Will McEnaney

Who is Will McEnaney?

William Henry "Will" McEnaney is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.

McEnaney was one of five children of William and Eleanor McEnaney and attended Springfield North High School in Springfield, Ohio. He was drafted by the Reds in the eighth round of the 1970 amateur draft. He made his Major League debut at age 22 on July 3, 1974 in relief of starter Clay Carroll in a 4-1 Reds loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium. McEnaney's first-ever inning was a 1-2-3 one as he induced popouts from Tommy John, Davey Lopes and Bill Buckner, and for the game he pitched two scoreless innings. In his rookie season, he pitched 24 games, with a 2-1 record and a 4.44 earned run average.

He was a key member of the bullpen of the 1975 and 1976 World Series champion Reds' "Big Red Machine." In 1975 he was 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA in 70 games with 15 saves. He is best-known for his performance in the 1975 World Series, in which he pitched five games in relief with a 2.70 ERA and one save, but more so for his exploits in the deciding game seven. Entering the game to start the bottom of the ninth inning with the Reds clinging to a 4-3 lead over the Boston Red Sox, McEnaney got Juan Beniquez to fly out followed by a Bob Montgomery groundout. He sealed the World Series title and became part of an iconic Reds moment as he induced Carl Yastrzemski to hit a flyball to centerfield, which was grabbed by Cesar Geronimo followed by McEnaney's teammates swarming him and celebrating around the pitcher's mound.