Dontrelle Willis

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Dontrelle Willis

Willis with the Florida Marlins in 2007
Detroit Tigers — No. 21
Starting pitcher
Born: January 12, 1982 (1982-01-12) (age 26) Oakland, California
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
May 9, 2003 for the Florida Marlins
Selected MLB statistics (through June 5, 2008)
Win-Loss	68-54
Earned run average	3.79
Strikeouts	760
Teams
Florida Marlins (2003-2007) Detroit Tigers (2008-present)
Highlights and awards
Rookie of the Year Award winner (2003) 2x All-Star selection (2003, 2005) Led NL in wins in 2005

Dontrelle Wayne Willis (born January 12, 1982 in Oakland, California), nicknamed "The D-Train", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

[edit] Baseball career

Marlins teammates Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera were traded to Detroit on December 5, 2007.

Willis attended Encinal High School in Alameda, California, where he played baseball for four years. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 8th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft.

On March 27, 2002, the Cubs traded Willis (then a minor leaguer), fellow pitchers Julián Tavárez and José Cueto, and catcher Ryan Jorgensen to the Florida Marlins, in exchange for pitchers Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca.

In 2003, Willis was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He went 14-6 with a 3.30 earned run average in 27 starts after earning a call-up from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. During the postseason, Willis showcased his remarkable (for a pitcher) hitting ability by going 3-for-3 with a triple while scoring a run during Game 4 of the 2003 National League Division Series, which the Marlins won 7-6 over the San Francisco Giants to advance to the NL Championship Series. The Marlins then went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series.

In 2005, he led the major leagues with 22 wins while posting a 2.63 ERA.

On January 15, 2007, Willis signed a one-year contract with the Marlins for $6.45 million, avoiding salary arbitration.

On December 5, 2007, the Marlins traded Willis along with fellow All-Star Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers for Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, Eulogio de la Cruz, Dallas Trahern and Burke Badenhop. After returning from the DL in May, Dontrelle has been pitching out of the bullpen for Jim Leyland. In his first career relief appearance, he pitched one inning and allowed one earned run.

[edit] Playing style

He is known for his very exaggerated, high leg kick in his pitch delivery, a trait that has drawn comparisons to Hall of Famer Juan Marichal and former Cy Young Award winner Vida Blue, a player Willis idolized as a kid.

He bats and throws left-handed, and is considered one of the best hitting pitchers in the majors; in 2005 Willis batted .261 in 92 at bats. He holds the Alameda Little League's home run record, hitting 15 at the age of 12.

Willis can reach 95 mph with his fastball, but his usual range is 91-93 mph. He also throws a sweeping slider and a changeup. All of Willis' pitches benefit from the deception inherent in his high-kicking delivery.

Willis has traditionally been known to get off to a very fast start but break down as the season goes on. He has trouble finishing off seasons, often struggling after the All-Star break.

[edit] Accomplishments

• On September 27, 2006, named the Florida Marlins Hometown Hero
• National League Rookie of the Year, 2003
• National League All-Star, 2003 and 2005
• Runner-Up, National League Cy Young Award 2005 (Won by Chris Carpenter)^[1]
• On September 3, 2005, beat the New York Mets to earn his 19th win of the season. With that win, Willis passed Carl Pavano's franchise record for wins in a season, established the previous year, when Pavano won 18 games.
• On September 8, 2005, became the first Marlin ever to win 20 games in a season with a 12-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. He became just the 12th African American pitcher to win 20 games in a season, joining the "Black Aces," a club that also includes one Black Canadian (Ferguson Jenkins). He was also the first African American pitcher to win 20 games since Dave Stewart won 22 in 1990.
• In 2005, became the third player in modern baseball history to win 20 games and collect 20 hits in the same season.
• On September 22, 2005, batted seventh in the Marlins' lineup. No other pitcher had batted seventh since the Montreal Expos' Steve Renko did against the San Diego Padres on August 26, 1973. ^[2]
• Warren Spahn Award, 2005 (presented to the best left-handed starting pitcher in the league) ^[3]
• Named a starter for Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. However, both of Willis' starts in the WBC were considered subpar as the USA exited the tournament in the 2nd-group stage.
• First pitcher to hit a grand slam since Robert Person in 2002 when he hit one off Jose Lima of the New York Mets on July 7, 2006.
• Hit two home runs in one game against the Mets later in 2006 (September 20). Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez were the pitchers taken deep by Willis.

[edit] Personal

• On December 8, 2006, Willis married the former Natalee Vitagliano. They had their first child, a girl named Adrianna Rose, on April 24, 2007.
• On December 22, 2006, Willis was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and was later released on $1,000 bond. He has since pleaded not guilty.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Can be seen in Chappelle's Show Season 2 Episode 5 along with former Marlins teammate and friend Josh Beckett
• Having grown up in the Oakland area, Willis is a lifelong fan of the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders.
• In an interview with ESPN magazine, Willis stated that his favorite television show is HBO's The Wire.
• Childhood friend is Jimmy Rollins.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• DHL Hometown Heroes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Official site
• Dontrelle Willis on the Fish@Bat Florida Marlins Wiki
• Stats Page
• Making a great first impression