Dontrelle Willis Career Tracker

better hope he does well

Paul McCartney wrote:

better hope he does well

If they play like they did, when healhy, Willis and Rent will be great assets.

Dontrelle Willis playing for charity with Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames

January 5, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

New Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis will be a guest referee for Curtis
Granderson's celebrity basketball game, slated for Jan. 26 at Auburn Hills Avondale High School.

Tigers outfielder Marcus Thames is also scheduled to be a guest official.

The Detroit All-Stars team will include former NBA sharpshooter Willie Burton and Birmingham Detroit Country Day's Jonas Gray, who will play football at Notre Dame next season.

Must have IE...

02/22/2008 11:45 AM ET
Fitting in not a problem for Willis
D-Train hopes switch to AL as easy as meshing with new team
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- For someone with such a big personality and bigger smile, Dontrelle Willis isn't trying to be the center of attention. He isn't trying to make a huge splash in a big baseball market or take his new city by storm.

After being the public face of a Marlins franchise that constantly seemed to be trying to gain respect in South Florida, Willis simply fits in with the Tigers -- one pitcher among many. He wants to be that day's starter, and he wants to be part of the puzzle. That's OK with him.

"Every day, I sit at my locker," Willis said. "I have fun with my teammates and I enjoy the camaraderie of it, but I'm the same guy every day that I come in the locker room. Other than that, I just try to be me, and hopefully that's enough. I try to come in here and work hard every day with a purpose, try to make this team better."

Or, as he said last week about the start of Spring Training as pitchers and catchers reported, "I'm just ready to work. I'm not big on the dramatics."

It's not that Willis tried to be such a critical presence in Florida. It just happened, a magnetic personality that came up with a team that was trying to draw fans and build support. When people thought of the Marlins, more often than not, they thought of Willis and his high leg kick.

It never wore on him, he said, because there was nothing fake about it. That's just the way he was.

"I was myself," he said, "and hopefully they enjoyed it. Hopefully they respected it and appreciated it. I think people saw sincerity in that, and I think that's why they feel they can relate, because I was the same guy every day there. Whether people say I took the pressure off a lot of guys -- well, so be it, but I didn't feel like that. I felt like I was amongst my brothers in arms and we had a good time playing hard out there, and that was the bottom line."

It's then that it makes sense how Willis can quickly become a core player here. It's hard not to like his personality.

He's a tough guy to miss, quick to arrive and slow to leave at camp, and his ability to crack a joke keeps players loose during workouts. If he's not bantering with the other starting pitchers in their corridor of the clubhouse, he's off talking with someone else in one of the other corners.

After five big league seasons, Willis genuinely enjoys this Spring Training as if it's his first one.

"He's great," said Nate Robertson, whose locker sits next to Willis'. "He's going to blend in just fine. He tries to focus on what's good. He's always smiling, so that tells you something about him. It's kind of nice to have, a guy that's as professional as he is and has had as much success as he's had, yet still relates -- not just to individuals but anybody. It could be a little 4-year-old girl or an elder person. You wouldn't know the difference. He's pretty dynamic."

Said manager Jim Leyland, "He's a treat to be around. He's got energy. I like people who have energy."

So far, Willis is fitting in fine with the Tigers. Fitting into the American League is the next challenge. In that respect, the newest guy in Detroit's rotation is simply the latest to try the transition from the Marlins to another club.

Livan Hernandez, Brad Penny, A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett all made their Major League debuts with the Marlins and spent their formative seasons there before either being dealt or, in Burnett's case, becoming a free agent. Of those, Burnett and Beckett went from Florida to the AL. Burnett's two seasons in Toronto have been almost identically mixed -- injury-shortened seasons with strong core statistics.

After a rough initial first year in Boston for Beckett, the rest is history.

"I talked with Beckett in '06, and he loved it," Willis said. "And obviously, he's doing well over there. I think in the beginning it took him a little while to adjust, but he still did well. He gave up a lot of home runs, but he's an aggressive pitcher. Now he's a Cy Young [Award] candidate over here in the American League.

