WILLINGHAM, JOSH  
 
Image of HAMMER   Nickname:   HAMMER Position:   OF
Home: Florence, Alabama Team:   Retired
Height: 6' 2" Bats:   R
Weight: 225 Throws:   R
DOB: 2/17/1979 Agent: Matt Sosnick
Birth City: Florence, Alabama Draft: Marlins #17 - 2000 - Out of Univ. of No. Alabama
Uniform #: N/A  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2000 NYP UTICA   65 205 37 54 16 0 6 29 9   39 55     .263
2001 MWL KANE CO.   97 320 57 83 20 2 7 36 24   53 85     .259
2002 FSL JUPITER   107 376 72 103 21 4 17 69 18   63 88     .274
2003 FSL JUPITER   59 193 46 51 17 1 12 34 9   46 42     .264
2003 SL CAROLINA   22 67 15 20 2 1 5 14 0   13 20     .299
2004 SL CAROLINA   112 338 81 95 24 0 24 76 6   91 87     .281
2004 NL MARLINS $300.00 12 25 2 5 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 8 .310 .320 .200
2005 NL MARLINS $316.00 16 23 3 7 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 5 .407 .348 .304
2005 PCL ALBUQUERQUE   66 219 56 71 14 3 19 54 5   47 54     .324
2006 SL CAROLINA   2 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3   .250 .250
2006 NL MARLINS   142 502 62 139 28 2 26 74 2 0 54 109 .356 .496 .277
2007 NL MARLINS $380.00 144 521 75 138 32 4 21 89 8 1 66 122 .364 .463 .265
2008 NL MARLINS $405.00 102 351 54 89 21 5 15 51 3 2 48 82 .364 .470 .254
2008 SL CAROLINA   8 26 6 6 2 0 0 5 0 0 2 5   .308 .231
2009 NL NATIONALS $2,950.00 133 427 70 111 29 0 24 61 4 3 61 104 .367 .496 .260
2010 NL NATIONALS $4,600.00 114 370 54 99 19 2 16 56 8 0 67 85 .389 .459 .268
2011 AL ATHLETICS $6,000.00 136 488 69 120 26 0 29 98 4 1 56 150 .332 .477 .246
2011 PCL SACRAMENTO   2 5 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 .429 .800 .200
2012 AL TWINS $7,000.00 145 519 85 135 30 1 35 110 3 2 76 141 .366 .524 .260
2013 AL TWINS $7,000.00 111 389 42 81 20 0 14 48 1 0 66 128 .342 .368 .208
2013 IL ROCHESTER   3 9 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 .273 .444 .111
2014 IL ROCHESTER   8 27 3 5 2 0 1 3 0 0 1 8 .241 .370 .185
2014 AL ROYALS   24 73 14 17 5 0 2 6 1 0 11 24 .349 .384 .233
2014 AL TWINS $7,000.00 68 224 34 47 5 1 12 34 1 0 42 78 .345 .402 .210

  • Willingham was signed by Marlins' scout Larry Keller.

  • Josh was a biology major at North Alabama. He says that if he wasn't playing baseball he would be "working with animals. I'd probably do marine biology."

  • Before 2004 spring training, Baseball America ranked Josh as the #6 prospect in the Marlins organization. And in 2005, the magazine had him as 5th-best in the Florida system.

  • In 2004, Willingham led the Southern League in both on-base percentage (.449) and slugging (.565) percentage.

  • Josh has excellent makeup and impressive tools. He is a grinder, playing the game real hard. He is  a steady, unassuming performer who goes about his business in a professional manner every day.

    Josh has a soft-spoken, easy demeanor. His presence allows him to be a leader.

  • His wife's name is Ginger. They have two sons, Rhett, who was born September 24, 2006 season and Ryder, February 23, 2010.

  • February 24, 2010: Willingham's wife gave birth to Ryder Jon Willingham.

  • Willingham's nickname is "Hammer."

  • Early on the morning of June 13, 2009, Josh's younger brother died in a car accident back home in Florence, Alabama. Josh left immediately to be with his family. His younger brother, according to reports, had been trying to elude police through the downtown streets of Florence when his car crashed.

    Josh and his wife, Ginger started a charitable foundation and fundraising golf tournament named in honor of his younger brother, Jon Willingham, who died in a car accident in 2009.

  • In 2011, Josh was named the  recipient of the Catfish Hunter Award, which recognizes the A's most inspirational player—a trait the late Hunter prominently showcased during 15 Major League seasons.

    It marks a third honor this year for the A's outfielder, who also garnered the Dave Stewart Community Service Award as well as a nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award. This one, though, proved the most gratifying, as it was voted upon by A's players, coaches and staff members.

  • April 25, 2012: Willingham went on paternity leave to attend the birth of his third child with his wife, Ginger. She delivered a son named Rogan Jaynes. They also have two other sons, Rhett and Ryder.

  • Walk-Up Music: Josh, like a lot of pro baseball players from Alabama, has "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.


    TRANSACTIONS

  • June 2000: The Marlins chose Willingham in the 17th round, out of the University of North Alabama.

  • November 11, 2008: The Nationals sent INF Emilio Bonifacio, RHP P.J. Dean, and infielder Jake Smolinski to the Marlins, acquiring Willingham and LHP Scott Olsen.

  • January 20, 2008: The Nationals ($2.55 million) and Josh ($3.6 million) filed for salary arbitration.

    On February 18, 2009, Willingham and the Nats agreed on a one-year, $2.95 contract, avoiding arbitration.

  • January 19, 2010: Josh and the Nationals again avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a $4.6 million contract for 2010.

  • December 16, 2010: The A's sent P Henry Rodriguez and OF Corey Brown to the Nationals, acquiring Willingham.

