Originally Posted by MLB.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Shaking off the rust after a long offseason, Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis revved up Friday in his quest to get ready for 2007.

Firmly established as one of the elite pitchers in the game, Willis did little to disappoint in a two-inning stint against the Orioles at Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

His line wasn't perfect, as the lefty gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk. But this was the first spin on the tracks for the D-Train, and he showed excellent arm strength, decent command and a winning personality.

Tossing 34 pitches, with 18 strikes, Willis' velocity ranged between 86-92 mph. He struck out Miguel Tejada with a nasty slider in the second inning, and got Kevin Millar swinging through a fastball.

"I felt great, I had a good time out there," said Willis, who took the loss in a 3-0 contest. "It was fun. I had a good time."

In years past, Willis was typically more all over the place in his early spring appearances. He did get a boost defensively in the first inning, as third baseman Miguel Cabrera made a nice backhanded grab and strong throw to first to rob Brian Roberts of a hit.

Roberts made Willis work, putting together a seven-pitch leadoff at-bat. And opening the second, Tejada struck out on six pitches. The run Willis allowed came on a run-scoring double to Ramon Hernandez in the second inning.

After the RBI drive to left, Willis turned to Hernandez and joked: "I'm trying to make the team, too."

It's that free-spirited, loose approach that has helped Willis emerge as the undisputed leader of the staff.

At age 25, he is in line to be named the Opening Day starter, which is no surprise considering his stature on the club.

Mananger Fredi Gonzalez said he will announce the rotation in about 10 days or when the pitchers get about three starts.

Even in 2004, when Willis opened the season as the fourth starter, deep down he felt like an ace.

"Me personally, I want the ball every day," he said. "Realistically, I get the ball every fifth day. When I get it, it's my day. I take pride in finishing what I started and going deep in ballgames. I'm not hoping to go seven. I want to go nine.

"I've always been that way. Just because I'm fourth in the rotation doesn't mean I'm bottom on the totem poll. I'm just the fourth ace. That's how I always took it, and that's how this staff took it. I've always had that mindset, when I get the ball, this is my day to showcase that."

Willis has showed tremendous maturity and passion for the game from the second he was brought up at age 21 in 2003.

"For me, he's one of the premiere left-handers in the league," Gonzalez said. "The last two years, he's thrown more than 200 innings. He's one of those guys who doesn't miss a start, he's durable. We all know how good he is.

"If you ask any manager in the league or in baseball in general, his name is going to be up there."

At 58-39, Willis already has the most wins ever by a Marlins pitcher. He tossed 223 1/3 innings and was 12-12 last year.

His competitiveness and winning personality makes him one of the most popular players in the league.

"Baseball-wise, I think people think of that leg-kick, and his nasty stuff," catcher Matt Treanor said. "When I think of him as a guy, I think of a happy-go-lucky guy who loves the game. He's gracious, and all those good attributes you want on your team. He doesn't bring anybody down.

"I think he's a good role model for the pitchers, because he's out there doing his work. But he's also sucking up innings, regardless if he's giving up a couple of hits, or a home run, or a big home run, he's not going to give up. He's going to continue to pitch and suck up innings for us.

"I think it's good for other guys to see that. You can't just crumble on the field when something goes bad, because the next thing you know, something is going to get real bad. That's one of the things he adds. And off the field, he's everybody's friend."