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Florida Marlins pitching phenom Dontrelle Willis was born in Oakland, Calif., on January 12, 1982. He attended Encinal High School in Alameda, Calif., and was named High School Player of the Year in 2000. He was originally selected in the eighth round of the 2000 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs; but he was later traded to Florida in a deal that sent Antonio Alfonseca and Matt Clement to the Cubs.

Willis made his Major League debut for the Florida Marlins on May 9, 2003, and quickly made waves in the league. With a 9-1 record in 13 starts prior to the All-Star break, it came as no surprise that Willis was named to the All-Star team in place of ailing Dodgers pitcher Kevin Brown. Overall, he started 27 games and finished with a 14-6 record with an ERA of 3.31. He didn't fare so well in the postseason, allowing 11 runs in 7.2 innings as a starter during the Division and Championship series'. However, Willis was moved to the bullpen for the World Series and pitched 3.2 innings of shutout ball, helping Florida earn its second title in the team's brief history. After the season ended, when the individual player awards were handed out, Willis was named National League Rookie of the Year. He also set the team record for wins by a rookie and tied the team lead for wins with 14.

The 2004 season saw Willis begin the year in dominating fashion, starting 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and allowing only 13 hits. However, he wouldn't fare as well statistically. Willis finished with a 10-11 record in a team-high 32 starts. Factoring in the 11 no-decisions, the team went 15-17 in games he started. He posted a 2.36 ERA in games the team won, but his ERA jumped to 5.71 in the 17 team losses.

Willis began the 2005 season by pitching 24 scoreless innings with a 3-0 record. In his first three starts he threw two complete game shutouts and held a third into the seventh inning before allowing three runs to the Washington Nationals. He posted a 1.13 ERA and struck out 14 batters. With the additions of first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Paul Lo Duca (who came to Florida in a midseason trade in 2004), the Marlins are once again poised to give Willis some run support and vie for the Division title.

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Link To Us	Dontrelle Willis Biography Links Contact Date of birth: January 12 , 1982 Birth Place: Oakland , California Biography Florida Marlins pitching phenom Dontrelle Willis was born in Oakland, Calif., on January 12, 1982. He attended Encinal High School in Alameda, Calif., and was named High School Player of the Year in 2000. He was originally selected in the eighth round of the 2000 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs; but he was later traded to Florida in a deal that sent Antonio Alfonseca and Matt Clement to the Cubs. Willis made his Major League debut for the Florida Marlins on May 9, 2003, and quickly made waves in the league. With a 9-1 record in 13 starts prior to the All-Star break, it came as no surprise that Willis was named to the All-Star team in place of ailing Dodgers pitcher Kevin Brown. Overall, he started 27 games and finished with a 14-6 record with an ERA of 3.31. He didn't fare so well in the postseason, allowing 11 runs in 7.2 innings as a starter during the Division and Championship series'. However, Willis was moved to the bullpen for the World Series and pitched 3.2 innings of shutout ball, helping Florida earn its second title in the team's brief history. After the season ended, when the individual player awards were handed out, Willis was named National League Rookie of the Year. He also set the team record for wins by a rookie and tied the team lead for wins with 14. The 2004 season saw Willis begin the year in dominating fashion, starting 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and allowing only 13 hits. However, he wouldn't fare as well statistically. Willis finished with a 10-11 record in a team-high 32 starts. Factoring in the 11 no-decisions, the team went 15-17 in games he started. He posted a 2.36 ERA in games the team won, but his ERA jumped to 5.71 in the 17 team losses. Willis began the 2005 season by pitching 24 scoreless innings with a 3-0 record. In his first three starts he threw two complete game shutouts and held a third into the seventh inning before allowing three runs to the Washington Nationals. He posted a 1.13 ERA and struck out 14 batters. With the additions of first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Paul Lo Duca (who came to Florida in a midseason trade in 2004), the Marlins are once again poised to give Willis some run support and vie for the Division title. Links Contact