William Henry McGunnigle (January 1, 1855 – March 9, 1899) was an American baseball manager for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Pittsburgh Pirates and Louisville Colonels.

After moving to East Stoughton as a child, McGunnigle began his career in the Massachusetts League with the Howard Juniors club of nearby Brockton.

[1] McGunnigle had an abbreviated playing record in top professional leagues, tallying 58 games for the Buffalo Bisons (1879–80), Worcester Ruby Legs (1880) and Cleveland Blues (1882).

Over his two years with Buffalo, he compiled an 11–8 record in 18 starts, leading the league with the lowest per-inning rates of hits and strikeouts in 1879 and posting the fourth-best winning percentage.

[2] He played for the Saginaw Old Golds primarily as a pitcher and right fielder in 1883 (where he caught future Hall-of-Famer John Clarkson) and part of 1884 before a midseason transfer to the Bay City Independents.

According to the Brockton Weekly Gazette: "[McGunnigle] dodged the first ball thrown at his head ... with the second [pitch] he needed to drop to all fours to save himself ...

The unfortunate batsman could not avoid the [third] ball in time, and it struck him directly behind the left ear which caused a crash that was heard in every part of the grounds.

McGunnigle took over as manager of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 1888, after the club had finished sixth in the American Association the previous year under owner/manager Charlie Byrne.

At the time, custom and law forbade Sunday baseball, but it was allowed by officials in Warwick, Rhode Island for games at the Rocky Point Resort.