Joshua David Willingham...wife, Ginger (Jaynes)...sons, Rhett (10/24/06), Ryder (2/23/10) and Rogan (4/25/12)...1997 graduate of Mars Hill (AL) High School...attended University of North Alabama, majoring in biology...played shortstop and was a two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection (1999, 2000) and a two-time American Baseball Coaches Association All-American...led Lions to 1999 Division II College World Series and subsequently earned a spot on Division II Baseball Championship and All-Tournament teams...was First-Team Division II All-American in 1999...was Second-Team All-American in 2000...he and wife Ginger run the Josh Willingham Foundation to raise funds for disaster relief in northwest Alabama.
2013
Played second straight season with the Twins...Drew three walks April 6 at Baltimore, ninth time in career with three-plus walks in a game...Reached base safely in 25 of first 27 games April 1-May 8, posting a .405 on-base percentage in that span...Recorded 850th career hit April 9 at Kansas City...Recorded 13th career multi-homer game May 23 at Detroit and 14th career multi-homer game September 10 vs. Oakland...Scored 500th career run June 8 at Washington...Played 1,000th career game June 11 vs. Philadelphia...Placed on 15-day disabled list July 2 (retro July 1) with a medial meniscus tear and left knee bone bruise; had surgery July 3...Played three games with Triple-A Rochester on rehab assignment August 5-7...reinstated August 9 after missing 33 games...Hit 200th career double August 14 vs. Chicago-AL...Drew 500th career walk September 19 at Oakland...Led the Twins in walks (66) and strikeouts (128).
2012
Made sixth career Opening Day start and first as Twin, batting fifth and playing left field April
6 at Baltimore...homered in fourth at-bat, a two-run shot in the ninth inning, marking first hit
as a Twin and third time (second time consecutively) that he had homered on Opening Day...the
game also marked 800th of career. ... Homered in three straight games April 9-12...hit a total of five home runs in first 11 games. ... Named American League Player of the Week April 9-15 (the first POW Award of the MLB season)...
batted .455 (10-for-22) with a double, three home runs, four RBI, three walks, and six runs
scored...second career Player of the Week award (other August 2, 2009). ... Hit safely in each of Twins first 15 games, tying a club record to start a season, (Kirby Puckett,
1994)...passed Glenn Williams (14 games) for longest hitting streak for a player starting his
Twins career...passed career-high for a hit-streak of 12 (2008). ... Reached safely via hit or walk in first 20 games April 6-30, batting .347 (25-for-72) with nine walks in that span, including a .447 on-base
percentage. ... Hit fifth career walk-off home run, a three-run shot off Brian Fuentes May 29 vs. Oakland, giving the Twins a 3-2 victory. ... Hit walk-off RBI-single in bottom of 10th inning June 8 vs. Chicago-NL, giving the Twins a 8-7 victory. ... Hit go-ahead two-run homer June 24 at Cincinnati in top of ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman to give Twins a 2-1 lead and eventual win. ... Hit 150th career home run July 3 at Detroit. ... Recorded 11th career multi-homer game July 13 vs. Oakland, and 12th career multi-homer game July 24 at Chicago-AL. ... Hit 11 home runs in July, tying him with Arizona's Jason Kubel for the most in baseball during the month...also recorded 27 RBI in July, tying
him with the Yankees' Mark Teixeira for most in the month. ... Hit 29th home run August 6 at Cleveland, tying single season career-high...set a new single season career-high with 30th August 14 vs.
Detroit, eventually ending the season with 35. ... Recorded 100th RBI, becoming 17th different Twin to reach 100 RBI in a season, September 7 vs. Cleveland. ... Hit 35th home run, tying Bob Allison (1963) for ninth on Twins all-time single-season home run list, September 19 at Cleveland; set a
season-high with four hits and tied season-high with four RBI in that same game. ... Sidelined with sprained left shoulder September 24, ending season and missing final eight games. ... Became first player in Twins history to hit 30-plus doubles, 35-plus homers and drive in over 100 runs in a season. ... Struck out 141 times, fourth most in club history for a single season. ... Hit 21 home runs at Target Field, most ever by a Twin in one season. ... Ranked seventh in the AL in home runs (35) and ninth in baseball, becoming first Twin to finish in top 10 in MLB since Gary Gaetti tied for
eighth with 28 home runs in 1988. ... Posted a 14.83 at-bat per home run ratio, seventh best in baseball and 10th best in Twins history. ... Tied for third in AL in RBI (110) and tied for fifth in baseball...posted a 4.72 at-bat per RBI ratio, third best in baseball. ... One of five players in baseball with 30-plus doubles, 30-plus home runs and 110-plus RBI -- the others were Ryan Braun (36 2B, 41 HR, 112
RBI), AL MVP Miguel Cabrera (40 2B, 44 HR, 139 RBI), Josh Hamilton (31 2B, 43 HR, 128 RBI) and Chase Headley (31 2B, 31 HR, 115 RBI). ... Won 2012 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award, becoming the sixth Twin to win the award and second outfielder, the other being Kirby
Puckett who won it five times.
