Al Holland
Encyclopedia
Alfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to (as well as a few games in , and ).
Holland finished seventh in the National League
Rookie of the Year
voting for 1980 but his best season was with the Philadelphia Phillies
in when he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and TSN Fireman of the Year Award
while finishing in the top ten in voting for both the Cy Young Award
and National League MVP
. He then saved Game 1 of the 1983 National League Championship Series
, and struck out three batters in two innings to finish Game 4, clinching the pennant for the Phillies. He also saved Game 1 of the 1983 World Series
. In Game 3 of the World Series, Holland was pitching in the seventh inning when an error
allowed the go-ahead run to score. Although Holland struck out
four batters in the eighth and ninth innings, he and the Phillies still lost in the last postseason game of his career. They then lost Games 4 and 5 as well to give the Baltimore Orioles
the championship.
In , Holland was selected to his only All-Star Game
but did not play. The following year, he was traded twice and then hit a low point by being called to testify at the scandalous Pittsburgh drug trials
. After admitting to cocaine
abuse, he was suspended for sixty days of the 1986 season.
Holland's and ten other players' suspensions were reduced to anti-drug donations and community service
but Holland's career was nearly at an end. He was signed as a free agent
by the New York Yankees
, released
by the Yankees, re-signed by the Yankees and then re-released by the Yankees — all in 1986 alone. The Yankees signed him for the third time in 1987 but, after three games, his ERA
was at a terrible 14.21. Holland was re-re-released by the Yankees after the season and his major league career was over.
In 1989, the age 35-and-older Senior Professional Baseball Association
began operation in Florida
and Holland was a member of both the St. Petersburg Pelicans
and St. Lucie Legends
. The league folded in December 1990. Since then, Holland has spent time as a minor league
pitching coach, most recently for the Rookie-level Appalachian League
's Johnson City Cardinals
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/minors/ss-appalachian.htm.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to (as well as a few games in , and ).
Holland finished seventh in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
voting for 1980 but his best season was with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in when he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and TSN Fireman of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award was established in 1960 by The Sporting News as TSN Fireman of the Year Award. The award originally recognized the best closer from each league, but in 2001 the award was broadened to include all relievers...
while finishing in the top ten in voting for both the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. He then saved Game 1 of the 1983 National League Championship Series
1983 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Phillies...
, and struck out three batters in two innings to finish Game 4, clinching the pennant for the Phillies. He also saved Game 1 of the 1983 World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
. In Game 3 of the World Series, Holland was pitching in the seventh inning when an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
allowed the go-ahead run to score. Although Holland struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
four batters in the eighth and ninth innings, he and the Phillies still lost in the last postseason game of his career. They then lost Games 4 and 5 as well to give the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
the championship.
In , Holland was selected to his only All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
but did not play. The following year, he was traded twice and then hit a low point by being called to testify at the scandalous Pittsburgh drug trials
Pittsburgh drug trials
The Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 were the catalyst for a baseball-related cocaine scandal which resulted in the harshest Major League Baseball penalties since the Black Sox scandal of 1919...
. After admitting to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
abuse, he was suspended for sixty days of the 1986 season.
Holland's and ten other players' suspensions were reduced to anti-drug donations and community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
but Holland's career was nearly at an end. He was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, released
Major League Baseball transactions
Major League Baseball transactions are changes made to the roster of a major league team during or after the season. They may include waiving, releasing, and trading players, as well as assigning players to minor league teams.-25-man and 40-man rosters:...
by the Yankees, re-signed by the Yankees and then re-released by the Yankees — all in 1986 alone. The Yankees signed him for the third time in 1987 but, after three games, his ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
was at a terrible 14.21. Holland was re-re-released by the Yankees after the season and his major league career was over.
In 1989, the age 35-and-older Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
began operation in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Holland was a member of both the St. Petersburg Pelicans
St. Petersburg Pelicans
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle batted .349. Milt...
and St. Lucie Legends
St. Lucie Legends
The St. Lucie Legends was a U.S. baseball team and one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989....
. The league folded in December 1990. Since then, Holland has spent time as a minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
pitching coach, most recently for the Rookie-level Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
's Johnson City Cardinals
Johnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Cardinals are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and play with the Appalachian League, of which they are currently the two-time defending champions. The team plays its home games at Howard...
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/minors/ss-appalachian.htm.
See also
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders