Carl Willis just can’t seem to stay away from the Cleveland Guardians. The longtime pitching coach not only found his way back to the organization but also continues to put off retirement to remain with the team.
The 65-year-old is back for his 16th with the Guardians, and his ninth straight during this second stint. He was previously with Cleveland from 2003 to 2009 under manager Eric Wedge, returned in 2018 under manager Terry Francona, and is embarking on his third year under manager Stephen Vogt.
Speaking at spring training, Willis sent a strong message about the Guardians and what the organization means to him.
“I want to talk about the players,” Willis said. “All I’ll say is this: I love this organization. I love the game.”
A former major league relief pitcher for nine seasons, he won the World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1991. He also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers in a career spanning 1984 through 1995.
He joined the Cleveland organization as a minor league pitching coach in 1997 and worked his way up to the major league staff. In his time away from Cleveland, Willis spent time with the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.
He has been the pitching coach for five AL Cy Young Award winners, a list that includes CC Sabathia in 2007, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Shane Bieber in 2020 for Cleveland; Felix Hernandez in 2010 for Seattle; and Rick Porcello in 2016 for Boston.
However, one of his best coaching jobs may have come last season, when he retooled a pitching staff without Bieber, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and which eventually lost Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz to an MLB gambling investigation. Gavin Williams transformed from a sub-.500 starter to a potential Cy Young Award winner himself, and Cade Smith took over and became one of the top closers in the game.
In addition, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, and Parker Messick all improved to levels that have each of them competing for spots in this year’s starting rotation.
NEXT: Travis Bazzana Opens Up About Playing In WBC
