Can we officially stick a fork in the D-Train craze now? After seeing Willis pitch lately I've come to the conclusion that Dontrelle is a one trick pony. Other than the funky-chicken delivery there isn't much that sets him apart. And once MLB teams got some tape of his delivery and adjusted the secret on Willis was out.

 

He's a good pitcher, and considering his age still shows great potential. But let's face facts, he's not the second coming of Fernando or Vida. He's a nice #3 or #4 man in a good rotation. And now that I think of it, aren't the Marlins becoming awfully good at taking promising young arms and turning them into # 3 or #4 starters?

Plain and simple Wilis is a mediocre pitcher.

fillet.. this is totally unecessary. We all know this. I for one knew this would happen. If Dontrelle doesn't have his control, he's doomed. He will be a good pitcher though that can win 15 games or so. If he can gain that control back, which he can, he will be alright.

 

stop beating a dead horse. Its bad enough the pirates will sweep us and almost NO HIT us for the last game.

Should i throw away my k-cards?

Should i throw away my k-cards?

yes

ok thanks for the advice,damn i can't get rid of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not saying he sucks. But I think it is neccessary to point out that the level of hype around him is in no way commensurate of his abilities.

 

And it's also neccessary b/c this board was filled with ROY talk for two months. Heck, some were honestly debating the his merits as a Cy Young candidate.

Should i throw away my k-cards?

throw that one away and take one that says

 

" To see Willis give up batting practice , Priceless "

He'll still win ROY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

u haters

He'll still win ROY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

u haters

Webb is going to win period, His team is going to be The Wildcard.

 

Plus The Voters have been waiting this for a long time, Willis to hit the wall and he has. Willis will not win and now you will see The Journalists ripping Willis.

Plain and simple Wilis is a mediocre pitcher.

OH...MY...GOD

 

 

im going to tell you people right off the bat, if you think Willis is mediocre you have no patience with this kid, and your not a fan.

 

it's something called a slump!...the WHOLE team is in one.

 

he's tired and being overworked.

 

 

and YES..he is being figured out. almost EVERY pitcher gets figured out what seperates the GOOD pitchers from the pitchers are the ones who adjust to stay one step ahead of the hitters to keep them off balance.

 

 

You all give up to easily...if he's mediocre he's not 11-5 with a good ERA. if he's mediocre he's not in the majors. if he's mediocre we wouldnt be in contention AT ALL.

 

 

so to all you people that have given up on him, GET A GRIP

 

and when he pitches a good game this season in the future, and you all are praising him, im gonna know that you all are unloyal to him and dont deserve to enjoy what he has brought to this team.

You all give up to easily...if he's mediocre he's not 11-5 with a good ERA. if he's mediocre he's not in the majors. if he's mediocre we wouldnt be in contention AT ALL.

 

 

so to all you people that have given up on him, GET A GRIP

 

and when he pitches a good game this season in the future, and you all are praising him, im gonna know that you all are unloyal to him and dont deserve to enjoy what he has brought to this team.

 

I couldn't have said it any better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

u haters

fillet.. this is totally unecessary. We all know this. I for one knew this would happen. If Dontrelle doesn't have his control, he's doomed. He will be a good pitcher though that can win 15 games or so. If he can gain that control back, which he can, he will be alright.

 

stop beating a dead horse. Its bad enough the pirates will sweep us and almost NO HIT us for the last game.

amen c/r.

You guys are just amazing.

 

If you honestly thought a 21 year old rookie would come in here and post a 1.90 ERA and hold it the entire season YOU WERE KIDDING YOURSELF ALL ALONG. I said it when he was called up and when Cabrera came up, KIDS THIS AGE WILL HAVE THEIR UPS AND DOWNS, its UNFAIR to a expect a kid to dominate on a consistent basis. Calling Willis an average pitcher is one of the biggest jokes i've read on this board and I've heard alot of those regarding Alamnza.

 

Willis' struggles have NOTHING to do with his stuff deteriorating or other teams adjusting, It's just a young guy being a young guy and MAKING MISTAKES like ALL young players make. He's struggled with his control and even a guy with amazing stuff like Kerry Wood gets shelled when he doesn't hit his spots.

 

Is willis the 1.90 ERA guy we saw before the AS break? probably not, But calling him a #4 starter over a stretch of 5-6 bad games is absolutley ridiculous. You guys are the most fickle fans on this planet, and you better believe i'll be the first one laughing and pointing when Willis regains his true form.

Let me also ad that Willis had a 7.07 ERA for the first three games of the season. If the "Willis was only successful because of his delivery" theory was true, wouldn't he have had that success right off the bat?

He has done his best to keep us in the game and we dont score. He isnt sinking down, we just cant get run support for him. He did have a bad start against the dodgers and the giants but we need to help him. He is still 11-5 and thats a very good record specially for a rookie...