2011
Spent his first season with Oakland after being acquired in a trade from Washington, for pitcher Henry Rodriguez and outfielder Corey Brown, December 16, 2010...Made his fifth career Opening Day start and first for the Oakland Athletics, April 1...all coming in left field (also 2006-08, 2010)...Hit his second career Opening Day home run, April 1 vs. Seattle (also March 31, 2008 vs. New York-NL)...the home run came in his first at-bat, making him the 10th player in Oakland history to homer in his first at-bat with the A's...the previous player being Frank Thomas, April 3, 2006...Recorded five rbi, May 9 at Texas...seventh career game with five-plus rbi...Suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball, May 9 for his actions at the conclusion of the top of the eighth inning, May 7 at Kansas City...served the suspension, May 13...Had 10th two-homer game of his career, July 29 vs. Minnesota, his first since August 25, 2009 at Chicago (NL)...drove in all five of the A's runs that night, tying the Oakland record for most rbi in a game in which a player drove in all of the A's runs (several times, last: Swisher,
May 21, 2007 vs. Chicago)...it was his second five-rbi game of the season (May 9 at Texas) and his eighth career game of five-or-more rbi...Hit his third career pinch hit home run, August 20 vs. Toronto...his first since April 16, 2009 vs. Philadelphia...Tied for third in the American League in home runs in August (eight) and tied for seventh in rbi (21)...Led the Athletics in home runs, rbi, strikeouts and was tied for first in walks...Was one of 13 players in the American League with 25-plus doubles, 25-plus home runs and 90-plus rbi.
2010
Batted .268 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 114 games in a season that ended early following knee
surgery in late August...had career highs in walks (67) and on-base percentage (.389) and matched his
best in steals (8)...has improved his on-base percentage in each of the last four seasons...was a perfect
8-for-8 in stolen base attempts...hit .264 (73 for 276) against right-handed pitching and .277 (26 for 94)
against left-handers...hit six of his 16 home runs off southpaws for a .500 slugging percentage...was
batting .281 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI in 87 games before the All-Star Break but knee problems
after the break limited him to a .225 average, one home run and 10 RBI in 27 games...batted .294
with 11 of his 16 home runs at home, .242 on the road...made a team-leading 105 starts in left field...
committed just one error in 108 games overall in the outfield (.994 fielding percentage)...tied for second
among National League left fielders with seven assists...also started two games at designated hitter and
was 2 for 5 (.400) with a double, walk, hit by pitch and two RBI as a pinch hitter...hit fifth 103 times.
WASHINGTON: Was the Nationals' sixth Opening Day left fielder in as many years...hit his fifth
career grand slam, a first-inning blast off Johan Santana, and drove in all five runs in a 5-2 win at
New York (NL), April 11...collected the 500th hit of his career with a fourth-inning single off Yovani
Gallardo, April 16...hit the game-tying solo homer in the seventh inning in a 5-4 win May 8 against
Florida...one day later, he hit the game-winning solo shot in 3-2 decision over the Marlins...drove in
at least one run in six consecutive games from May 22 to 28 and had four home runs and 11 RBI over
that span...hit the game-ending solo home run off Cla Meredith in the 10th inning of a 4-3 win, May
23 against Baltimore...tied for second in the NL in home runs (7) and RBI (22) in May and hit .280 in
29 games...hit safely in a season-high seven consecutive games, June 3 to 10 (9 for 25, .360)...clubbed
his 100th career home run June 22 against Kansas City, a solo shot off Anthony Lerew...added a pair of
doubles in the game, a 4-3 Nationals win...in the midst of a Strasburg-Nolasco 0-0 pitchers duel, stroked
an opposite-field three-run double in the sixth inning to trigger Washington's 4-0 win at Florida, July
16...was placed on the disabled list Aug. 16 with a left medial meniscus injury and had season-ending
surgery Aug. 25...the surgery was performed by Dr. Wiemi Douoguih at Washington Hospital Center...
was transferred to the 60-day DL Sept. 3.
