Windsor Locks Alum Realizes Dream of Playing Pro Baseball

NEW BRITAIN, CT — It was a long journey from Windsor Locks High School to professional baseball, but Enfield resident Mike Lord realized that dream Friday night about 35 miles from his current address.

Lord, 27, a right-handed pitcher, was signed Friday by the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic league of Professional Baseball, and pitched in relief that evening. Hurling the eighth and ninth innings against the Sugar Land Skeeters, he allowed two hits and two runs, on a home run by former Cincinnati Red Dennis Phipps. He walked one and struck out one, finishing up in a 10-5 loss.

"It was pretty surreal," he said of taking the mound for the first time as a professional. "I felt like it was over in a second, and it felt like a dream the whole time."

On Monday, Lord was released by the Bees. In a phone interview Tuesday morning, he said team management told him he "had exceeded their expectations," but they "were re-tooling the roster."

Lord's route to pro ball took many more detours than the normal high school-to-college-to-progression. After graduation from Windsor Locks in 2010, he enrolled at Western New England University, but left there after two semesters, having played in just a few exhibition games.

"He's a great kid, started for me for two years and was a good strikeout pitcher," former Raider head coach Dave Farr said. "After he left school, I somewhat doubted he'd make pro ball, but he's a prime example of never say never. He loves the game."

Lord took a job as an auto technician, which has been his occupation for the past six years, and did not even pick up a baseball. "When I left college, I didn't play anywhere for five years," he said.

In 2017, he joined a team in a wooden bat league in western Massachusetts, then began pitching a year later for the Barile Realty Indians in the Connecticut Twilight League. He started 11 games in 2018, posting a 6-4 record and a 2.15 earned run average, striking out 60 batters in 62 innings. This season, he holds a 3-1 record with a 1.44 ERA, striking out 41 while walking just five in 34 innings.

He attended an open tryout camp at New Britain Stadium, but was not signed. However, he made an impression by helping calibrate and test the experimental electronic umpiring system in use during spring training, and was surprised to receive a call from the Bees last Wednesday.

"They said they needed some extra arms for the weekend due to a bunch of injuries to the pitching staff, so I signed with them Friday and immediately got into the game that night," he said.

Despite his short stay in the pro game, Lord said he still hopes to make it again. In the meantime, back with his Connecticut Twilight League team, he is scheduled to be the starting pitcher for Barile Realty Tuesday against the Southington Aftershock at Legends Field in Newington. Game time is slated for 6 p.m.