Anthony Darrell Womack (born September 25, 1969) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

player. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB), with most of his career spent with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

, then with several other teams during his last four years. A middle infielder, Womack was recognized for his speed and base-stealing prowess and his key hits in the 2001 playoffs which led to the

2001 World Series The 2001 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2001 season. The 97th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Arizona Diamondbacks and the three-t ...

win over the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

Early life

Womack was born in Java, Virginia. He is a graduate of Gretna High School in

Gretna, Virginia Gretna is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Danville Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The Gretna Commercial Historic District and Yates Tavern are listed ...

and

Guilford College Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society o ...

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

Career

Womack was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in

1991 MLB draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Supplemental first round selections Compensation picks Other notable players *Kevin Stocker, 2nd round, 54th overall by the Philade ...

and became their everyday second baseman in 1997. That year, which was his first full year in the MLB, he played in his only

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

and led the National League in stolen bases (60). In 1998, he again led the National League in stolen bases (58). After the 1998 season, he was traded to the Diamondbacks for two minor leaguers. The Diamondbacks moved Womack from second base to right field in 1999, then to

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

in 2000. In 1999, Womack led the major leagues in stolen bases (72) which set a Diamondback record for most stolen bases in a season. Womack was an important part of the Arizona Diamondbacks' world championship team in 2001, especially with two key base hits that both came in the bottom of the ninth inning of deciding games in the playoffs. Womack ended the first-round series with a walk-off single off the Cardinals' Steve Kline. Later, Womack set up Luis Gonzalez' famous game-winning single in Game 7 of the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

with a game-tying one-out hit against the Yankees'

Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...

. Womack's game-tying double was cited by the Wall Street Journal as the most significant clutch hit in baseball history. Womack owns the Diamondbacks record for most stolen bases in a career (182). Womack signed with the Red Sox but was traded to the Cardinals before the start of the 2004 season, and he was moved back to his original position at second base. After recovering from Tommy John surgery and a disappointing 2003 season, Womack batted a career-high .307 with five

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, 38

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

, and 26 stolen bases for the Cardinals. After the 2004 season, Womack chose to sign with the New York Yankees, rather than wait for the Cardinals to offer him an extension. Despite turning in a productive 2004, Womack struggled with the Yankees in 2005, losing his starting second base job to

Robinson Canó Robinson José Canó Mercedes (; born October 22, 1982) is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Die ...

. In 2006, after being released by the Reds, the Chicago Cubs signed him to a minor league deal and called him up on May 26. Womack was designated for assignment on June 30 and became a free agent on July 10. He received a non-roster invitation to spring training with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

for the 2007 season, but was released on March 8, ending his playing career.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Womack, Tony 1969 births Living people African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Diamondbacks players Augusta Pirates players Baseball players from Virginia Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Calgary Cannons players Carolina Mudcats players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players El Paso Diablos players Guilford Quakers baseball players Iowa Cubs players Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops National League All-Stars National League stolen base champions New York Yankees players People from Pittsylvania County, Virginia Pittsburgh Pirates players Salem Buccaneers players Sportspeople from Danville, Virginia St. Louis Cardinals players Tucson Sidewinders players Welland Pirates players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Early life

Career

See also

References

External links