2009
Hit 20 home runs in first season with Nationals...began season on bench, but earned consistent playing time by beginning
of May...posted career-high .367 on-base percentage and matched personal best with .496 slugging percentage...
joined Adam Dunn (38 HR) and Ryan Zimmerman (33) to form the Nationals' 2nd trio of 20-homer teammates...made
MLB history by becoming just the 13th big leaguer-the 3rd NL player-to hit 2 grand slams in the same game, July 27
at MIL...went deep off Jeff Suppan and Mark DiFelice in the Nationals' 14-6 win...in same game, tallied 8 RBI to set a
Nationals (2005-present) single-game record and match the franchise single-game mark...Tim Wallach (May 13, 1990
at SDP), Andre Dawson (September 24, 1985 at CHI) and Chris Speier (September 22, 1982 vs. PHI) also turned the
8 RBI trick...the only other Washington-based big leaguer to register 8 RBI in a single game was Mike Epstein, June
19, 1970 at BAL...established new Nationals record with 5 multi-homer games...tied for 7th in NL with 12 HBP...from
May 5-July 12, hit .340 with 15 doubles, 11 homers and 24 RBI in 50 contests...missed a week in early June with an
illness, then went on bereavement list for a week in mid-June due to a family tragedy...went 11-for-26 (.423) with 3
doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBI and 5 walks in 6 games and was named NL Co-Player of the Week for the period ending
Aug. 2...shared weekly award with SFG's Tim Lincecum.
Game-By-Game Highlights: Went 4-for-4 with 2 homers and 6 RBI to trigger a 15-6 victory, Aug. 25 at CHI...scored
5 runs in that game to match the Nationals (2005-09) single-game club mark set originally by Austin Kearns on July
20, 2008 at ATL...via the 2 homers, 5 runs scored and 6 RBI, accounted for 9 of Washington's 15 runs...according to
the Elias Sports Bureau, only 5 other players have gone 4-for-4 or better in a single game, yet posted more runs and
more RBI than hits: Sean Casey (4-for-4, 6 RBI, 5 runs, May 19, 1999 at COL), Ken Griffey Jr. (4-for-4, 6 RBI, 5 runs,
May 24, 1996 vs. NYY), George Foster (4-for-4, 7 RBI, 5 runs, April 25, 1977 at ATL), Rocky Colavito (4-for-4, 6 RBI,
5 runs, June 10, 1959 at BAL) and Lou Gehrig (4-for-4, 5 RBI, 5 runs, June 12, 1928 at CWS).
2008
Hit 15 long balls in 102 games, averaging a home run every 23.4 at-bats...was batting .341 (31-for-91) with 6 home
runs and 16 RBI in 25 games before missing 50 games due to DL stint (lower back strain)...hit first Opening Day homer
of career, March 31 vs. NYM off Johan Santana...hit .409 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI during career-best 12-game
hitting streak, April 12-24...blasted 2 home runs, including game-ending 10th-inning solo blast in 6-5 win, June 30 vs.
Washington...homered in 4 straight games for first time in career, September 21-26.
2007
Set career highs with 75 runs, 32 doubles, four triples, 89 RBI, 66 walks, eight stolen bases, 144 games and 521 at bats ... finished second
on Marlins for RBI and third for stolen bases... batted .345 (48x139) with runners in scoring position, second on Marlins behind
Miguel Cabrera (.378) and eighth in the NL ... Had career-high 89 RBI ... six RBI on August 23 at St. Louis set new career high (previous high was five RBI, accomplished 2x) ... had
37 RBI after the sixth inning, tops on the Marlins and the fourth-highest total in the NL behind Brad Hawpe (49), Albert Pujols (40),
Khalil Greene (38) ... Hit first two grand slams of career ... hit first grand slam August 11 at New York-NL off Guillermo Mota ... added second grand slam
August 23 at St. Louis off Anthony Reyes, the first of two home runs in the game ... homered in three straight games from July 13-15,
marking third time in career he'd homered in three straight ... hit team's only walkoff home run on May 10 at Los Angeles-NL, the
team's first since Willingham hit one 8/1/06 vs. New York-NL ... had two walkoff hits for season, also walkoff RBI-single in 10th inning
July 1 vs. Atlanta ... Recorded a hit in six consecutive at-bats from June 30-July 1 ... went 3x4 with four RBI with double, triple and home run on April 7 vs.
