Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke told reporters at Brewers camp on Friday that lefty Dontrelle Willis has decided to retire, according to Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports. Willis, 33, was attempting to return to the Majors for the first time since 2011. He threw two-thirds of an inning for the Giants’ Class AAA team in Fresno in 2014 and made two starts for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish.

(AP Photo)

Willis became an instant sensation in his rookie season in 2003, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award and helping the Marlins win the NL Wild Card en route to the franchise’s second world championship. For his first four seasons, Willis was a reliable ace in South Florida, averaging over 200 innings a season and posting a 3.44 ERA — very good for that era.

But things took a rough turn for Willis in 2007, when he suffered through his…