Tony Womack
A speedster whose clutch hitting in the 2001 World Series helped slay the Yankees and secure an unlikely championship for Arizona.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 25·Generation X
Biography
Tony Womack's baseball career was defined by his legs. For over a decade, he was a persistent nuisance on the basepaths, leading the National League in stolen bases three times and stretching singles into doubles with his explosive speed. While he played solid defense at second base and shortstop for several teams, his moment of immortality came in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. With his Arizona Diamondbacks down by a run against the seemingly invincible New York Yankees, Womack lashed a double down the right-field line to tie the game, setting the stage for Luis Gonzalez's iconic series-winning hit. In that instant, the speedy journeyman became a permanent part of World Series lore.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tony was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Tony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Delivered a game-tying double in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, directly leading to the Arizona Diamondbacks' championship win.
- Led the National League in stolen bases three times (1997, 1998, 1999).
- Was named a National League All-Star in 1997 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Recorded over 300 stolen bases in his 13-season Major League career.
Did You Know?
He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder in 1991.
Womack played collegiate basketball at Guilford College in addition to baseball.
His father, Guy Womack, played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
He stole home plate twice during the 1998 season.
“My job was to get on base, steal a bag, and score a run.”
