Tony Womack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Womack |
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Womack with the New York Yankees in 2005
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| Second baseman / Shortstop | |||
| Born: September 25, 1969 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 1993, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 24, 2006, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 36 | ||
| Runs batted in | 368 | ||
| Stolen bases | 363 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Anthony Darrell Womack, born on September 25, 1969, is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons. He spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tony was known for his incredible speed and his ability to steal bases. He also hit some very important shots in the 2001 playoffs. These hits helped the Diamondbacks win the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Contents
Tony's Early Life
Tony Womack was born in Danville, Virginia. He went to Gretna High School in Gretna, Virginia. Later, he studied at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Tony's Baseball Career
Tony Womack was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1991 MLB draft. He became their main second baseman in 1997. That year was his first full season in the MLB. He played in his only All-Star Game and led the National League in stolen bases with 60.
In 1998, he again led the National League in stolen bases with 58. After the 1998 season, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks first moved Womack to right field in 1999. Then, in 2000, he became their shortstop. In 1999, Womack led all of Major League Baseball with 72 stolen bases. This set a new record for the Diamondbacks for most stolen bases in one season.
Winning the World Series
Tony Womack was a very important player for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they won the World Series in 2001. He made two key hits in the bottom of the ninth inning during important playoff games.
First, Womack ended the first-round series with a walk-off single. This means his hit won the game instantly. Later, in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Womack hit a game-tying double. This hit set up Luis Gonzalez' famous game-winning single. Womack's game-tying hit was against the Yankees' famous pitcher, Mariano Rivera. This hit was even called one of the most important clutch hits in baseball history by the Wall Street Journal.
Womack still holds the Diamondbacks' record for most stolen bases in a career, with 182.
Later Career Teams
After his time with the Diamondbacks, Womack signed with the Red Sox. However, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2004 season began. He moved back to his original position at second base.
In 2004, Womack had a great year with the Cardinals. He hit a career-high .307. He also hit five home runs, had 38 runs batted in, and stole 26 bases.
After the 2004 season, Womack decided to sign with the New York Yankees. He had a tough time with the Yankees in 2005. He lost his starting second base job to Robinson Canó.
In 2006, the Chicago Cubs signed him to a minor league deal. He was called up to play on May 26. Tony Womack's playing career ended after he was released by the Cubs in July 2006. He later received an invitation to spring training with the Washington Nationals in 2007, but was released before the season started.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
