Willard Mains

{{Short description|American baseball player (1868–1923)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Willard Mains

|image=Willard Eben Mains, Pitcher, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes MET DP846366.jpg

|caption=1889 baseball card of Mains

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{birth date|1868|7|7}}

|birth_place=North Windham, Maine

|death_date={{death date and age|1923|5|23|1868|7|7}}

|death_place=Bridgton, Maine

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate= August 3

|debutyear= 1888

|debutteam= Chicago White Stockings

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate= June 2

|finalyear= 1896

|finalteam= Boston Beaneaters

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=16–17

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.53

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=96

|teams=

• Chicago White Stockings ({{Baseball year|1888}})
• Cincinnati Kelly's Killers ({{Baseball year|1891}})
• Milwaukee Brewers ({{Baseball year|1891}})
• Boston Beaneaters ({{Baseball year|1896}})

}}

Willard Eben Mains (July 7, 1868 – May 23, 1923) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He joined the National League at the age of 20 with the Chicago White Stockings and started two games in {{Baseball year|1888}}, winning one and losing the other. After that season, he did not return to the majors until {{Baseball year|1891}}, when he pitched in 30 games, starting 23 of them, for the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers of the American Association. He had a record of 12–12 with 20 complete games before he moved on and pitched two games for the Milwaukee Brewers, also of the Association. He was not seen in the major leagues again until five years later when he surfaced for the {{Baseball year|1896}} Boston Beaneaters, with whom he pitched in eight games, winning three and losing two. His son Jim Mains pitched one game in the majors for the {{Baseball year|1943}} Philadelphia Athletics.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mainswi01.shtml Baseball-Reference]

Willard Mains had a long career in minor league baseball, where he had a record of 318 wins and 179 losses in 545 games.{{cn|date=June 2022}} He died at the age of 54 in Bridgton, Maine, and was interred at South High Street Cemetery in Bridgton.[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mainswi01 Baseball Almanac player page]