Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Wayne Willis, nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseballfor the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds. Willis was notable for his success during his first few years in the MLB and for his unconventional pitching style, which included a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter. He was named the 2003 National League Rookie of the Year...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth12 January 1982
CityOakland, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I'll never forget how nervous I was. It was almost like getting transferred to a new high school in your senior year. Everybody watching you. I was so erratic they either swung or I almost hit them. But it's funny. They still believed in me. I thought I was going to get released after that.
I just haven't played good baseball. I had a great game plan. I just didn't execute.
I just have enough trouble trying to concentrate on myself, to be totally honest. I'm a high-energy guy, and I'm a young guy, and I still battle every day going out there and controlling that and trying to focus on doing the job at hand.
I just got off the phone with my mother and she was just yelling and screaming. I can't blame her. When your son is a 24-year-old millionaire, regardless of whether he's throwing a baseball or working for Donald Trump, it's a beautiful thing.
I knew the situation. You knew where they were going with all the trades, so I kind of figured I was going to go to a one-year deal, which is fine with me. Everybody wants that 'A-Rod' 10-year, $25 million deal but you have to deal with circumstances. I'm just definitely excited to make more than $375,000 (his 2005 salary).
I'm just swinging. To be able to get a big hit and put that much pressure on the pitcher is key.
I'm like a kid excited about Christmas. It's going to be very intense. It's going to be a lot bigger than what people are talking about.
I'm like a kid at Christmas waiting for the 25th to roll around. I'm ready to go out there to show my talents.
I'm kind of dumbfounded. I graduated from high school in 2000 and I'm a millionaire right now. I never even dreamed of being in this situation.
I'm kind of breathtaken. It's historic. It's a beautiful thing, not only for baseball but for my team, ... Hopefully we'll just keep going.
I'm kind of breathtaken. It's historic, ... It's a beautiful thing, not only for baseball, but for my team. Hopefully we'll just keep going.
I'm just out there having fun, ... If I'm not having fun I'm definitely not playing the type of baseball I want to play.
I just tried to throw strikes and stay in a rhythm. That's my game.
I just didn't do anything right. When I needed to throw strikes and let them put the ball in play, I wasn't able to do that. I just found myself in deep counts often, and when you're in deep counts, the hitter's the aggressor.