Frontpage Features

BY WILLIAM MORRISS

Dontrelle Willis has been designated for assignment for the second time this year, this time by the Arizona Diamondbacks. His fall from grace is such a sad tale considering he was once thought to be the most promising young pitcher in the game. Now the former 20-game winner is hoping for another chance, one that may be his last.

Dontrelle Willis took the league by storm in 2003 when he went 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA. As a rookie he made the All-Star team on his way to winning Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Marlins win the World Series. The best part was that his love for baseball was evident on the field. He had an exaggerated leg kick at the beginning of his delivery that had little leaguers running to their nearest field to try. His infectious smile never seemed to leave his face, even after bad days. He was funny in interviews and by all accounts a joy to be around. He was baseball’s next big star. After a mediocre 2004, Dontrelle retook his place as one of baseball’s best lefties by posting 22 wins and a 2.63 ERA. The “D-Train” was rolling and there was no stop in sight. The next year in 2006, his numbers started dropping off. Willis won only 12 games. More importantly he began walking batters at a much higher clip. His 83 walks in ’06 were almost 50% more than his previous year. Then things really went down hill. In December of that year, Willis was arrested outside a Miami club for DUI. For a man who was nominated for the Roberto Clemente award, this was farthest from what anyone was expecting of him. Whether he was experiencing personal problems or just a lapse in judgment, Dontrelle would never be the same. 2007 came and went without even a hint of his former self. Willis lost 15 games while accumulating a 5.17 ERA. It seemed as if the D-Train had come off its tracks.

Willis needed a change of scenery and that’s exactly what he got. Prior to the 2008 season, Willis was traded along with Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, where it was hoped he could revive his career. Willis was handed a 3-year, $29 million dollar contract only two weeks after the trade. It’s safe to say that almost every one of those dollars went to waste. After showing absolutely no command with his pitches, he walked 35 in only 24 innings; Dontrelle was sent not just to the minors, but to the Tigers Single-A affiliate. Willis spent most of the year there, only seeing major-league action in three August starts. Before his 2009 season could begin, the Tigers, desperate for answers, placed Willis on the DL with “anxiety disorder”. While many in baseball doubted the diagnoses, Willis spent the majority of the year away from the game. When he finally did return, his numbers hadn’t changed at all.

After a short stint in Arizona, Dontrelle will have a ten-day wait on the waiver wire before he can plot his return. Maybe a team will take a chance on the erratic lefty, or maybe he’ll end up as free agent, just trying to sign a minor league deal somewhere. However, if he doesn’t succeed getting his game back, he may not get another shot. As fans we're left to wonder whether the D-Train’s career has reached the end of the line.  If so, it was too short of a ride.