Reggie Willits
Encyclopedia
Reggie Gene Willits is an American
professional baseball
outfielder
who is a free agent.
. He attended junior high and high school at Fort Cobb-Broxton. He is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma
, and he played junior college baseball at Seminole State in Seminole, Oklahoma
.
. Willits made his Major League Baseball debut with the Angels on April 26, . He has the most active at bats without hitting a home run.
On August 17, 2011, he was designated for assignment by the Angels after five seasons in Anaheim. After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.
Willits and his wife began building a home in 2003 in Fort Cobb, with the first completed structure a standalone 90-by-35 foot batting cage
. Willits decided to save money and work on his game by moving the family into the batting cage, outfitted with an open plan. In 2007, the home was finally completed. Reggie was named after Reggie Jackson. Coincidently, Willits' first son is named Jaxon. The idea to name their son first came from one of Reggie's first host families, the Donnells. When Reggie was playing for the minor league affiliate, the Provo Angels, his host sister Mollie was talking about baby names with his wife Amber. Around the same time, Mollie's brother (who no longer lived with the Donnells) was naming his kid Jaxon, and Mollie jokingly suggested the name. Amber loved it, and she knew Reggie would as well because of the significance it held for them. Reggie and his wife have a second son Eli Willits born December 9, 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who is a free agent.
Early life
Reggie is the son of Gene and Judy Willits of Fort Cobb, OklahomaFort Cobb, Oklahoma
Fort Cobb is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 667 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fort Cobb is located at ....
. He attended junior high and high school at Fort Cobb-Broxton. He is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and he played junior college baseball at Seminole State in Seminole, Oklahoma
Seminole, Oklahoma
Seminole is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,899 at the 2000 census. Seminole experienced a large population growth in the 1920s due to an oil boom...
.
Career
Willits was drafted by the Angels in the 7th round (210th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
. Willits made his Major League Baseball debut with the Angels on April 26, . He has the most active at bats without hitting a home run.
On August 17, 2011, he was designated for assignment by the Angels after five seasons in Anaheim. After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.
Personal
Willits married Amber Klugh of Fort Cobb; they have two children, Jaxon and Eli. Reggie has only one older sister Wendi, who played basketball at Arkansas and for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and won a championship.Willits and his wife began building a home in 2003 in Fort Cobb, with the first completed structure a standalone 90-by-35 foot batting cage
Batting cage
A batting cage is an enclosed cage for baseball players to practice the skill of batting.It is usually made of netting or a chain-link fence and rectangular in shape. A batter stands at one end of the cage, with a pitching machine at the opposing end...
. Willits decided to save money and work on his game by moving the family into the batting cage, outfitted with an open plan. In 2007, the home was finally completed. Reggie was named after Reggie Jackson. Coincidently, Willits' first son is named Jaxon. The idea to name their son first came from one of Reggie's first host families, the Donnells. When Reggie was playing for the minor league affiliate, the Provo Angels, his host sister Mollie was talking about baby names with his wife Amber. Around the same time, Mollie's brother (who no longer lived with the Donnells) was naming his kid Jaxon, and Mollie jokingly suggested the name. Amber loved it, and she knew Reggie would as well because of the significance it held for them. Reggie and his wife have a second son Eli Willits born December 9, 2007.