Tony Womack

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Lore & Background

After being traded from Pittsburgh following the 1998 season, Womack joined the Diamondbacks for two minor leaguers. The team initially moved him from second base to right field in 1999 before shifting him to shortstop in 2000. That same year, he tied for the major league lead with 72 stolen bases (alongside Brian Hunter), setting a single-season franchise record. His speed remained a defining trait throughout his tenure, and he ranks second in Diamondbacks history with 182 career stolen bases, trailing only Steve Finley (184). The pinnacle of his time in Arizona occurred during the 2001 postseason. Womack ended the first-round series against the Cardinals with a walk-off single off Steve Kline in the bottom of the ninth inning. Later, in Game 7 of the World Series against the Yankees, he hit a crucial one-out game-tying double in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera. This at-bat set up Luis Gonzalez's famous walk-off single to win the series. The Wall Street Journal later cited Womack's double as the most significant clutch hit in baseball history.

In Their Own Story

The 2001 World Series Game 7 remains the defining moment of Anthony Womack's career. Facing the New York Yankees and their legendary closer Mariano Rivera with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Diamondbacks were down by a run. Womack stepped to the plate and delivered a game-tying double that shifted the momentum entirely. This hit paved the way for Luis Gonzalez to drive in the winning run seconds later, securing Arizona's first championship. Earlier in those playoffs, Womack had already proven his clutch ability by hitting a walk-off single against the St. Louis Cardinals' Steve Kline to end the first-round series. His performance in the bottom of the ninth inning across deciding games became legendary among fans and analysts alike. Even years later, in 2006, The Wall Street Journal highlighted that specific double as the most significant clutch hit in baseball history, cementing Womack's legacy as a player who delivered when it mattered most.

Reader's Guide

Anthony Darrell Womack was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1991 and became their everyday second baseman in 1997. That year marked his first full MLB season, where he played in his only All-Star Game and led the National League with 60 stolen bases. He repeated this feat in 1998 with 58 stolen bases before being traded to Arizona. In his early years with the Diamondbacks (1999–2000), the team utilized his versatility, moving him from second base to right field and then to shortstop. His peak statistical year came in 1999 when he led all of baseball with 72 stolen bases. After a successful 2001 World Series run, Womack's career took other turns. He was traded to the Cardinals before the 2004 season, where he returned to second base and batted a career-high .307. Following a brief stint with the Yankees in 2005 where he lost his starting job to Robinson Canó, he played for the Cubs in 2006 before being released by the Reds. Womack's playing career concluded after failing to make the Washington Nationals roster in March 2007. His legacy is defined by three stolen base titles (1997, 1998, 1999) and his pivotal role in the 2001 championship.

Did You Know?

• Womack tied for the major league lead with 72 stolen bases in 1999 (alongside Brian Hunter), setting the Diamondbacks single-season stolen base record.
• His game-tying double in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series was cited by The Wall Street Journal as the most significant clutch hit in baseball history.
• Womack ranks second in Diamondbacks career stolen bases with 182, behind Steve Finley's 184.
• He led the National League in stolen bases three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999.
• After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Womack hit a career-high .307 for the Cardinals in 2004.