Willis fading in second half?

Well, after the media all but engraved his name on to a Rookie of the Year
trophy, Dontrelle Willis has hit the wall.

His ERA's up to 3.56, after a really lousy August (1-2, 7.29 ERA). One of
his agents is blaming his post-All-Star fade (2-3, 6.25) on the constant
media attention he's received.

I certainly don't wish him ill, but his recent fade has certainly shown
the folly of getting too worked up about a rookie before August. By the
same token, all it'll take is for him to have a dominant September and
pitch the Marlins into the Wild Card for him to reclaim the lead in ROY
mindshare.

In the meantime, Brandon Webb's been getting a *little* more attention
from the national media, but still nothing like the firestorm that's
followed Willis for much of the year. Maybe he'll slip in under the radar
for ROY.

--Paul
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