Al Holland

Who is Al Holland?

Alfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from 1980 to 1986.

Holland finished seventh in the National League Rookie of the Year voting for 1980 but his best season was with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983 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 1984, 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.