And he had better start the All-Star Game
As the All-Star Game approaches, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa should know, barring injury, who the National League’s starting pitcher will be.
The Florida Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis is 11-2 with a mind-boggling 2.01 ERA.
He shut down the Chicago Cubs on Monday Night and added a pair of base hits in the 9-1 win, which brought his batting average to a respectable .263.
“He’s definitely All-Star material,” Marlins manager Jack McKeon told the Associated Press following Monday’s game.
If he can avoid injury, Willis, known as “D-Train,” could be more than a perennial All-Star in the future. He could be the game’s greatest black left-handed pitcher.
In just 72 Major League starts, the 23-year-old Willis is 35-19 with a 3.36 ERA.
He has averaged 30 starts per season in 2003 and 2004, and is well on his way to matching or surpassing that total this season.
Should he continue to pitch until he is 40, Willis would easily pass 200 wins. If he were to average 20 wins for four or five season, he would approach the coveted 300-win mark. That could earn him a place in the National Baseball hall of Fame.
But that’s way in the future, and Willis is having too much fun to think about what his baseball legacy will be.
Here are his thoughts on the possibility of starting the All-Star Game on July 12 in Detroit at Comerica Park.
“I don’t know, man. We’ll see. I’m having fun. We’ll see.”
With his smile as a constant companion, a wicked curve, blazing fastball and deceptive leg kick, Willis has quickly become a darling of the National League.
McKeon and the Marlins also know his 11 wins have been invaluable in the rugged National League East. Willis’ win Monday helped the Marlins continue shaking off a 2-12 slump that sent them from first to fifth in the NL East.
A California native, Willis was signed by the Cubs in 2000 after being named the California High School Player of the Year with a 10-1 record and miniscule 0.70 ERA.
McKeon and his teammates say that Willis is not only fun, he’s skilled at all aspects of the game of baseball.
After his 10th win, which matched his 2004 total, McKeon said, “He’s a good fielder. He’s a good hitter. He’s got a good pickoff move. And he runs the bases well. If your kid is a pitcher, or one of the pitchers out there, why is he a 10-game winner? He can do all those things. This guy takes pride in being a polished pitcher and doing all the things. That’s why he can win 10 games and some of the other guys can’t.”
“When he pitches, he brings a lot of excitement to the whole team.”
So here’s a bright, exciting, entertaining black superstar who not only plays his game well, he plays it correctly in all phases.
For black fans in search of professional athletes that their children can take pride in, Willis is quickly moving to the top of the list.
Willis already has a 2003 Rookie of the Year award and World Series Championship ring. Yet, his demeanor has not changed nor has his love for playing baseball hard, clean and respectfully.
La Russa often seems to make easy decisions look difficult, but this one is a no-brainer.
Willis starts the 2005 All-Star Game. And it’s too bad that the game is in an American League city, because America would love to see Willis take his cuts at the plate, too.
