All Aboard the D-Train!

Jump on the D-Train! MiLB.com has tweeted out that Dontrelle Willis is back in baseball after the Milwaukee Brewers signed him to a minor league deal.

Willis exploded onto the scene with the then-Florida Marlins in 2003 and quickly became a household name. Prior to winning the 2003 Rookie of the Year with Florida, Willis was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 8th round of the 2000 draft. He was traded to the Marlins for Antonio Alfonseca and Matt Clement two years later and became an instant hit in Miami.

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Known for his high leg kick, huge smile and almost comedic antics, Willis was equally entertaining on the mound. He went 14-6 in his debut season, posting a 3.30 ERA and striking out 142 batters over 160 innings. He would make three appearance as a reliever for the 2003 world champs against the Yankees, not allowing a run in 3.2 innings pitched. A Rookie of the Year award and a ring all in his first year. Willis appeared to be the next big thing.

After enduring a dismal sophomore slump, Willis came back and dominated in 2005. He finished second in the Cy Young voting with a 22-10 record while registering a 2.63 ERA and hurling five complete game shutouts. Perhaps it was the 236.1 innings pitched (40 more than he ever had) that season, but Willis would never be the same.

Willis went to the Detroit Tigers in the mega-deal that allowed the Tigers to acquire Miguel Cabrera and change the course of their history. Willis began to suffer from injury and struggled with controlled. He would win four more games in his career, while losing 15 and never posting an ERA south of 4.98. His career seemingly ended in 2011 with the Reds.

Willis was always an exciting hitter. He smashed nine home runs over his nine year career, including three in 2006. ironically, as Willis became more hittable on the mound, he himself became more of a hitter in the batter’s box. He posted a .387 batting average with one home run and four RBI in his final season.

And now, three years after his final pitch, D-Train is heading to the Milwaukee Brewers spring training, with very high hopes of making the team. Still only 33-years old, there is no reason to rule out Willis, especially as the Brewers continue to remake their identity. Willis is still his same old self: someone who was happy to be part of the game.

"“I suck at golf,” Willis told ESPN.com. “I don’t have an Xbox, and I have four daughters. I just love the camaraderie of baseball. Even when I’m done playing, I’ll be coaching. I’ll get a fungo bat, and I’ll be even louder than I am now.’’"