"He believes in his stuff. That's all you can do, believe in your stuff and go from there. I don't have Josh Beckett's stuff though, and I'm fine with that. I have my kind of stuff, and I believe that I can get people out with my stuff."

If conventional thinking still holds that power pitchers make the move best, then Willis should have an advantage. Even with his velocity slightly down last year, a problem the Tigers believe could've been from fatigue, 74 percent of the pitches Willis threw were fastballs, the second-highest percentage among NL starters. His earned runs, batting average and slugging percentage all jumped, yet his ratio of ground balls to fly balls dipped just slightly to 1.56, still the second-best of his career.

For what it's worth, he's 7-5 with a 2.85 ERA for his career in Interleague Play, but his .288 batting average and .743 OPS are both above his overall numbers.

"It's a case-by-case thing, I believe," Willis said. "If you do well in the [team] system, I think you have a good chance."

The great equalizer of the transition could well be the ballpark. Comerica Park's dimensions resemble NL parks -- including Miami's Dolphin Stadium -- more than its AL counterparts. For his workload, Willis was always a pitcher with a low home run total until opponents hit 29 off of him last season, almost evenly split between home (14) and road (15).

"Basically," Leyland said, "I think if you can pitch, you can pitch. If you make pitches, you'll get hitters out, and if you don't make pitches, you won't get hitters out. It doesn't matter where you pitch, but obviously with that extra bat in the lineup over here, there's less margin for error."

The factor that can't be measured if how the different role will affect Willis. Instead of being the No. 1, Willis is one of five. The Tigers will still rise or fall on his efforts, but they have other experienced, capable starters around him to try to win the next day.

That's not a Willis worry. Star figure or simply another player, he's just ready to pitch.

"I'm not really a complex man," he said. "This is a new team in a new city, but it's still 60 feet, 6 inches [from the mound to the plate]. I just want to try to do the best I can for the team and the city I represent."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I am still VERY GLAD we got Willis in the trade. He is definately the new Mark Fidrych to me. Same humor, love of the game, energy that is upbeat, and will help the other players stay up!

Go D-Train, all aboard!!!

It's gonna be fun watching this guy with his big smile and personality!!!

That's for sure, they said the games he pitched in Miami had higher attendance. He was definately a fan favorate there.

i am so happy that he was part of the deal. he looks like so much fun to be around.

austin

He stole the show at Fandemonium!

i wish i could have went.

austin

you will have to next year! It's a lot of fun, lots fewer people, but then fewer Tigers as well. I enjoyed it because I had never seen much of Fifth Third Field.

02/24/2008 7:30 PM ET
Notes: D-Train shines in BP
Lefty impresses Cabrera with stuff, location on Sunday
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't try to read much into the one time pitchers face hitters before Spring Training games begin. At this point in camp, pitchers are almost always ahead of hitters.

That still didn't stop Detroit hitters from shaking their heads at what they saw coming from the mound Sunday morning.

Miguel Cabrera has watched Dontrelle Willis baffle hitters since they were teammates in the Florida Marlins system, but that didn't help him Sunday. If his swing and miss wasn't enough feedback, he shouted to Willis on good pitches. Then Willis finished him off with a pitch on the inside corner.

"Outside, inside, down," Cabrera used to describe Willis' stuff. "Very good. Excellent."

That's nothing new for that duo. They've had these sessions for several Spring Trainings, and Cabrera has always provided feedback.

"He's always been like that with me," Willis said. "Since A-ball, he's been helping me out, telling me what's good, what's bad. ... He always gives me a hard time. I think he takes it easy on me [swinging]. But he's very hard on me as far on me in that he expects a lot out of me. So today he was telling me, 'Good pitch.'"

Denny Cabrera and his power fastball followed Willis on the practice field and wasn't much easier. He hit the corners with his heater and mixed in his slider, curve and changeup. He gave Marcus Thames a brief scare with a high fastball that got away from him and sent Thames ducking out of the way.

It was one of the few times Cabrera didn't locate down in the zone.

"Everything was good," catcher Max St. Pierre said. "Hard, sharp, very good."

