| Jerry Willard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1960-03-14)March 14, 1960 (age 65) Oxnard, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1984, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 19, 1994, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .249 |
| Home runs | 25 |
| Runs batted in | 114 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Gerald Duane Willard (born March 14, 1960) is an American former professionalbaseballcatcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 1994 for theCleveland Indians,Oakland Athletics,Chicago White Sox,Atlanta Braves,Montreal Expos, andSeattle Mariners. He currently works as a Campus Supervisor for the Oxnard Union High School District and coaches baseball at Adolfo Camarillo High School.
A 1978 graduate ofHueneme High School inOxnard, California,[1] Willard was signed by thePhiladelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1979. He was one of five Phillies along withManny Trillo,George Vukovich,Julio Franco andJay Baller who were traded to the Cleveland Indians forVon Hayes at theWinter Meetings on December 9, 1982.[2] Willard would make hisMajor League Baseball debut with theIndians on April 11, 1984, and appeared in his final game on May 19, 1994.
Willard's career was spent mostly in obscurity. However, he did experience one significant moment of fame. On October 23, 1991, playing for theAtlanta Braves in the1991 World Series against theMinnesota Twins, Willard made his only series plate appearance in the bottom of the ninth in a 2–2 game. He was pinch-hitting forFrancisco Cabrera after a Minnesota pitching change withMark Lemke on third Base. Facing top relieverSteve Bedrosian with one out, Willard lofted a high fly out to right fielderShane Mack that proved to be deep enough to score Lemke with the winning run.[3]
Willard's catching career came to an abrupt end on May 10, 1994, when a foul tip off the bat of Julio Franco struck his right shoulder, causing a fracture and damaged cartilage. He was catching for the Seattle Mariners versus the Chicago White Sox. Unable to complete a throw, he spent the rest of the season between the DL, the minors, and pinch hitting. He was forced to retire at the end of the 1994 season. Today, the piece of padding attached to a catcher's chest protector for extra coverage of his throwing-side's shoulder is called a 'Willard' due to this incident.