The D-train has one year left on his contract with Detroit, and he’s come to terms with the fact that he hasn’t been very good for them.
“People see me smiling, but I think they’re confused about what the issue is with Dontrelle Willis,” said a pitcher who has spent most of the past two seasons on the disabled list, with one victory since joining the Tigers. “To me, the issue is, I’m terrible.
“I get more stuff like, ‘He looks fine.’ But you’ve got to be careful with stuff like that.”
I guess it’s nice to see an athlete who doesn’t have illusions about his own game. And Dontrelle is right, of course – he has been terrible. A 7.49 ERA isn’t going to get it done.
Willis has been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, so if he needs some inspiration, he can look to Zack Grienke. But still, I think Willis’ early success had a lot more to do with his unconventional delivery and hitters’ unfamiliarity with his release point than it did with his actual stuff, so the real Willis may indeed be the one with the ERA north of 7.
But Willis has another option, too – he’s a big lefty, so why not go the intimidation route? Drill a guy in the head, and I guarantee the next guy will be stepping into foul territory when he swings at a pitch. The old “effectively wild” trick could rejuvenate Willis’ career. It’s pretty much his only hope…unless he’s turned into an outfielder or DH…
