To call Dontrelle Willis a phenom is an understatement. So far the Marlins ace is 20-8 with a 2.52 ERA in only his third major league season. Folks, these are no ordinary stats for a 23-year old pitcher. This is serious stuff. Willis is the fourth youngest man ever to win 20 in the show (ex-Met and current DUI offender Dwight Gooden is the youngest) and is only the 13th African American to do so. Willis is on a staff with 2003 World Series hero Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett, both of whom are under 28. Assuming the Marlins can avoid any encounters with Wayne Huizenga, this trio will make for a more-than-solid foundation for years to come.
Willis, who was picked up in the eighth round of the 2000 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs, has taken a path that so many released Northsiders take: success (see John Garland, Greg Maddux, etc). Most everyone remembers the feel-good story of the 2003 season when the Marlins released manager Jeff Torborg and called on Jack McKeon, a man known for forgetting players' names and taking naps between innings, to skipper the club. Willis, who was called up from the AA Carolina Muddogs on May 9 of 2003, won his first eight starts, earned a spot on the All-Star team and led the Marlins into the post-season.
When his record flattened to 10-11 in '04, most baseball fans and analyists, myself included, thought that Willis had experienced the \Hideo Nomo"" effect. That is, a pitcher with a unique delivery, the effectiveness of which is neutralized upon hitters becoming accustomed to the delivery. Not so fast my friends.
This kid has proven to everyone that he is a spectacular pitcher and brought the focus back to where it should be in baseball-on the mound. Now that Major League lineups are losing weight faster than the Olsen twins and every home run comes with ""I bet he's on the juice,"" Willis, along with other great hurlers, need to be the figures to step up and take the torch that Sosa, Bonds and McGwire are no longer able to lift.
Back to Willis. Six of his last seven starts have been victories, and the Marlins are (as of this article) now one game behind the Astros for the NL Wildcard. The D-Train's ERA in his last nine starts is an astonishing 1.148, and to put the icing on the cake-the kid can hit. Willis was two for four, smacked his fourth double of the year and notched his ninth RBI in his 20th win. He also became the first player since Mike Hampton in 1999 with 20 wins and 20 hits in the same season.Add that to Willis' six complete games (good for second in the NL) and McKeon can almost afford to catch a nap with Willis on the hill.
Whether Willis wins the NL Cy Young award (which I believe he should) or sports writers award it to Chris Carpenter, Roger Clemens or some other yokel, his 2005 season will be one to remember for fans everywhere. Poised as the Marlins are to make the post-season once again, look for the fish to make a splash.
