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 hope that more [African-Americans] decide to play after seeing the things that I was able to accomplish; not only myself, but other African-American players. Hopefully, they pick up a bat and a ball and go out there and play.
I want to make guys put the ball in play. If I give up ten hits, then I give up ten hits. But I want to work on making them earn it.
Every day's a blessing, so I'm just out there throwing my best.
Keep winning and get to the postseason, I won 20 games and they just dumped one beer on my head. It feels good because I'm helping my team win.
I love what I do. I'm appreciative and I'm still competitive. I still love baseball, but it doesn't consume me. If I can't do it anymore, then I go home and do something else. It's not the end of the world. It's just the end of your career.
Win or lose, I've been fortunate to be able to pitch deep enough into games to get decisions.
I feel I let my team down today. My heart is bleeding for everybody else. I felt like I should have gotten it done today. That's how it is. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't.
As far as the anxiety, I have no idea about it. I don't feel like I have any nervousness out there. I'm just a guy who really cares about being competitive and that's the bottom line.
I just want to say I owe the whole reds organization a great deal. Great staff top to bottom and I wish those guys all the best.
I want to be a traveling circus in that big-league uniform, like everybody else.
I was nervous batting eighth, and I was nervous batting seventh.
It's not about the money for me.
Whatever I can do to win, I'll do it, even if I have to get hit by a pitch, whatever it takes.
I know about having days off. They can be helpful sometimes, especially late in the year. It's just key to go out there and establish early, especially in this park where they can put up some crooked numbers early.