Philadelphia, becoming second Marlin ever to fall single shy of cycle, joining Gary Sheffield (4x5, 2B, 3B, 2 HR on 4/10/94 @ SD) ...
had career-best five hits (5x5, 2 RBI) July 1 vs. Atlanta ... set career high with four walks April 23 vs. Atlanta ... Batted .281 (109x388) with 19 home runs and 79 RBI vs. right-handed pitchers, compared to .218 (29x133) with two home runs and
10 RBI against left-handers ... hit homers vs. lefties Matt Chico (7/14 vs. Washington) and Tyler Johnson (8/23 at St. Louis) ... Went 1x4 as pinch hitter ... batted .266 (17x64) with one home run and six RBI in Interleague Play, including 3x9 with one RBI as DH ... Appeared defensively in left field in 137 games ... made just three errors in 223 total chances ... led Marlins with nine outfield assists,
tied for eighth among NL outfielders, behind Jeff Francoeur (19) and Alfonso Soriano (19).
2006
Hit .277 with 26 home runs and 74 RBI in 142 games...finished tied for second on club with 26 home runs, third with 54 walks and was
fourth on team in runs, hits, doubles and RBI...established career highs for games (142), at-bats (502), runs (62), hits (139), doubles
(28), triples (2), home runs (26), RBI (74), and walks (54)...was third among National League rookies for home runs, and finished sixth
in batting average, doubles and RBI...Had two career-high four-hit games, on July 5 at Washington and August 10 at Washington...went 5x8 with three home runs and five RBI in doubleheader on July 30 at Philadelphia...went 3x4 with career-high two homers and career-best four RBI in first game,
and 2x4 with home run and RBI in second game...also had two home runs on April 4 at Houston...Went 1x5 with home run and two RBI as pinch-hitter...had pinch-hit, walkoff two-run homer on August 1 vs. New York (NL)...was the
first walkoff home run by a Marlins player since Mike Lowell hit one on May 29, 2004, vs. New York (NL)...prior to Willingham's homer,
the Marlins had gone the longest in the Majors without a walkoff home run...batted .250 (11x44) with six RBI in 13 Interleague
games...appeared in three games as the designated hitter, going 2x10 with two RBI...Went on disabled list June 14 (retroactive to June 7) with sprained left hand...prior to his reinstatement from DL on June 22, did
rehab assignments with Carolina and Extended Spring Training...went 2x8 in two games with Carolina...With teammates Dan Uggla (27 HR) and Mike Jacobs (20 HR), became just the second trio of rookie teammates in the Majors to
each hit 20 HR in a season...the other was Gary Gaetti (25), Kent Hrbek (23), Tom Brunansky (20) with the 1982 Twins...prior to this
season's Marlins, no NL team had ever had two or more rookies with 20 HR...it has been done six times in the AL, last by 1982 Twins...Willingham and Dan Uggla (27 HR) became the second pair of rookie teammates in Major League history to each hit 25+ homers...the other was Al Rosen (37) and Luke Easter (28) of the 1950 Indians...Willingham was one of five rookies on the Marlins to hit 10+ home runs, with Dan Uggla (27), Mike Jacobs (20 HR), Hanley Ramirez (17), Cody Ross (11)...the only other Major League team with
five rookies with 10+ home runs was the 1958 SF Giants: Orlando Cepeda (25), Willie Kirkland (14), Bob Schmidt (14), Leon Wagner
(13), Jim Davenport (12)...Willingham and teammates Miguel Cabrera and Dan Uggla all hit 25+ homers, marking the first time in
club history the Marlins have had three players hit 25 or more home runs...Appeared in 132 games (129 starts) in left field and had .968 fielding percentage, with seven errors in 218 total chances...had five
outfield assists, which was second on the Marlins...started two games at catcher, and appeared in two games at first base.
