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Willis is kind of a certain breed o' pitcher --- I count Oil Can Boyd and José Lima among them --- that experience a period of success early in their careers, and develop a public persona as a successful pitcher who brings a level of panache to his game. When continuing that success proves elusive, these guys enter these long, slow, pretty declines, with brief puffs of the old goods --- but they have the dignity to fail with no less panache than they succeeded with.
When folks, say, "Hey, you know, maybe you should cut that crap out --- show a little humility, and awareness that you're not doing so well, for God's sake," they seem to resond with, "You think this just about pimping out my success? This is ME, babies!" And they continue to wear their sox just so, cock their brim just slightly that way, pause mid-motion in their leg kick for just that long, even as they slide from the National League to the American League to the International League to the Mexican League to the Domincan Winter League to the Northern League to the Atlantic League. They know, no matter what uniform is on their backs, that the minute they stop looking and playing the part of a star is the minute they stop being a star.
I get the idea that the Japan League has a bunch of these guys. Guys who get released at age 39 from their fourth team with a 6.90 ERA, and their first statement to the press is something along the lines of, "I disagreed with their decision. As disappointing as the results may seem, I am still the Raven, and had they paid attention to my last few starts, I was just coming fully in contact with my Mystical Raven Power Spirit for the first time in years. I have spoken to my agent and he has advised me to climb Mt. Fuji, meditate, harness the mystic bird, and await further instructions. Truly another team will want the Raven to wear their uniform soon, but I understand that they may fear unleashing all this power immediately."
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