H

 

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A burnout was inevitable due to the workload hes taken on this season. Hes already over his career high for innings pitched, and I believe Helling was acquired for the purpose of providing rest for Willis.

Dontrelle isnt our problem right now.....

 

even if he was pitching shutouts....

 

WE CANNOT SCORE

Dontrelle isnt our problem right now.....

 

even if he was pitching shutouts....

 

WE CANNOT SCORE

or get a BASEHIT.

you can't win a 0-0 game.

If 11-5 is hitting the wall then damn it, I want all the Marlins pitchers to hit that wall.

Look at Barry Zito, 23-5 last year 2.75 ERA Cy young award winner.

 

This year 11-11, 3.33 ERA

 

EVERYBODY HAS UPS AND DOWNS

 

especially pitchers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

haters

Thats true JBurque, My opinion is that he is tired but he hasnt pitched all that bad we just cant hit for him!

Here is a D-Train article on his game at Pittsburg and his struggles.

 

Disgruntled fans missed out on one of season's top stories

 

Friday, August 29, 2003

 

Make no mistake about the fans' disgust with the ever-rebuilding Pirates. A paid crowd of 12,679 was announced for the game against the Florida Marlins last night, but there couldn't have been much more than half of that at PNC Park. That would have been bad enough under any circumstances, but, on this jewel of a summer night, it was an especially sad indictment of where the Pirates fit into the sporting public's consciousness these days.

 

Phenom Dontrelle Willis was the Marlins' starting pitcher.

 

Sure, the poor turnout was understandable. There's no arguing that. How can you not be angry with the Pirates, especially during a week in which they traded Brian Giles? That's if you care at all, what with the Steelers getting ready to play an exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers tonight and settle that right tackle confusion once and for all.

 

But it still was a shame. This was our only chance to see Willis, who, in a matter of a few months, has gone from a Class AA pitcher with the Carolina Mudcats to a National League All-Star, the savior of baseball in south Florida and a beacon of hope for America's young black athletes who might have thought basketball or football was their only path to the fame and fortune of professional sports. No, he wasn't worth the price of a ticket this time. But the Pirates' performance against him in a 5-0 victory was.

 

Certainly, Jack Wilson's at-bat against Willis in the fourth inning was as good as it gets.

 

Seven times Willis threw Wilson a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded, two outs and the game scoreless. Seven times Wilson fouled the pitch off. Finally, on the 13th pitch of the at-bat, Wilson cranked a bases-clearing double to right-center.

 

"This game was going to come down to one play. That was it," said Willis, as quiet, poised and humble in defeat as he had been after each of his 11 victories.

 

"I kept throwing him my best pitch. He finally got one he could drive the other way. Hat's off to him for that."

 

Wilson's hit was enough to leave Willis with a 2-4 record and 6.63 ERA in his eight starts since the All-Star break. He has that same funky windup, that twisting, high-leg-kick and that look-to-the-heavens delivery that makes it so difficult for hitters to pick up his ball. But he's not getting the same results. He's not the same pitcher who rolled into Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field for the All-Star game with a 9-1 record and 2.08 ERA.

 

"I can't explain it to you," Willis said, politely.

 

Really, it's not that difficult.

 

Lloyd McClendon's observation was right on.

 

"I just think the kid is hitting the wall a little. Hey, it's not that easy up here."

 

Willis is 21. To put into perspective how young that is, consider this: When he makes his next start against the Pirates Tuesday night in Florida, it will be the first September start of his pro career.

 

All of this is new for Willis. Pitching this late in a season. Pitching in a playoff chase; the Marlins are fighting for the National League wild-card spot. Having to be the man.

 

"Everybody is counting on him," Marlins Manager Jack McKeon said, fully aware his team is 15-6 in the games Willis has started. "He's been the ace."

 

This rough start probably should have been predictable. It didn't just come at the end of a trip in which the Marlins finished a nightmarish 1-8. It came at the end of one of the most emotional 10-day periods of his life.

 

It began in Denver last week when Willis had his first reunion with his father, Harold, who had left the family when he was 2. It continued in San Francisco last weekend when he pitched and lost against the Giants in front of dozens of friends and family members, including his mother, Joyce, a welder, who had raised him in nearby Alameda, Calif.

 

"I can't say that had any effect on me tonight," Willis said. "That would be an excuse.

 

"I'm a pretty-laid back guy. Not much bothers me. This is baseball. Things happen. You're not going to see me with my head down, I'll tell you that."

 

What a refreshing response.

 

It's nice to think success won't change Willis into a me-first celebrity, the way it has so many other athletes. It's also nice to think he's going to go on and maybe, just maybe, become a pitcher for the ages.

 

Heaven knows the game needs that.

 

If it happens that way, the few who turned out at PNC Park last night will be able to say they saw the Pirates knock around Willis as a rookie back in '03

 

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