Dontrelle Willis. . .

I was thinking closer to 5th than 7th, but either way he's pretty good, def a far cry from overrated or simply a "fast-starter".

granted even i don't really think he's THAT good, but he is a damn good pitcher - and a fun guy to watch. so i don't think he's overrated in the slightest. he's like ichiro for example.

Could it be agreed by all that Dontrelle:
1) occasionally pitches like "A GOD WTF"
2) tends to pitch more like "A GOD WTF" during the beginning of the season
3) struggles with bouts of inconsistency
4) is "good" (ie, a top 7 NL pitcher with lots of upside)
5) has the benefit of pitching in a pitchers' park

Because I think we're all on the same page if so!

i can also deal (even agree) w/ the "fast starter" label, but i still call bs on the "fader" one (this isn't directed at gygax, i don't think). that's not supported at all; tho he does tend to have one or two horrible months a year and they have been predominantly in the second half - but other than those bad bunches he's been just as good in the second half as the first...why exactly this is is an interesting question, so mebbe we can conjecture a bit about that if we're done sniping at each other, fun tho it may be.

he's gotta be the most inconsistent starter in the majors. i wish a pitching coach could come along and get his shit together, if it's some mechanical thing. any info from the marlins as to why this is?

against the light-hitting Dodgers who are 3rd in the NL West (quite possibly the worst division in the history of MLB)

at home (spacious Marlins Stadium)

ok, so there's still a massive amount of luck involved, but he's no fader.

7 IP 0 ER
5 IP 1 ER
8 IP 0 ER
8 IP 1 ER
9 IP 0 ER
5 IP 2 ER
7.1 IP 1 ER
8.1 IP 1 ER
6 IP 1 ER
9 IP 1 ER

(hope i didn't jinx ya)

Still in Dontrelle's start before last against the Astros, he jacked a 429 foot homer!

Dontrelle and Carlos Zambrano are both good enough hitting pitchers to bat up in the lineup. Zambrano is also having a great year at the plate hitting .292 and legged out a triple last week.

``I couldn't believe it,'' he said. ``Seventh? I want the lineup card. I don't think anybody will believe that. I was nervous about it. I had fun. The guys were making fun of it, saying he would have me bat leadoff.''

He went 1-4 with a Sac.

-- gygax! (gygax0...), June 24th, 2005.

Could it be agreed by all that Dontrelle:
1) occasionally pitches like "A GOD WTF"
2) tends to pitch more like "A GOD WTF" during the beginning of the season
3) struggles with bouts of inconsistency
4) is "good" (ie, a top 7 NL pitcher with lots of upside)
5) has the benefit of pitching in a pitchers' park

Because I think we're all on the same page if so!

-- gygax! (gygax0...), August 18th, 2005 1:38 PM. (gygax!)

Dontrelle looks great through 6IP and about 90 pitches with Florida up 5-1... but then gets into trouble in the 7th at around 100 pitches with the game tied. Girardi then leaves him in for the 8th and he gives up a homer and then puts 2 guys before he gets taken out.

A Grand Total of 8 ERs which would have been 1-3 if he'd been taken out around 90-95 pitches. Is Florida's bullpen that bad?

HI DERE MARKERRY PRIORSCHMIDTWOOD

PacBell/SBC/AT&T Park is home to his worst career splits which include a 1-2 record (in 4 starts), 9.00 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and a .322 BAA.

Those stats do not include the 03 NLDS playoffs where Dontrelle made a relief appearance at Pac Bell, giving up 2 hits and recording one out.

Is Dontrelle's "poor performance" this season actually the result of Marlins mgmt. selling off their infield (cf, Brandon Webb in 2004)?

I guess I could look at his G:F ratio or BABIP-allowed, any other ways of validating this theory?