Dontrelle Willis retires, leaving lasting legacy of time with Marlins
JUPITER, Fla. -- Former Marlins manager Jack McKeon will never forget Dontrelle Willis' first major-league win on May 14, 2003.
Willis, starting for just the second time in the big leagues, needed one more out to qualify for the victory. But he couldn't find the strike zone against the San Diego Padres.
So McKeon, who had recently taken over the club after coming out of retirement, went to the mound for a pep talk. He told the then-21-year-old lefty to stop "screwing around" and "throw the (expletive) ball."
Brian Buchanan fanned on the next two pitches to close out the fifth inning and put Willis in line for his first of 72 career victories. By season's end, Willis had been named an All-Star and the NL Rookie of the Year.
Both Willis and outfielder Miguel Cabrera started the season in Double-A Carolina. Upon their call-ups, they sparked the Marlins during their second World Series run.
On Friday, nearly 12 years later, Willis informed the Milwaukee Brewers that he will be retiring at the age of 33. His latest comeback bid ended with a stiff neck that kept him from pitching in a Cactus League game.
Longtime friend and former teammate Juan Pierre, who also recently announced his retirement, said he had gotten a text from Willis about the upcoming decision. Pierre was at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday afternoon with his wife and kids watching the Marlins beat the Cardinals 6-3.
"I tell you he was great for the game," McKeon recalled at Roger Dean Stadium. "Very colorful figure. I hate to see him quit so early. I wish he could've had more success after he left here. But unfortunately those things happen. Great guy. Baseball's lost a very colorful character."
In 2005, Willis put together one of -- if not the best -- season by a Marlins pitcher. He went 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA in 34 starts. He led the league in wins, shutouts (five) and tied for the lead with seven complete games. He finished second in NL Cy Young voting.
Games Willis, fondly nicknamed the "D-Train," pitched brought larger crowds. He became an attraction to see every five days, much like current ace Jose Fernandez.
Right-hander Mat Latos, who started Friday's Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals, grew up in South Florida. As a fan of baseball, Latos appreciated what Willis brought to the sport.
"I remember a crazy leg kick," Latos said. "That, and 95 from the left side. And he could hit. Before he had his little hiccup, he was good."
Yet the lovable pitcher with a goofy grin and personality never recaptured the success from 2003-06, when he compiled a 58-39 record and 3.44 ERA.
After his five-year stint with the Marlins, Willis posted a 4-15 record and 6.15 ERA in 43 games (40 starts) in his time with the Tigers, Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds (2011).
Cabrera and Willis both landed in Detroit via trade during the 2007 offseason. Though Cabrera has played like a future Hall of Famer, Willis dealt with control problems and an anxiety disorder.
Willis, who hadn't appeared in the majors since 2011, pitched in just 24 games with the Tigers from 2008-10 before being designated for assignment. The Tigers then traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
A 2012 retirement was followed by attempted comebacks with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. But shoulder and elbow trouble set him back.
To this day, McKeon doesn't know why things went wrong. Did someone try to change him as a pitcher?
"It puzzles me," McKeon said. "I didn't see him have the command he had. It looked to me like he was trying to throw the ball harder. That wasn't his forte. ... Then I saw him trying to overextend. I talked to him a while and asked him what he was trying to do. That's not the way you were successful."
But what McKeon and current Marlins manager Mike Redmond, Willis' teammate from 2003-04, will remember most is Willis' all-out play: the way he ran the bases, hit and pitched.
"He's given it everything he has to try and come back," Redmond said. "My memories and years of Dontrelle are nothing but exciting and positive. This guy was fun, fun to catch. He brought an energy I don't think anybody in Miami had seen before. He energized our ballclub in 2003 when we needed it and was a big part of our success in winning the World Series.
"He's had a heck of a career, and I know he battled the last several years to get himself back pitching, but at the end of the day he can rest knowing he totally threw it all out on the field and gave it everything he has. And that's a testament to Dontrelle and the guy and person he is."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
