Willis Roberts

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#FFD800
bgcolor2=#003831
textcolor1=#003831
textcolor2=#FFD800
name=Willis Roberts
position=Relief Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1975|6|19
debutdate=July 2
debutyear=1999
debutteam=Detroit Tigers
finaldate=August 13
finalyear=2004
finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
stat1label=Record
stat1value=17-15
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=4.64
stat3label=Saves
stat3value=7
teams =
*Detroit Tigers (1999)
*Cincinnati Reds (2000)
*Baltimore Orioles (2001-2003)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (2004)
highlights =

Willis Augusto Roberts (born June 19, 1975) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He batted and threw right-handed.citeweb|url=http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/roberwi01.php|title=Player page information|publisher=www.thebaseballpage.com|accessdate=2008-07-05] Roberts was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1992. He remained with the Tigers organization from 1992 to 1999. He made it to the major leagues in 1999 and played for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates until 2004.

Major League Baseball career

Roberts made his major league debut on July 2, 1999 with the Detroit Tigers against the Minnesota Twins at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome with 12,033 people attending the game. Roberts relieved Will Brunson in the sixth inning, pitching one and one-third innings. The Tigers lost the game 11-4.citeweb|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN199907020.shtml|title=Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins on July 2, 1999|publisher=www.baseball-reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-05]

Roberts was released by the Tigers on February 1, by|2000 and immediately joined the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. Roberts was granted free agency on October 18 and signed with the Orioles on November 16. In the by|2002 baseball season, Roberts was most successful in limiting home runs, [citeweb|url=http://www.birdsinthebelfry.com/2003_yearbook_roberts.htm|title=Biography on Roberts' baseball career|publisher=www.birdsinthebelfry.com|accessdate=2008-07-05] only allowing five home runs in 75 innings. His home run rate was roughly one home run allowed for every eighteen innings pitched, or 0.6 home runs per nine innings. [citeweb|url=http://www.birdsinthebelfry.com/Roberts_Willis_2002.htm|publisher=www.birdsinthebelfry.com|title=The 2002 Baltimore Orioles Yearbook|accessdate=2008-07-05] Roberts played three seasons for the Orioles before being granted free agency on October 17, 2003. On January 20, 2004, Roberts signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent. He played his final baseball game with the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 13, 2004, retiring just seven days later.citeweb|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roberwi01.shtml#TRANS|title=Transactions of Willis Roberts|publisher=www.baseball-almanac.com|accessdate=2008-07-05] The New York Mets brought Roberts in on a minor league deal prior to the by|2005 baseball season, but he did not play for them.citeweb|url=http://www.nyfuturestars.com/pitchers.php?player=willis_roberts|publisher=www.nyfuturestars.com|title=Information and statistics of Willis Roberts|accessdate=2008-07-05]

References

External links

*baseball-reference|id=r/roberwi01
*Career statistics and player information from [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=roberwi01 Baseball-Almanac]
* [http://www.mlb-teams.com/players/playersnew.php?id=roberwi01&tm=Pittsburgh%20Pirates Information and statistics]
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/box/2001/players/robew001_p.shtml Willis Roberts Pitching Log]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6262/ Sports illustrated] statistics
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6262 MLB players] statistics
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Willis_Roberts_1975&page=stats Baseball Library] statistics
* [http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/roberwi01.php Baseball prospectsus] statistics
* [http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=167&position=P Fangraphs] statistics
* [http://www.baseballchronology.com/Baseball/Players.asp?page=Probew001.htm Baseball chronology] statistics