Larry McWilliams

Larry Dean McWilliams (born February 10, 1954), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1978-1990. During his playing days, he stood 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall, weighing 180 pounds (82 kg).[1]

Larry McWilliams
Pitcher
Born: (1954-02-10) February 10, 1954
Wichita, Kansas
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
July 17, 1978, for the Atlanta Braves
Last MLB appearance
May 12, 1990, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record78–90
Earned run average3.99
Strikeouts940
Teams

McWilliams was born in Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from LD Bell High School in Hurst, Texas, in 1972.[2] He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1st round (6th pick) of the 1974 amateur draft.[1]

McWilliams was the winning pitcher when the Atlanta Braves stopped Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak in 1978, which was McWilliams’ rookie season. He made what was probably the key play to stop the streak when Rose, in his second at-bat of the game, lined a pitch up the middle that McWilliams reached back and caught.[3]

McWilliams' best seasons were 1978, his rookie season, when he went 9-3, and 1983, when he posted a 15-8 record with 8 complete games, 4 shutouts, and a 3.25 ERA with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was nicknamed Spaghetti by Pirates catcher Tony Pena. "That's what I call him. Take a look at his legs. They look like spaghetti. Real thin." said Pena during a postgame interview in 1982.

On September 2, 1989, McWilliams was traded from the Phillies to the Royals for Minor League Baseball (MiLB)catcher Jeff Hulse.[1]

McWilliams and his wife have four children, Maurine, Tara, Brenna, and Trevor. He is married to Vicki McWilliams and they have six children and nine grandchildren.

References
  1. "Larry McWilliams Stats". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  2. "Larry McWilliams BR Bullpen". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  3. Garber, Braves end Rose threat to Dimaggio record


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