Matt Mantei also had his first test against hitters in his comeback attempt after several encouraging bullpen sessions. Between a hard fastball and a sharp curve, he had Brandon Inge impressed.

"If he stays healthy, that's as good stuff as there is in baseball. That was nasty," Inge said. "Good command, hitting his spots. It's kind of funny. You could ask guys that were out of the game for two years to come back and try to throw, and they probably wouldn't be able to get it inside the cage. He was just carving the corners. That was impressive."

The review goes along with what Leyland said from the outset of camp, that the only real question with Mantei isn't his stuff, but his health. They'll try to start getting a read on that from Spring Training games.

First pitching assignments set: Closer Todd Jones will be the first Tigers pitcher to take the mound in an actual game this spring when he starts in Tuesday's exhibition against Florida Southern College. He'll be followed by Francis Beltran, Chris Lambert, Jeff Gerbe, Freddy Dolsi, Virgil Vasquez and Jordan Tata.

The first member of the Tigers rotation to take the mound will be Jeremy Bonderman on Wednesday against the Mets. Jason Grilli, Zach Miner, Yorman Bazardo, Bautista and Tim Byrdak will follow.

Nate Robertson will start Thursday's end of a home-and-home set with the Blue Jays at home, followed by Aquilino Lopez, Armando Galarraga, Clay Rapada, Mantei and Bobby Seay. Justin Verlander will face the Jays on Friday at Dunedin, as will Macay McBride, Preston Larrison, Rick Porcello, Beltran and Dolsi.

Willis, Lambert, Vasquez, Bautista, Jones and Byrdak are slated to pitch Saturday against the Indians in Lakeland. Kenny Rogers, Tata, Grilli, Miner and Bazardo are scheduled to face the Tribe on Sunday in Winter Haven.

Pudge to hit eighth: Though Leyland isn't discussing his projected batting order in detail, he did say on Sunday that Ivan Rodriguez will hit eighth. The move isn't really a surprise, given the depth of hitters the Tigers have in the middle of the order.

Leyland said he talked with Rodriguez early in camp about the order to prepare him for it, and that Rodriguez was fine with it.

"That's why I have the utmost respect for him," Leyland said. "Here's a Hall of Famer that said, 'Hey, if I hit eighth or ninth, it doesn't make any difference to me. Whatever's best for the team.' It doesn't get any better than that."

Sheff to miss time this week: Gary Sheffield said he expects to miss Thursday's game against the Blue Jays in order to attend deposition proceedings regarding Scott Boras' lawsuit against him. He could miss additional days, but he doesn't know that for sure yet.

"When you don't see me," he said, "you'll know where I'm at."

Sheffield missed four games around the middle of March last year for similar matters. The fact that it comes earlier this spring is a little easier to handle.

"If you're going to do it, this is the best time to do it," Sheffield said. "It won't disrupt anything as far as [preparation for the season]."

Sheffield expects the proceedings to take up most of the day, but he'll work out on his own afterward. He explained the situation to club officials, and as they were last year, the Tigers are OK with him taking time.

Inge in utility: Leyland said he plans to use Inge everywhere but first base this spring. At some point, he said, he'd like to play Inge for nine games in a game(???), but spread him around various positions for a couple innings each.

Quotable: "No." -- Leyland, anticipating a question whether if he might use Willis as a pinch-hitter this season

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

D-train is gonna outshine everybody with that smile of his!

Boo Boo's made by Beck - Denny Cabrera pitching??? I think it is Denny Bautista not Cabrera.......

play Inge for nine games in a game, but spread him around various positions for a couple innings each. play Inge for nine INNINGS in a game would make sense!!! not nine games in a game!

Jason needs an espresso!

On top of the cappuccino!

03/01/2008 7:39 PM ET
Willis, Sabathia close on, off field
Lefties had not faced each other before Saturday's game
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis has the type of personality to have fun just about any time he takes the mound. Facing a friend or a stranger isn't going to make a difference in that.

Still, when he walked back from the mound towards the dugout after retiring the side in the bottom of the first inning and saw C.C. Sabathia walking onto the field, even he had to admit the significance.