2005
Appeared in 16 games for the Marlins and hit .304 (7x23) including a .429 average (3x7, 2 RBI) as a pinch-hitter... posted
.429 average against left-handed pitchers... hit .375 (6x16) in 12 games in September... Made 2005 debut for Florida on June 25 at Tampa Bay, getting start as the designated hitter and going 0x1 with 2 hit by
pitches... placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 6 (retroactive to June 30) for stress fracture to left forearm... sent to the Minors on August 24 for rehabilitation and went 6x29 in a total of eight rehab games... batted .200 (4x20) in six
games at Albuquerque (AAA), .222 (2x9) in two games at Jupiter (A)... removed from the 15-day disabled list on
September 2 and hit .333 (7x21) the remainder of the season... registered first multi-RBI game of ML career on October 1
vs. Atlanta, going 1x4 with a run scored... Behind the plate, combined to catch a total of 31.2 innings (eight games), including two starts (September 28, October
1)... the Marlins were 1-1 in those two starts and 2-6 overall when he was catcher... besides catcher, spent 1.0 inning in left field on September 7 at Washington... Spent first half of the season with Albuquerque in the PCL, where he led league in home runs with 19 at the time of his callup to the Marlins... overall, hit .324 (71x219) in 66 games for the Isotopes with 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 54 RBI and 47 walks... Named Marlins Organizational Player of the Month for May, hitting .344 with six doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 29 RBI
and 20 walks... for his May numbers, selected as 2005 Topps Player of the Month... also earned PCL Batter of the Week
honors for June 6-12, boasting a .550 average with three doubles, three home runs, and eight RBI... one of two members
of Albuquerque club (LHP Jim Crowell) selected as a PCL All-Star... one of two Marlins minor leaguers (OF Jeremy Hermida)
selected to play in the 2005 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game... due to his call-up in June, however, he was not eligible
to participate in either contest... selected as the eighth-best prospect and the Best Power Hitter in the Marlins system
by Baseball America.
2004
Appeared in 12 games with the Marlins, batting .200 in 25 at-bats with one home run and one RBI...was recalled from AA Carolina on July 6 and optioned back to the Mudcats on July 27...Made his Marlins debut on July 6 vs. Pittsburgh in a start in left field (0x3)...collected his first hit the following game, July 7 vs. the Bucs, as he reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2x2 with two walks...Hit his first career home run on July 18 at Pittsburgh, off Oliver Perez...Collected two hits in his final seven games, posting a .167 BA (2x12) over that span...Saw five games (three GS) as catcher and three games (three GS) in left field...combined for one error in 22 total chances in the field...Batted .281 with 24 home runs, 76 RBI, 91 walks (fourth in the Minors) and a .449 on-base percentage (second in the Minors) at AA Carolina in 112 games and was named a Baseball America AA All-Star at Catcher...batted .311 in the month of May with five home runs and 17 RBI...hit two home runs in one game on June 20 vs. West Tennessee also drew four walks on September 2 vs. Tennessee...played catcher, first base, third base and left field at AA Carolina.
2003
Played in a combined 83 games with Jupiter (A), Carolina (AA) and rookie level Gulf Coast League... posted a
career best .277 batting average with a career-high 18 homers and 51 RBI... was named a Florida State League
All-Star as he appeared in 59 games with Jupiter (36 games as C, 12 as DH, nine at 1B, three in LF, two at 3B)... hit
.286 vs. RHP and .217 vs. LHP with Jupiter... hit .324 in is first 24 games, with two homers April 16 vs. Ft. Myers and
four RBI on April 26 at Vero Beach... had second two-homer game, on May 16 vs. Sarasota... joined Carolina on
June 5, his first promotion to the AA level... played nine games at 1B, four as C and three each at 3B, LF and DH...
went on the DL on June 17 with right knee inflammation... made a two-game rehab stint (July 25 and 26) with the
GCL team before returning to Carolina... after playing three games at AA, returned to the DL on August 6 with
continued right knee inflammation... rejoined Carolina for a second time on August 21... hit .313 with three homers
and 11 RBI in 22 games for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League.
2002
Established single season bests in runs (72), hits (103), doubles (21), triples (four) and RBI (69)... ranked third in the
Florida State League in slugging (.487) and fifth in OBP (.394)... was named the the FSL All-Star Team... had a season-
high four hits and a career-best five RBI on April 12 vs. Lakeland... homered in consecutive games, April 6 and
7 at Daytona... hit two homers on June 26 at Clearwater... played 46 games at DH, 32 at 1B, 20 at 3B and 10 in LF...
was placed on the DL on May 22 with a broken orbital bone after being hit by a ball on May 21 at Charlotte...
returned to action on June 23 at Tampa.
2001
With Kane County, earned Single-A Midwest League All-Star honors...swiped team-leading 24 bags in just 26 attempts.
2000
Began pro career with a .400 OBP in 65 games with Utica of the short-season Single-A New York-Penn League.
