Dooley Womack

Horace Guy "Dooley" Womack (born August 25, 1939) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

Womack was born on August 25, 1939, in Columbia, South Carolina.

Prior to playing professionally, he attended Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, South Carolina.

He played in the PONY League as a youth, appearing in regional league finals in 1954.

He never attended college.

His brothers, Alfred Womack and Larry Womack, were minor league pitchers who never reached the major leagues.

Alfred, also known as "Al", pitched in the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators systems in 1955 and 1956.

Womack began his professional career as a starting pitcher in 1958 at the age of 18 and played for 14 seasons, ending his career as a relief pitcher at the age of 31 in 1971.

He spent ten seasons in the minor leagues and five in the major leagues, spending one year at the D-level, one year at the C-level, one full year and part of another at the B-level, one full year and part of another at the Single-A level, two full years at the Double-A level, two full years at the Triple-A level and most of a third year at the Triple-A level.

At the major league level, Womack went 19–18 with a 2.95 ERA in 193 games, one of which he started.

In 302.1 innings, he had 24 saves, 121 games finished and 177 strikeouts.

He allowed 253 hits, 111 runs, 99 earned runs, 21 home runs, 111 walks, 33 intentional walks and 18 wild pitches.

As a batter, he went 7-for-31 for a .226 batting average.

On June 25, 1958, Yankees scout Ted Petoskey signed the 18-year-old Womack to a contract, giving him a $2,500 bonus.

He reported to the St. Petersburg Saints of the Class-D Florida State League the following day and on July 5, he made his first professional appearance, a start against the Cocoa Indians.

In his first game, he allowed eight hits, four walks and three earned runs in seven innings, while striking out six batters, earning the victory.

Offensively, he collected one hit in four at-bats and scored a run.

Womack pitched in 11 games for the Saints that season, making eight starts and going 6–3 with a 2.38 ERA, allowing 52 hits in 68 innings of work.

He was the only pitcher on the 1958 Saints to ever make the major leagues.

At the plate, he hit .276 with 4 RBI, collecting eight hits in 29 at-bats.

Prior to the start of the season, it was believed that Womack would begin 1959 with the St. Petersburg Saints, however he was released and sent to the Fargo-Moorhead Twins of the Class-C Northern League.

He spent his entire season with the Twins, going 13–9 with a 4.50 ERA in 31 games (22 starts).

In 172 innings, he allowed 175 hits, 18 home runs and 86 earned runs to score.

He led the team in losses and home runs allowed and finished second in victories, games, games started, innings pitched, hits allowed, runs and earned runs allowed, and walks surrendered.

He hit .274 with 11 RBI offensively, recording 20 hits — including five doubles — in 73 at-bats.

In 1960, Womack was the Greensboro Yankees' Opening Day starter and led the squad to a 7–3 victory in its first game, striking out eight batters and allowing eight hits and three walks.

He started eight of his 22 appearances that year, going 5–6 with a 4.12 ERA.

A right-hander, he played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1970 for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Seattle Pilots, and Oakland Athletics, almost exclusively as a relief pitcher.

He also played in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system for one season.

Listed at 6ft 0in tall and weighing 170 pounds, Womack was never a highly touted prospect, due in part to his unimposing size and fastball.

"I admit", he once said, "I won't overpower anybody..."

Despite the lack of fanfare surrounding him, Womack "went from a non-prospect to a must-use" at the beginning of his major league career, according to Harvey Frommer in his book, A Yankee Century.

He never drew a base on balls, though he did have a stolen base in 1968.

His career fielding percentage was .970.

In total, he appeared in 349 minor league games, going 65–55 with a 3.13 ERA in 1,041.1 innings.

He allowed 952 hits, 461 runs, 362 earned runs and 399 walks.

At the plate, he was used as a pinch hitter from time to time, hitting .267 with 107 hits (including 16 doubles and five triples) in 401 at bats.

Larry pitched in the Yankees' system in 1968.

Womack, who acquired his nickname "Dooley" as a child from a friend of his family and claimed, "I prefer it to my real name, which is Horace," was described as having a "high voice, a serious drawl and a giddy laugh", by Maury Allen in his book Where Have You Gone?.

He was also described as a fan favorite, attributable to his smile and style.