They first met when they were teenagers playing in the same summer league in the Bay Area. Sabathia called Willis the day the Indians drafted him, and Willis was with Sabathia at a Golden State Warriors game soon after Sabathia won the American League Cy Young Award last fall.

Even their families know each other.

"We've got the same financial advisor," Sabathia said, "so our moms are pretty close."

Yet through all the years, they had never had the chance to pitch in the same game against each other until Saturday. It was the first outing this spring for both of them, and it may well have served as a fitting backdrop for the season. Between the number of matchups between the Tigers and Indians each year and the prominence both pitchers have on their staffs, it would be shocking if it were their last meeting.

"We always laugh and joke about competing against each other," Willis said. "I know he's going to go out and play his hardest for his club, and he expects the same out of me."

The expectations for their respective teams make for what should be a summer-long playoff chase in their corner of the Midwest. It's a long way from where they grew up.

While Willis was born and raised in Oakland, Sabathia grew up in Vallejo, about 25 miles to the north. They were born about a year and a half apart, and their career paths have had some striking similarities.

Both emerged as standout players almost immediately upon arrival to the big leagues at age 20. Sabathia made the Indians rotation out of Spring Training in 2000 and won 17 games, helping Cleveland get back to the playoffs on the tail end of their run of success that began in the mid-90s. Willis was a late May callup at age 21 and won 14 games for the Marlins, who became baseball's Cinderella story on their way to a World Series crown in 2003.

Both had to assume frontline roles on teams that began rebuilding soon after their rookie success. Both had to deal with contract issues -- Willis handling the questions about a long-term deal and trade rumors that followed him until Florida finally dealt him to Detroit last December -- Sabathia now being bombarded by the questions about his impending free agency next winter that has put his future in Cleveland in doubt.

"He loves the game and he loves being competitive," Willis said. "No amount of money will take that away. He's doing fine. He understands that he's a competitor and he's a guy that prides himself on going out there and battling. You can't put a price tag on that."

Both have a unique touch to their game. Sabathia's big frame and bigger uniform are almost impossible to mistake for another player when he takes the mound, just as Willis' high leg kick in his delivery is a signature.

Yet to understand their connection and their mutual admiration requires going back to their time growing up. They never faced each other, but they understood each other. They were two African-American kids starring in a game that has had too few stars to which they could relate, and they both made it through support from their mothers and through hard work. They're both involved nowadays with other big-leaguers in trying to get more African-American kids interested in the sport.

It's something they fall back on even now and admire in each other. When Sabathia won the Cy Young, Willis said, "I felt like we both won.

"I know what he's about. He's a guy that takes a lot of pride in going out there and taking the ball. He understands the importance of him going out there and representing African-Americans across the nation, so I was real happy for him. I'm real proud for him, and he's the same for me. It's fun seeing him like that."

For Sabathia, it was fun seeing Willis like he was in that strange sight on Saturday, pitching in a Tigers uniform. Sabathia has never had a chance to face the Marlins in his career, let alone Willis. And when Willis faced the Indians last summer, Sabathia wasn't watching from the dugout.

Saturday, Sabathia said, "was my first time getting to see him pitch up close."

It certainly won't be his last. Since they'll have so many common opponents, Sabathia theorized that their conversations could include some scouting reports on other opponents. When Willis faces the Indians or Sabathia meets the Tigers again, however, even their friendship has its limits.

"I'm happy for him," Willis said. "He's a good friend. But I want my team to win. I'd expect him to want his team to win."

Interestingly, though, Willis doesn't expect the rivalry to be any more intense when they pitch against each other. Unlike Jeremy Bonderman, who loves to pitch against his good friend Rich Harden in Oakland, Willis isn't into personal matchups.

"I tried that when I was younger," Willis said, "and it didn't go too well. When you do that, you overlook people, and people take it personally. ...

"We care for each other, but you can pretty much ask anybody around the league. I get a kick out of about anything. I play hard."

Said Sabathia: "When I'm on the field, I want to win. That's what I'm out there to do. I don't care who's out there. Off the field, we can be the best of friends. But when it's time to go, it's time to go."

