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Former MLB All-Star pitcher dies at 73
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- Former MLB All-Star pitcher dies at 73
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Former Major League Baseball reliever Al Holland passed away at the age of 73 , the Philadelphia Phillies announced on Monday. Over a 10-year major league career, the Roanoke, Virginia, native became known for his work out of the bullpen and was an important part of the Phillies' 1983 National League championship team.
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Holland was born in 1952 and graduated from Lucy Addison High School before attending North Carolina A&T State University. A standout two-sport athlete, he played both football and baseball for the Aggies. He led the football team in rushing in 1971, but his greatest success came on the baseball field. As a freshman, he led the nation with 143 strikeouts and ranked second nationally with a 0.54 ERA. Holland never logged an ERA higher than 1.03 during his four collegiate seasons and threw a no-hitter in each year at North Carolina A&T. He also helped the program transition from the NAIA to the NCAA in 1974.
Although he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1974 and the San Diego Padres in 1975, Holland remained in school before eventually signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 5, 1977, then became a reliable reliever after being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1979.
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Holland broke through in 1980, accumulating 1.75 ERA across 82 1/3 innings with seven saves in 54 appearances while finishing tied for seventh in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He followed with a 2.41 ERA in 1981 and a 3.33 ERA over 129 2/3 innings in 1982 before being traded to Philadelphia ahead of the 1983 season.
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His finest year came with the Phillies. Holland recorded 25 saves, a 2.26 ERA over 91 2/3 innings and helped Philadelphia win the National League East before capturing the NL pennant. He earned saves in Games 1 and 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and also closed out Game 1 of the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles . Holland did not allow an earned run in 6 2/3 postseason innings that year, shared the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award with Lee Smith, finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting and ninth in National League MVP voting.
He earned the only All-Star selection of his career in 1984 after collecting 29 saves. Holland later pitched for the Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees before retiring following the 1987 season.
Over 384 career major league appearances, Holland compiled a 2.98 ERA, 513 strikeouts, 78 saves and 646 innings pitched. Following his playing career, he coached at the high school and minor league levels. His legacy also includes inductions into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (1993), the North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Fame (1994) and the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2015). North Carolina A&T retired his No. 17 jersey in 2020.
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