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'm still excited to be here. The bottom line is, I'm just not playing good baseball. I'm a man and can admit it. ... I'm hoping we advance so I'll get another start.
Especially the last couple of days people were very excited, more excited than I was, ... I was eager to see how things were going to turn out, but I slept easy (Wednesday) night. ... I'm the second-best pitcher in the National League, which is not that dang bad.
I am still excited to be here, but I am not playing the best baseball that I know I can play. I hope we can advance so I can get another shot of helping the team win. My work has been good but the results just aren't there.
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 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 very excited just to meet with him and talk baseball with him. He's an experienced winner and he comes from a great organization that knows how to win. I think he's going to put that personality and that feeling in our locker room, so it's a good choice.
When you think of all the players in the Braves organization, when they were in Milwaukee and now Atlanta, to be one of five players to be on the wall, that's special,
We're still in this race. That's all I care about, ... We have to win out, and it started today.
When I walked into the locker room, everybody said I had to stop sliding headfirst. Before I even got in there, they were telling me, 'Would you please stop?' Even American League guys were saying that. Vernon Wells said, 'Please stop sliding headfirst.' They all love the enthusiasm and intensity I show.
I was trying to tell him to call time. Next thing you know, (Rollins) was running. The situation got out of hand quickly.
It definitely hurts, because I felt like I let my team down. I have to find a way to get outs late in the game, especially when they're making a charge.
That could have cost us the game, ... I've got to get that runner over somehow.
That was a tough loss. We're definitely beating ourselves up and there is not anything anybody can say that is harsher than what we're telling ourselves.
That was the first instinct I had ? to slide, ... I figured the quickest way I could get to the plate was to reach out as far as I can. I just said, 'I'm going to give up my body.' It's all about putting pressure on the other guys.