Dontrelle Willis tells Brewers he plans to retire
The D-Train is making its final stop.
Dontrelle Willis told the Milwaukee Brewers that he's calling off his comeback and will retire after nine seasons.
"He just said the physical part of it, coming in and trying to get out there on the field, has worn on him," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "He may slide in [Saturday] morning to say bye to the guys, but he's been thinking about this for a few days and struggling with what he wants to do. He still wants to compete, but he knows physically that he's having a tough time getting out there."
The 33-year-old, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2011, agreed to a minor-league deal with the Brewers in January but never made an appearance this spring because of a neck injury.
Selected in the eighth round of the 2000 draft by the Chicago Cubs, Willis was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2003 after posting a 14-6 record and 3.30 ERA in 27 starts for the World Series champion Florida Marlins.
Willis would finish 2005 with a 22-10 record and 2.63 ERA while coming second in NL Cy Young voting, but injuries would derail his career three years later.
From 2008-11, the left-hander would go 4-15 with a 6.15 ERA, while only throwing 199 innings over four seasons.
A dominant force on the mound early in his career, Willis was also one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. In 446 plate appearances he slashed .244/.287/.378 with nine home runs.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)