  • January 18, 2011: Josh and the A's avoided arbitration, agreeing on a $6 million contract for 2011.

  • December 13, 2011: Willingham and the Twins reached agreement on a three-year, $21 million contract.

  • August 11, 2014: The Royals sent RHP Jason Adam to the Twins, acquiring Willingham.
PERSONAL:
 

  • Willingham is a pure, smart hitter. He works the count well. He is a good hitter with two strikes on him. You can count on him for a good at-bat.

  • Josh uses the entire field. He is a good pull hitter but he can go the other way too. His power is to all fields.

  • He has a short, compact swing that generates good bat speed for solid power to all fields.

  • Willingham hits breaking balls well. He has a patient approach, waiting for a pitch he can nail. And Josh knows the strike zone. When the pitcher doesn't give him anything in the strike zone, Josh is willing to take a walk.

    In 2004, he led the minors with a .449 on-base percentage. And in 2005, he had a .455 OBP in Triple-A.

  • Josh has brute strength. He has arms that are short for a man his size, so he can look for the ball away and still pull the inside pitch.

  • Willingham hits pretty well wherever he has played in the minors. In addition to showing all-field power, Willingham is a good on-base percentage guy who doesn't strike out much.

  • On July 27, 2009, Willingham became the 13th player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in the same game and the 7th in MLB history to accomplish this feat in back to back innings.

  • In 2012, Josh had a career year with the Twins, with 35 homers and 110 RBI.

  • Willingham gets hit by a whole lot of pitches. In fact, as of the end of June 2013, no active player in the Major Leagues had been hit as many times in their career.

    "He's on the plate and is not one of those guys who shies away from it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He doesn't move. But it's happened throughout his career and I know he's been hit quite a bit."

  • On April 21, 2012 Josh tied Kirby Puckett's franchise record of getting a hit in the first 15 games of the season.

    And he finished the season with a career high 35 home runs.

  • As of the start of the 2015 season, Willingham had a career batting average of .253 with 195 home runs and 632 RBI in 3,912 at-bats.
BATTING:
 

  • After the 2002 season in Instructional League ball for Marlins prospects, Willingham switched from third base to catcher. At first, he wasn't too sure about the change. He hadn't been behind the plate since high school in Alabama, and even then, it was a second position for him.

  • Josh has improved his defensive ability as a catcher. His fine work ethic has enabled his progress to be rapid. He calls a good game. His receiving skills have come a long way, thanks in large part to extra work with former Marlins field coordinator Doug Davis and rookie-level Gulf Coast League manager Tim Cossins (who is now the catching instructor for the organization).

  • He has a strong arm and blocks balls in the dirt pretty well. But he is still learning a catcher's footwork. Overall, Josh is adequate as a catcher, though he still lacks solid catch-and-throw skills.

  • In 2005, Willingham threw out only 14 percent of attempting base-stealers in the Pacific Coast League.

  • Willingham was converted from a catcher to a left fielder.  
FIELDING:
 

  • Josh's speed is rated below average. But he is a smart baserunner. During his first three pro seasons (2000-2002), Willingham was successful stealing a base 81 percent of the time (51 for 63).

    But knee surgery in 2003, and knee problems later have dropped his running ability way down.
RUNNING:
 

  • 2003: Knee surgery forced Willingham to miss about half the minor league season. He had suffered a freak injury to his right knee.

    While scoring from second base on a single, he slid home without incident. But when he went back to catch the next inning, his knee ached. He told the trainer, who advised him to bat again and see how it felt. But rounding first on a shot to the gap, Josh's knee "just kind of gave way." Arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus was necessary.

  • June 30-September 2, 2005: Josh was on the D.L. with a stress fracture in his left forearm. He suffered the injury during a simulated game, but didn't realize it was broken.

    "I had no idea it was broke," Willingham said. "I thought I had just strained a muscle."

    Willingham had to wear a cast for three weeks before starting rehab.

  • June 6-22, 2006: Willingham was on the D.L. after he suffered a sprained ligament in his left hand during an at-bat vs. the Giants' Jason Schmidt.

  • August, 4-8, 2007: Josh had a bout with kidney stones, going to the hospital a couple of times, until they passed.

  • September 25, 2007: Willingham's season ended a week early with a herniated disk. Lower back stiffness alerted Josh to having the area checked out via an MRI. He struggled bending down in the outfield, and he was having problems with pitches down in the zone. When it reached that point, he realized he needed to get the back checked further.

    Rest, followed by a series of exercises to strengthen his back were prescribed.

  • May 1-June 24, 2008: Willingham was on the D.L. with a strained lower back.

    "I missed 25 games and tried to come back a little early and I cost myself 25 more games. I have to stay on top of my strengthening program," Josh said before 2009 spring training.

  • August 18, 2010: Josh was on the D.L. with a meniscus problem in his left knee. The problems had been around since April, but worsened.

    August 25: Willingham underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in that left knee, ending his season.

  • June 23-July 7, 2011: Willingham was on the D.L. with a strained left Achilles.

  • September 24, 2012: Josh's season ended 10 days early because of a sprained left shoulder. He hurt it while trying for a leaping catch and couldn't swing a bat because of it.

  • July 1-August 9, 2013: Willingham was on the D.L. with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He also has a bone bruise on the knee. And Josh elected to have arthroscopic surgery on the knee to fix the torn meniscus. He had the operation on July 3.

  • April 7-May 26, 2014: The Twins placed Josh on the 15-day disabled list. A round of batting practice on April 10 yielded familiar soreness in the left wrist that was hit by a pitch. A CT scan revealed a tiny fracture on the wrist. 

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
 
 
Last Updated 5/9/2019 8:16:00 PM. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.