Fortunately, they're teammates in the American League, where they don't have to bat. Asked who is the better hitter, Sabathia answered quickly.

"Me, of course," Sabathia said. "What kind of question is that?"

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Dontrelle is going to be our new Mr. Mayor!

Friday, March 7, 2008
Tigers: Notebook
Willis displays some old-time sizzle
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- This was the Dontrelle Willis the Tigers hoped they had acquired in December's trade-heard-'round-the-world.

"I'm just tickled to see what I'm seeing," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after Willis pitched three shutout innings at Marchant Stadium, where the Braves topped the Tigers, 5-4, in a rain-shortened game.

"He was popping the ball real well. Good life to it. Good velocity. If he throws the ball like that, he's gonna be fine.

"I was glad to see that life on his fastball. He looked good."

Willis, a 26-year-old left-hander who helped seal the deal that also brought third baseman Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, allowed two singles in his three-inning stint. He struck out three batters and walked one.

Willis has a 1.80 earned-run average after two starts. Leyland expects Willis to polish his breaking pitch and change-up along the way, but it was the sizzle to his fastball that Leyland most wanted to see Willis establish early in camp.

So far, mission accomplished.

One ugly inning

Tigers pitchers were sharp against the Braves -- apart from the fourth inning. Right-hander Armando Galarraga had a brutal battle with the strike zone, walking four, throwing a wild pitch, and allowing two doubles and a single, which was good for all five Braves runs.

Aquilino Lopez, Preston Larrison, and Todd Jones followed Galarraga and collectively allowed two hits and no runs.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third against Braves starter Tom Glavine. Brandon Inge tripled to right-center field to drive in the first run. Inge scored on a bases-loaded walk to Jacque Jones.

The Tigers got two more runs in the eighth on a two-run single by minor league shortstop Danny Worth , their second-round draft pick last June. Ramon Santiago and Brent Clevlen each had three hits.

A hard thundershower drenched everyone in the top of the ninth. The game was called before the Tigers could bat.

Santiago's on fire

Utility infielder Santiago would not have been projected to be the Tigers' hottest hitter a week into the Grapefruit League season. He would have been some fans' bet to be the coldest.

Santiago, however, has been scorching the ball as if he were one of those middle-of-the-lineup lumberjacks the Tigers feature in 2008.

Santiago had three singles Thursday, giving him five hits in his last five at-bats. He's batting a staggering .727.

"He's swinging the bat better than I've ever seen," Leyland said. "He had some big-man-itis for a while last year. But now he's just laying his bat on the ball. He looks good."

Asked about his hot start, Santiago smiled and tapped his right fist on his dressing-room chair.

The knock-on-wood message was received, successfully.

Braves love Jurrjens

Jair Jurrjens, the right-handed pitcher who was one-half of Detroit's price for acquiring Edgar Renteria in October's trade with Atlanta, is settling in nicely with his new team.

Jurrjens, in fact, is expected to make manager Bobby Cox 's starting rotation when the Braves break spring camp. Jurrjens is 1-0 with a 1.80 earned-run average.

"I've seen him twice now, and he has a lot of composure for a young kid," Cox said, speaking of the 22-year-old Curacao native who was traded to the Braves along with outfield prospect Gorkys Hernandez.

The Tigers were most impressed last summer with the way Jurrjens spotted his fastball. Cox likes what he sees, as well.

"Sure do," he said. "Anybody who can locate the heater like he can, he's way ahead of the ballgame."

Hernandez, who was a top Tigers prospect when he was shipped to Atlanta, likely will start the season at Class A Rome, Ga.

GO US!!

03/16/2008 6:14 PM ET
Willis after all the innings he can get
Starter sees early contact as key to success this season
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis was known as an innings eater long before he came to Detroit. Now that his new team has some bullpen voids and could use some innings from starters, he thinks he can help when the season begins.

"[I like] finishing what I start," Willis said. "I always want to go deep in ballgames. I take a lot of pride in being able to go deep in ballgames. I never had a thought process as far as [bullpen injuries]."

