He had Pottawatomi heritage in addition to his British ancestry, as his great-aunt Mamie Echo Hawk[3][better source needed] served as the tribe’s chief lobbyist in Washington DC office for many years.

[2] Born in Salinas, California, Willoughby was raised and attended high school in the town of Gustine in San Joaquin Valley.

[2] While attending Gustine High School, he played four years of varsity baseball as well as basketball and football, eventually participating in track events.

Willoughby later pitched for other teams in the Giants minor league system, as well as pursuing a degree in electrical engineering as part of his scholarship plan signed with San Francisco.

Three days later, Willoughby avenged on the Astros for the loss in his debut the year before by earning his first career win against them with a 6–2, complete game victory at Candlestick Park.

[1] By 1975, Boston was on the way to its first pennant since the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season, and Willoughby helped the team win the title when the bullpen was short handed and plagued by injuries of late.

Willoughby had never been a full-time reliever before, but he responded with a very solid season, as he made 24 appearances and went 5-2 with eight saves and a 3.54 ERA in 48+1⁄3 innings of work,[1] but was not used in the 1975 ALCS against the three-time defending World Champion Oakland Athletics, which was swept by Boston in three games.

Amid the confusion, Fisk attempted to force out Gerónimo, but his throw sailed high over shortstop Rick Burleson.

Johnson then brought in Roger Moret, and elected to load the bases with an intentionally walk to Pete Rose and set up a force play situation.

Moret struck out pinch hitter Merv Rettenmund, but Joe Morgan drove in Gerónimo with the winning run by hitting a deep sacrifice fly to center field, while Willoughby was tagged with the loss.

But the strategy did not work, because Burton gave up two walks sandwiched around two outs and surrendered a single to Morgan, allowing Ken Griffey to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run of the Series.

[1] But Willoughby was released during the 1979 spring training, and he decided to sign a Double-A contract to play with the Wichita Aeros in the Chicago Cubs system.

Subsequently, he returned to his native California, where he worked as a construction contractor and developed a career building houses on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

[2] In 1989, Willoughby was working as a carpenter in California and received an invitation to play in the recent founded Senior Professional Baseball Association, where he joined the Winter Haven Super Sox pitching staff.

[9] Willoughby spent one more season in the league while pitching for the San Bernardino Pride in 1990, completing a professional baseball career for 15 years spanning four different decades from 1967–1990.