WATCH: Dontrelle Willis reveals his Mount Rushmore of pitchers
Former MLB pitcher and current analyst with FOX Sports, Dontrelle Willis, reveals four pitchers that he sees fit to be on the Mount Rushmore list of pitchers.
The first pitcher he named was Dave Stewart, given his allegiance to the Bay Area. He picked Nolan Ryan second, saying he loved his mound presence. For his third, he went with Dennis Eckersley, whose impact he believed was incredible. Picking the fourth was tough for Willis, as he picked CC Sabathia and said:
"Being a Bay Area guy, he's only a couple years older than me, but his impact from Vallejo," Willis said. "I mean, everybody wanted to be CC even when he was in high school, so I knew if I was attracted in the right direction like CC was, CC's about there was a guy that I always wanted to be like."
Dontrelle Willis' love for Bay Area pitchers reflected in his Mount Rushmore picks
Hailing from Oakland, California, Dontrelle Willis picks reflect his love for pitchers coming from the Bay Area.
Interestingly, apart from Nolan Ryan, all of Dontrelle Willis' picks were biased toward pitchers who were either from the Bay Area or made immense contributions to the LA Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
First up, Dave Stewart, another California native, won three World Series, one each with the Dodgers, Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. His career record stands at 168–129 with an ERA of 3.95. Moreover, his No. 34 jersey was retired by the A's.
Six-time All-Star Dennis Eckersley won the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1989. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 after an incredible career in which he registered a record of 197-171 with an ERA of 3.50. He also had 390 saves to his name.
CC Sabathia was another California native on this list whose impact on Vallejo earned him honors on Dontrelle Willis Rushmore's picks. He made immense contributions with the Yankees, winning the World Series in 2009.
Willis himself is a two-time All-Star who won the World Series in 2003 with the Florida Marlins.