Dontrelle Willis
From BR Bullpen
Dontrelle Wayne Willis (D-Train)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.
- Debut May 9, 2003
- Born January 12, 1982 in Oakland, CA USA
[edit] Biography
Dontrelle Willis is a left-handed pitcher now with the Detroit Tigers. He is well known for his upbeat attitude and unique delivery. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 8th round of the 2000 amateur draft, and was traded to the Florida Marlins in return for Matt Clement. He was hitting well enough in 2005 that manager Jack McKeon batted him 7th on September 22. The last pitcher to bat seventh or higher in a major league game was Montreal Expos pitcher, Steve Renko, who did it on August 26, 1973. [1].
In two seasons in the Cubs organization, Willis totaled a record of 11-3, and allowed just one home run in 24 appearances. In 2002, after the trade to Florida, the big lefty went 12-2 between two class-A clubs. In 19 starts with the Kane County Cougars that year, Willis was 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.
Willis made just four starts in double-A before getting called up by the Marlins in 2003. It was a quick climb to the top of the ladder, and he rewarded the club for the decision. Willis went 14-6 for the eventual World Series champions. His ERA was at 3.30 and he struck out 142 batters in 160.2 innings. Willis was named the 2003 Rookie of the Year.
He slipped a bit in 2004, winning 10 games while losing 11. His ERA rose to 4.02. But the "D-Train" was running at full steam in 2005. Willis dominated opponents, winning 22 games and owning a microscopic 2.63 ERA over 236.1 innings. He tossed seven complete games, five of which were shutouts.
Willis fell back to Earth in 2006. His record was 12-12 and his ERA was a much more human 3.87. One noticeable aspect of the decline was a sharp increase in walks, from 55 in 2005 to 83 in 2006. On December 22, 2006, Willis was arrested for driving under the influence. Willis continued to struggle with control in 2007, walking 50 batters in the first half alone. He finished the season at 10-15, 5.17, with 87 walks in 205 ⅓ innings.
In December of 2007, Willis was traded with Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz, Mike Rabelo and Burke Badenhop. The Tigers thought that the two additions would make them pennant contenders again, but they got off to a terrible start in 2008. Willis struggled as well, putting up an ERA over 10 in five games before hitting the disabled list. There were concerns that his mechanics were completely out-of-whack - not entirely surprising given the very complex wind-up that made his success as a youngster, and there was even speculation that the Tigers may want to turn him into a full-time hitter, a la Rick Ankiel.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2003 NL Rookie of the Year Award
- 2003 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 2-time NL All-Star (2003 & 2005)
- NL Wins Leader (2005)
- NL Complete Games Leader (2005)
- NL Shutouts Leader (2005)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (2005)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (2005)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (2005-2007)
- Won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 2003
| NL Rookie of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| Jason Jennings | Dontrelle Willis | Jason Bay |