Sunday's 7-2 Spring Training loss to the Rays wasn't the place for Willis to work deep into a game, let alone finish, but he battled like someone who was trying to keep his team in the contest. While Tampa Bay hitters were putting most of his pitches in the air rather than on the ground, including back-to-back deep fly balls that took center fielder Curtis Granderson to the base of the fence, Willis turned what could've been a huge inning into a three-run affair with three outs from the middle of Tampa Bay's underrated order.

It was his third and final inning, since he'd hit 57 pitches on a day when his pitch count was 65, but it showed some of his fight.

"I actually liked his performance," Leyland said.

Willis' fastball topped out at 94 mph, Leyland said, and he mixed in his breaking ball and changeup a little more. After walking four batters in two-plus innings his last time out, Willis threw first-pitch strikes to eight of the first 10 hitters he faced.

"I feel like I was very productive today, a lot better as far as commanding the zone as opposed to my last start," Willis said.

Willis didn't fall behind in a count until the third, when three straight singles put him in a jam. With runners on second and third and no one out, he had Carlos Pena in a 1-2 count before going full. Pena hit a deep drive that Granderson caught as he jumped against the fence. Akinori Iwamura tagged up to score. B.J. Upton followed by working another full count before doing much the same thing.

It was a three-run inning, the difference in the game, but it could've been worse.

In 2005 when he won a league-high 22 games, Willis ranked fourth among National League starters with 236 1/3 innings. His pitches-per-inning mark dropped to a career-low 15.1, and he averaged fewer than 105 pitches per start. The next year, his pitches-per-inning count rose to 16.2, then 17.1 last year. Meanwhile, his total innings for the year dropped to 223 1/3 in 2006, then 205 1/3 in 2007.

Willis' pitch counts have never been completely outrageous for stretches. Still, he topped 120 pitches in a game five times in 2006 before doing it twice last season. He can do that again, he feels, but he'd rather fill innings by getting quicker outs.

"The less pitches they see, the better for you," Willis said. "I want to work on getting lower in counts."

It's not quite that simple, though. His innings-per-plate-appearance numbers have held steady around 3.71 over each of his four full big league seasons. It's the number of at-bats that increased each year. Hitters batted .243 against him in 2005, .274 in 2006 and .294 last year, even though his ratio of ground balls to fly balls rose over 1.5.

Sunday saw plenty of fly balls. His only out on the ground was an Upton fielder's choice to end the first.

"I'm not afraid of contact," Willis said. "My guys made some great plays back there [on Sunday], but I felt like from last start to this start, it was night and day as far as command. Even the balls I threw for balls I felt were closer to the plate and getting good reactions as opposed to last time, when the ball was sailing and wouldn't stay down.

"As long as we keep them down, I feel confident with our defense back there."

Willis has always been prepared to throw 100 pitches or more in his starts, but that was while calling a warm-weather city his home. He threw a complete-game shutout in his season opener in '05, then another one five days later.

It's very unlikely Leyland would let him get that far on the first week of April in Detroit. In fact, Leyland doesn't want his pitchers feeling too much pressure to fill innings. Still, Willis says, he could use the work.

"It depends if they have enough trust for me to go deep into a game," Willis said. "If I can prove to be durable, to get to that, then you get the privilege of that. They didn't like it [throwing 120 pitches], but I'm competing and still being the best guy for the job in that given moment. I pride myself on that. If I work on getting early contact, the pitch count will come down. Hopefully, I'll try to do better job these next couple weeks."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

He's the second Tiger "guinea pig" in the new show In My Own Words on FSND (Justin was the first 'star.') It's being shown on FSN tonight and tomorrow.

Ohh, ohh...Please tape them all and we will burn a dvd of them. I know catbox wants the Verlander one. If you missed Verlanders, please get it when it re-runs.

Just got back from watching it....cute! D is pretty subdued here but lotsa smiles. We get a real good idea of his background. It was taped in Marchant Stadium and they showed some good ST footage. It's on tomorrow as well...will try to tape it as well as keep my eyes open for the Verlander Show!

I also think this is going to be the replacement for In The Spotlight.

thanks Lap