Daniel Lockhart didn’t have to look too far for a professional baseball hero growing up in Atlanta, Ga. All he had to do was walk into another room of the house and find his dad. Keith Lockhart played 10 years in the major leagues for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. The younger Lockhart never had any doubts about what he wanted to do for a living when he was older. Lockhart wanted to be like his dad, Keith, and go into the family business. The family business just happened to be professional baseball.
“We’re from Atlanta, so I got to watch him almost every day with the Braves,” Lockhart said. “It was a great environment to grow up in. It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid. That’s part of the reason I signed right out of high school.”
Daniel Lockhart with a rocket over the right field wall. Smokies trail the Generals 8-1 in the third.
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) July 7, 2016
This wasn’t just any era for the Braves. It was from 1997-2002, an era where making the postseason was expected in Atlanta and a World Series title always a possibility. They made it in 1999, losing the series 4-0 to an All-Time loaded New York Yankees team.
“I remember the winning,” Lockhart said. “The pitching was dominant and they’d win the division every single year. You were used to them making the playoffs. So that atmosphere was fun to be around.”
Daniel is an inch taller and a few pounds heavier than his dad, but he plays the same position in the infield, second base currently for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. It’s a spot that Lockhart has literally been training for his entire life.
“The biggest thing he (Keith) taught me was that I have to prove myself each year,” Lockhart said. “You can have a couple of good years and be on the upswing, but if you have a bad year it’s easy for people to forget about you.”
Daniel Lockhart drives in Victor Caratini with an RBI single. Smokies now lead the Blue Wahoos 3-0 with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) June 26, 2016
It took the elder Lockhart eight and a half years to make it to the major leagues with the Padres after he was drafted in the 11th round in 1986. Daniel is in the middle of his fifth full season in the minors. The Chicago Cubs picked him in the 10th round of the 2011 draft. Though he’s holding down second base and shortstop for the Smokies, Lockhart is trying to learn how to play multiple positions while he’s in the minors. It’s another lesson his dad taught him.
“I’ve been able to bounce around (positions),” Lockhart said. “One of the things he (Keith) always told me is that if Cal Ripken’s at shortstop and you’re in the minor leagues, you’re not going to play shortstop. You have to find other ways. We have a good infield in the big leagues, so I have to learn how to play other positions. I have to be a utility guy so I can have more playing time.”
Lockhart got the call up from High-A Myrtle Beach on June 8 and immediately made an impact in the starting line up. He’s cooled off some since the All-Star break, but has rediscovered his mojo of late, picking up hits in five of his last eight games.
“When you get moved up, it’s easy to have a few good games then hit a slump,” Lockhart said. “You have to work through it. That’s part of the learning process. The pitchers make adjustments faster and you have to make adjustments the same way.”
CYCLE WATCH: Daniel Lockhart needs a HR through five innings for @Pelicanbaseball. https://t.co/PqxFYXACoE pic.twitter.com/GoAMfCpE3C
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 6, 2016
While all players lean on their coaches when they’re struggling at the plate, Lockhart had a little extra perspective and it was just a phone call away.
“It’s something he (Keith) has gone through and a lot of people have because of the game that we play,” Lockhart said. “He told me to not look at as anything different. Don’t put to much pressure on myself because it’s a game of failure. You have to keep that in mind.”
The Cubs don’t waste time keeping prospects in the minors. The new team, a World Series contender, will call a guy up any day to help the big league team. It’s a call Lockhart and all the Smokies players have to be ready to get.
“It’s fun to see,” Lockhart said. “That’s what they’ve been preaching to us in the minor leagues. We’ve had some good results and that’s carried up there (to Chicago). Those guys come to field every day expecting to win. You have to keep that in mind. You know if you perform, you’ll get a shot. You’re not stuck anywhere. It drives you to work harder.”
