Dontrelle Willis

Dontrelle Wayne Willis (born January 12, 1982, in Oakland, California), nicknamed "D-Train" and "D-Money," is a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

Willis attended Encinal High School in Alameda, California, where he played baseball for four years. He is the son of Clinton Ostah, a former minor league player in the 1970's. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 8th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. On March 27, 2002, the Cubs traded Willis (then a minor leaguer), fellow pitchers Julián Tavárez and José Cueto, and catcher Ryan Jorgensen to the Florida Marlins, in exchange for pitchers Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca. In 2003, Willis was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He went 14-6 with a 3.30 earned run average in 27 starts after earning a call-up from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. During the postseason, Willis showcased his remarkable (for a pitcher) hitting ability by going 3-for-3 with a triple while scoring a run during Game 4 of the 2003 National League Division Series, which the Marlins won 7-6 over the San Francisco Giants to advance to the NL Championship Series. The Marlins then went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series.

In 2005, he led the major leagues with 22 wins while posting a 2.63 ERA. In 2006 he led the majors in hit batsmen, with 19. On January 15, 2007, Willis signed a one-year contract with the Marlins for $6.45 million, avoiding salary arbitration. On December 5, 2007, the Marlins traded Willis along with fellow All-Star Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers for Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, Eulogio de la Cruz, Dallas Trahern and Burke Badenhop. Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski then signed Willis to a 3-year, $29 million contract extension two weeks later.

In a start against the Chicago White Sox, Willis injured his left knee and departed the game before even recording an out. Placed on the disabled list the next day, Willis had walked nine batters while striking out none in his first two outings. Command of his pitches became a trouble spot, and later in the season, Tiger manager Jim Leyland pitched him in relief for the first time, with little success. He was placed back into the rotation on June 3rd, 2008 to start in a loss against the Oakland A's. On June 10, 2008, Willis was sent down to Single-A Lakeland, a day after a start in which he gave up 8 earned runs and 5 base on balls in 1â…“ innings pitched against the Cleveland Indians. Though Willis had enough service time in the major leagues to require his consent prior to the send-down, he agreed, saying he needed to work on his control.

Willis was called back to the Tigers in time for the roster expansion on September 1, 2008. He made three starts, recording a loss and two no-decisions. Willis was placed on the 15-day Disabled List in March 2009 for an anxiety disorder after a blood test showed something of concern; he began a treatment regimen aimed at addressing the condition. Willis was taken off the disabled list and placed on the active roster May 13, 2009, when he made his first start of the 2009 season. Willis made seven starts after returning, with poor results, before being returned to the disabled list on June 19 with the same anxiety issue.