whether it was during summer leagues or staying after practice, anytime he could teach somebody something about the game, he always took the opportunity to do it."
Locke volunteered the past two years as an assistant coach to Leo Rauterkus at Langley, his alma mater.
"He was a tremendous person — a religious person — who dedicated his life to kids," Rauterkus said. "Baseball-wise, he was top of the line."
