PHOENIX — Arizona manager Torey Lovullo has often said that Tim Locastro is the fastest man in the majors. You don’t have to take his word for it: The video game MLB The Show agrees.
“He’s got a 99 rating,” Lovullo said, grinning.
Locastro showed off that speed Saturday night with four hits and a stolen base that broke a big league record, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks cool off the Cincinnati Reds 8-3.
Locastro’s theft of second in the sixth inning was the 28th straight stolen base to start his career without getting caught. That broke the mark set by Hall of Famer Tim Raines, who stole 27 in a row from 1979-81. Records have been kept since 1951. The Baseball Hall of Fame requested Locastro’s cleats, which he had specially painted for the occasion.
Locastro, 28, grew up in upstate New York, close to the Hall of Fame’s location in Cooperstown.
“Having my cleats there, it’s unfathomable,” Locastro said.
Locastro was perhaps destined to break the record. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 and his first baserunning coach that year was none other than Raines.
He flashed more than speed on Saturday night, tallying four singles and two runs from the leadoff spot. Locastro’s playing time in center field has increased after Ketel Marte recently went on the injured list with a strained hamstring.
“He’s not just fast,” Lovullo said. “He’s a good baseball player who’s learned how to hit.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.