Ron Willis
Born: 7/12/1943 in Willisville, TN, USA
Died: 11/21/1977 in Memphis, TN, USA
MLB Debut: 1966-09-20 | Final Game: 1970-09-29
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Ronald Earl Willis
Biography
Ron Willis, born in 1943, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1970. He made his mark during a transitional period in baseball, moving from the tail end of the deadball era into a time when offensive statistics began to rise. Over the course of his career, Willis compiled a record of 11-12, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest level. His earned run average (ERA) of 3.32 indicated his effectiveness on the mound, particularly in an era when pitching was highly valued.
Willis was known for his versatility as a pitcher, contributing to his teams not only as a starter but also as a reliable reliever. He recorded a total of 128 strikeouts and achieved 19 saves throughout his career, demonstrating his capability to close games and secure victories for his team. Although his career was relatively brief, his contributions during the late 1960s and early 1970s helped shape the landscape of baseball during a time of evolving strategies and player roles.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 12 | 188 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 238.3 | 209 | 88 | 15 | 119 | 128 | 3.32 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | STL | NL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00 | - |
| 1967 | STL | NL | 6 | 5 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 81.0 | 76 | 24 | 43 | 42 | 2.67 | - |
| 1968 | STL | NL | 2 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 63.7 | 50 | 24 | 28 | 39 | 3.39 | - |
| 1969 | HOU | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | STL | NL | 1 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32.3 | 26 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 4.18 | - |
| 1970 | SDP | NL | 2 | 2 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 56.0 | 53 | 25 | 28 | 20 | 4.02 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 188 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.160 | 0.192 | 0.200 | 0.392 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | STL | NL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | STL | NL | 65 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.375 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | STL | NL | 48 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | HOU | NL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | STL | NL | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | SDP | NL | 42 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | SLN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1967 | WS | SLN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 11.81 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | SLN | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8.31 |
| 1967 | WS | SLN | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 27.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 188 | 0 | 24 | 56 | 0 | 6 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | SLN | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | SLN | P | 65 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 1968 | SLN | P | 48 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | HOU | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | SLN | P | 26 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | SDN | P | 42 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 188 |