Dontrelle Willis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dontrelle Willis |
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Willis with the Arizona Diamondbacks
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 12, 1982 Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 9, 2003, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2011, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 72–69 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.17 | ||
| Strikeouts | 896 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dontrelle Wayne Willis (born January 12, 1982), known as "the D-Train", is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played as a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). His teams included the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cincinnati Reds.
Willis was famous for his great start in the major leagues. He also had a unique pitching style. This included a high leg kick and a big twist away from the batter. In 2003, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He also helped his team win the World Series that same year. After retiring from playing, Willis joined the Los Angeles Dodgers' TV broadcast team in 2022. He also works as an analyst for Fox Sports 1 and AppleTV+.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Dontrelle Willis grew up in Alameda, California. His mother, Joyce, worked as a welder and played in top-level softball leagues. Willis never met his father, Clinton Ostah, who was also a minor league baseball player.
As a child, Willis loved the Oakland Athletics. His favorite player was pitcher Dave Stewart.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting Out in High School
Willis played baseball all four years at Encinal High School in Alameda. In his senior year (2000), he had an amazing 0.70 earned run average (ERA). He also had 111 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. He was named California Player of the Year.
Willis first planned to play college baseball at Arizona State. But the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the eighth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft.
In 2001, Willis moved up to the Boise Hawks. He finished with eight wins and a 2.98 ERA. Batters found it hard to hit against him.
Joining the Florida Marlins
On March 27, 2002, the Cubs traded Willis to the Florida Marlins. He was part of a trade involving several players.
Willis had a tough start with the Marlins. But he soon improved in Class A ball. He ended the season with a 10–2 win–loss record. He also had a 1.83 ERA in five starts for the Jupiter Hammerheads. This led the league in ERA. He was named the Marlins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
In 2003, the Marlins planned for Willis to start in Class-AA. They hoped he would reach AAA and maybe even the major leagues later that season. Willis pitched very well for the Carolina Mudcats, with a 4–0 record and a 1.49 ERA.
Amazing Rookie Year: 2003
On May 9, 2003, Willis made his big league debut for the Florida Marlins. He pitched six innings against the Colorado Rockies. He got his first MLB win on May 14 against the Padres.
On June 16, Willis pitched a complete game shutout. He allowed no runs in a 1–0 win over the Mets. His opponent was Tom Glavine, one of his childhood heroes.
Willis was named the National League Rookie of the Month for June 2003. He won five starts in a row with a 1.04 ERA. By mid-July, he was 9–1 with a 2.08 ERA. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team.
In the 2003 postseason, Willis helped the Marlins win the 2003 World Series. They beat the New York Yankees. After the season, Willis was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He finished with a 14–6 record and a 3.30 ERA.
Strong Seasons: 2004-2007
In 2004, Willis started strong, not allowing any earned runs in his first three games. He also showed off his hitting skills. He finished the season with a 10–11 record and a 4.02 ERA.
The 2005 season was one of Willis's best. He started with two shutouts. In April, he went 5–0 with a 1.29 ERA and was named NL Pitcher of the Month. He became the first pitcher in the league to reach 10 wins. He was also the first in MLB to reach 12 wins.
Willis was named to the All-Star team again in 2005. He continued to pitch well after the break. He earned his 19th win, breaking a Marlins franchise record. On September 7, he got his 20th win of the season. He was the first African-American pitcher to win 20 games since Dave Stewart in 1990. Willis also became the third player in modern baseball history to win 20 games and get 20 hits in the same season.
He finished 2005 with a 22–10 record and a 2.63 ERA. His 22 wins led all of baseball. He also led with seven complete games and five shutouts. Willis is still the only pitcher in Marlins history to win 20 games in a season. He finished second for the Cy Young Award. He also won the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher.
In 2006, Willis's numbers were not as high as 2005. But he still had a decent year. He went 12–12 with a 3.87 ERA. He earned his 50th career win on June 20. Willis also hit a grand slam on July 7, becoming the first pitcher to do so since 2002. Later, he hit two home runs in one game on September 20.
The 2007 season was Willis's toughest with the Marlins. He finished with a 10–15 record and a 5.17 ERA. He led the National League in earned runs allowed. During his time with the Marlins, Willis had a 68–54 record and a 3.78 ERA. He won at least 10 games in all five of his seasons with the team.
Time with the Detroit Tigers
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On December 5, 2007, the Marlins traded Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers. Willis signed a three-year contract extension. In his first game with the Tigers, he pitched five innings.
Soon after, Willis faced health challenges and struggled with his pitching control. He was sent to the minor leagues to work on his control. He returned to the Tigers later in 2008. He finished the season with a 0–2 record and a 9.17 ERA. He walked many batters.
In 2009, Willis continued to face health issues. He made seven starts but struggled. He finished the season with a 1–4 record and a 7.49 ERA. In 2010, Willis started the season in the Tigers' rotation. But on May 30, he was moved off the team. With the Tigers, Willis had a 2–8 record and a 6.86 ERA.
Other Teams and Retirement
On June 1, 2010, Willis was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched six scoreless innings in his first game with them. He got his first win as a Diamondback. He played six games for them before being released on July 4, 2010.
Willis signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants in July 2010. He played for their minor league team. In 2011, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds. He made his Reds debut on July 10. He pitched well in some games, even hitting a solo home run. On August 9, he struck out 10 batters, his most since 2007.
In December 2011, Willis signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. But he was released in March 2012. He then signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He retired from playing baseball on July 2, 2012.
Willis tried to make a comeback. In 2013, he signed with the Chicago Cubs but had a shoulder injury. He then played for the Long Island Ducks, an independent league team. He had a great 2.56 ERA there and was an All-Star. The Angels signed him to a minor league deal. He also signed with the San Francisco Giants again in 2014 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015. But he announced his retirement for good on March 13, 2015.
Major Accomplishments
- National League Rookie of the Year, 2003
- National League All-Star, 2003 and 2005
- Runner-Up for the National League Cy Young Award in 2005
- Broke the Florida Marlins' record for most wins in a season with 19 wins in 2005.
- Became the first Marlin to win 20 games in a season in 2005.
- Became one of the "Black Aces" (African-American MLB pitchers with a 20-win season) in 2005.
- Became the third player in modern baseball history to win 20 games and get 20 hits in the same season (2005).
- Batted seventh in the Marlins' lineup on September 22, 2005, a rare feat for a pitcher.
- Won the Warren Spahn Award in 2005 (for the best left-handed starting pitcher).
- Named a starter for the U.S. team in the first World Baseball Classic.
- Hit a grand slam on July 7, 2006, the first pitcher to do so since 2002.
- Hit two home runs in one game on September 20, 2006.
Personal Life
Dontrelle Willis married Natalee Vitagliano on December 6, 2006. They have four daughters.
See also
- DHL Hometown Heroes
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Miami Marlins team records
- Miami Marlins award winners and league leaders
