St. Clair's Marty Willis Has A Major- League Vision ; By Vahe Gregorian ; Of the Post-Dispatch Staff 1 Marty Willis' high school days were dwindling, and his vision was myopic. He could see nothing before baseball, nothing after t baseball. To him, that was no impairment. To his father, Carl, it was. They had words, many words, on the subject. ' "I said, 'Marty, we're going to have to have a serious talk about what it is you want to do with your life; whether it be college or trade school or whatever, you need to find ', a venture of some sort,' " Carl Willis said. Marty's response? "I want to play baseball." .' Of course you want to play baseball, Marty. You've I loved It since you were a 5-year-old ballboy, since you " were old enough to hold a ball in your hand. All you ever wanted for your birthdays and Christmas was baseball equipment. 1 But Carl Willis tried to explain that Marty had to see ; past that now. He stressed that there needed to be some- thing more, even if it's just a backup. ; "We got into some pretty heated conversations over ; that," his father said. Nothing had changed by the time Marty graduated from , St. Clair High in 1984. Not much changed after that, either. "When he went to East Central a junior college in Union, he took courses really irrelevant to anything just to be able to play some baseball," Carl Willis said. On twist to the story is that Marty Willis, a 6-foot-3 righthander, now is in his second year of pitching in the Detroit Tigers organization. Last year, pitching on loan for the Peoria (Ariz.) Brew- "I I'm just trying to move up one level a year. 9f MARTY WILLIS I ers of the Arizona State League, Willis earned the Rolaids Award as the league's best reliever, and in his one start he pitched a no-hitter. This year, playing Class A baseball for the Lakeland Tigers, he has won three games and has an earned-run average of just over 3.00. "I'm just trying to move up one level a year," said Willis, who was coveted by the Brewers after spending last season with them because of an overstocked Tigers rookie league staff. The reason he is there is another twist in the story. Although Marty's steadfast stubborness chafed his father, they reached an accord, an agreement without which Marty probably wouldn't be able to play baseball. Convinced by his wife Janet that Marty would find a venture after baseball ran its course, Carl Willis made a deal with his son, who spent two years pitching in the Metro Leagueafter he finished playing at East Central. When Tigers scout Joe Thurman came to sign Marty, dangling no signing bonus and a wage of about 700 a month before taxes Carl Willis was ready to back his son. "I told Marty that if he would give 100 percent effort and dedication, I would try to support him financially and as his advisor," said his father, who runs a dyecasting company in St. Clair. "Marty and I basically shook hands on that. "It's put a strain on our lifestyle financially, bet h's getting a taste of life's hardships, along with a learning experience." The learning has been cultivated on the field and off. On the field, he has honed his split-fingered fastball "I'm still learning it, though" and revved up his fastball to as much as 92 mph "It's not too bad." He's also developed his approach to the game, with the assistance of Tigers' veteran pitcher Jack Morris, who has been in Lakeland while rehabilitating from an injury. "He helps us out a lot by giving us talks, mostly just about the mental part of the game," Willis said. Although he has prospered from Morris' presence, in one way it also has muzzled his growth. Had Morris not arrived in Lakeland, Willis would have started a few games, which he is eager to do. He has not started a game since his no-hitter in his final appearance last season. Off the field, he's learning to cope with the different lifestyle. His girlfriend, Sheri, is with him in Lakeland, which is located between Tampa and Orlando. Although they have gotten accustomed to it, it is not their idea of the good life. "It's nice, but it's not like home," he said. "There's so' much traffic, and there's always people. I really like the quiet; I like using where I can breathe the fresh air." Janet Willis said: "He loves coming from a small town.! He likes knowing everybody, and he loves just being able' to bowl, and fish and hunt, especially hunt. Usually when, he goes out after something, he comes back with somethi'.0 " ' W'hcjgh she referring to his hunting, her. point has otnu' applications, implications her husband has, come to terms with. He still worries about his son's future, but he doesn't' hide his pride over his accomplishments. His support is given eagerly, not grudgingly, even though he sometimes thinks he made more concessions than he should have. "I'm more confident now than I was before about Marty's future, and I guess I don't know if you ever do; have total confidence about your children," Carl Willis said. "I do know, and my wife convinced me, Marty's the type of person who will put 100 percent into whatever he wants to do, and that makes me more confident." As for the handshake? "He's holding up his end of the deal," Carl Willis said. The same could be said for Carl Willis. He has taken his family on several extended visits to see his son play, and has subsidized his son's Lakeland hotel room and paid for his rental car, meals and other incidentals.