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 | |||
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Pitcher | |||
Born: Wichita, Kansas | February 10, 1954|||
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MLB debut | |||
July 17, 1978, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 12, 1990, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 78–90 | ||
Earned run average | 3.99 | ||
Strikeouts | 940 | ||
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
- "Larry McWilliams Stats". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- "Larry McWilliams BR Bullpen". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- Garber, Braves end Rose threat to Dimaggio record
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Larry McWilliams at Baseball Almanac
- Larry McWilliams at Baseball Gauge