Brutha Broadcasters w/ David Grubb features former MLBbro Jerry Hairston Jr., LA Dodgers analyst with Spectrum SportsNet LA and frequent contributor to MLB Network.
Dontrelle Willis last appeared in a MLB game over 10 years ago, but how can you forget about this MLBbro?
In his prime, he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. During the 2005 season he won 22 games with the Florida Marlins, the most wins he had in a single season. He’s also one of just 15 Black MLB pitchers to ever win 20 games in a season. This prestigious group is called “The Black Aces.”
Willis had a distinctive windup from the left side which drew a lot of attention during his playing days.
Dontrelle Willis, Sliders. 🚂 pic.twitter.com/g3GCMP4hQx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 5, 2021
His high leg kick was very deceptive, and hitters had difficulties, especially when Willis first got into the league. And Willis had success during his career too. During his rookie season in 2003, he was named an All-Star, NL Rookie of the Year, and was a part of the Marlins team that shocked the world and defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series. the young star went 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA that season.
You don’t see many rookies having the kind of success Willis did. He quickly gained a lot of attention throughout the league after his first season. Willis played for four teams during his career and finished with a 72-69 record with a 4.17 ERA and 896 strikeouts.
Oh, and the brother could hit too, swatting .244 with nine home runs and had a .378 slugging percentage. Though he did not have much success later in his career, he still made a name for himself and is a player people still talk about to this day.
So what is the former World Series champion doing now?
Well, he’s still involved in baseball, but he’s in the booth now. In May, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as a member of the broadcast team. Willis brings a lot of knowledge to the broadcast booth, and he brings a lot of energy, just like he did on the hill.
What are your thoughts on Dontrelle Willis as one of the Dodgers new TV analysts this season?
Do you want to see more of the D-Train?
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 25, 2022
He also contributes to MLB WHIPAROUND, a nightly baseball program on FOX Sports.
Willis went through a lot of ups and downs during his career and it’s good to see how much he bounced back and is enjoying his time in the broadcast booth. During his playing career, he won at the highest level and got sent down to play in the minor leagues.
With all the experience he’s had, Willis is a perfect example of someone who young players should take advice from. Last year, he spoke with Baseball America and talked about the conversations he’s had with players.
“I tell guys, enjoy all of this,” Willis said. “Enjoy competing, enjoy being around your teammates, enjoy your name being on the back of a jersey …. just enjoy every single moment.”
Willis will be around the game for a long time, and he deserves his flowers for what he did during his playing days and what he’s doing now.
Andrew Toles has not suited up in a Dodgers uniform since September of 2018, but fortunately for Toles, the Dodgers refuse to let a uniform validate his worth.
Despite not being an active member of the team, Toles still has a contract with the Dodgers. He’s on the restricted list, so he isn’t getting any pay or playing time. Instead, he’s getting something more important: access to the proper mental health and medical care.
Toles’ journey to the big leagues had been a roller coaster ride in itself. After his dismissal from the University of Tennessee baseball team in 2011, he played at Chipola College before getting drafted in the third round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012. As a member of the Rays’ organization, Toles produced on the field. In 2013 he led the Class-A Midwest League with a .326 batting average and 62 stolen bases.
The common phrase that teams used when releasing Toles was “personal matters.” Due to more personal matters, Toles’ promising baseball career was cut short once again in 2015 after being released by the Rays. However, it wasn’t long before the future started to look bright for Toles once again.
In September 2015, the Dodgers signed him to a minor league contract. He’d eventually get his call to the big leagues in July 2016.
He had some great moments with the Dodgers and proved that he definitely belongs in The Bigs.
Three years later, the Dodgers announced that Toles had been put on the restricted list. The reasoning they provided had been heard multiple times before. Toles had more personal matters, and he never suited up for the team again.
What many people didn’t know at the time, was that Toles’ personal matters were mental health episodes that had been occurring frequently. Throughout the course of his adult life, his family confirmed that he has been to 20 different mental health facilities.
After multiple run-ins with the law due to erratic behavior, doctors finally diagnosed him with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Toles had been under contract with the Dodgers upon being diagnosed, but despite the diagnosis, the Dodgers were not ready to let him go.
By keeping Toles under contract, he has access to the necessary resources and insurance to help him continue to fight his mental health obstacles. The last anyone heard, regarding Toles and his status with getting the proper help, he had already begun inpatient treatment.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers are doing something that a lot of employers traditionally have never done; they are acknowledging and prioritizing the mental health of one of their own.
Word about Toles’ behavior was nothing new for the organization, but the diagnoses themselves were. Toles does not necessarily have a track record of being consistent with treatment, but many people struggling with mental health issues share that same pattern. Rather than distance themselves from Toles, his mental health, and the legal battles that he had been involved in due to his behavior, there is an effort amongst the Dodgers’ organization to help him.
Jerry Hairston Jr comes from one of the most prominent baseball families ever. His grandfather, father, uncle, and brother all played in the big leagues.
After a 16-year career that included a World Series championship with the New York Yankees, Jerry joined the broadcast team for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he has been the past eight years.
He discusses his playing career and transitioning from the field to the booth as an analyst for Spectrum Sportsnet LA in this edition of Brutha Broadcasters with David Grubb.
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