Al Holland, a 10-year reliever known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies in the early 1980’s, passed away on Saturday, July 4, in Fort Mill, South Carolina, surrounded by loved ones. He was 73. Born Alfred Willis Holland on August 16, 1952, in Roanoke, Virginia, Holland starred in football, basketball, and baseball at Lucy Addison High School and would eventually enroll at North Carolina A&T in 1971.
Al Holland Was True NC A&T Aggies Legend
His three younger brothers followed his lead and played football at A&T. Holland made an immediate impact on the football field, leading the Aggies in rushing as a freshman in 1971. But it was the diamond that brought out the best of his athletic skills.
During his freshman season at A&T, the righthander led the nation in strikeouts with 143 and finished second nationally in ERA (0.54). A 25-strikeout performance against North Carolina Central, which resulted in a no-hitter, became the highlight of his freshman season.
He never posted a season ERA above 1.03, and he pitched a no-hitter in each of his four years at A&T. The Aggies moved from the NAIA to the NCAA in 1974, where Holland continued his dominant performances.
He finished with a 0.95 ERA and 105 strikeouts as a junior and a 0.26 ERA and 118 strikeouts as a senior. He finished his collegiate career as a two-time NAIA All-American. He is one of only three A&T student-athletes to have his jersey number retired.
Holland joins future Hall of Famers Al Attles (basketball) and Elvin Bethea (football) on that list.
His collegiate numbers caught the eyes of MLB talent evaluators, leading to his getting drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 30th round of the June 1974 draft and the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the January phase of the 1975 draft.
Al Holland Won NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award.
Both times, he elected not to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility. After graduation, Holland went undrafted in the summer of 1975. However, Branch Rickey III, a descendant of baseball legend Branch Rickey, signed him to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1975.
He made his MLB debut on September. 5, 1977, in a Pirates uniform. Holland was then traded along with pitchers Ed Whitson and Fred Breining to the San Francisco Giants for infielders Bill Madlock, Lenny Randle, and pitcher Dave Roberts on June 28, 1979.
In four seasons with the Giants, Holland had a 19-11 record with 19 saves and an ERA of 2.56. He maintained his strikeout prowess as well, striking out 247 batters in just over 320 innings as a reliever and part-time starter.
However, when he was traded in the winter of 1982, it set the stage for him to be recognized as one of the top relievers in the NL. He and Joe Morgan were dealt to the Phillies for pitchers Mike Krukow, Mark Davis, and minor-league outfielder C.L. Penigar on December 14
The Phils were three years removed from winning their first World Series, but they would reach the Fall Classic again behind a group of veterans affectionately known as the “Wheeze Kids”. It was a play on their 1950 squad, known as the ”Whiz Kids,” that also won the NL pennant.
Al Holland Dealt Phillies Along With Joe Morgan In 1982: Holland Blossoms
Future Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose – who were also on the 1980 team – as well as Morgan, Steve Carlton, and Tony Perez, were among several veterans over 30 who made up the roster that went 90-72 and won the NL East.
That year, Holland was their No. 1 closer, and he had the best season of his career. He saved 25 games (then a franchise record) to go along with an 8-4 record and a 2.26 ERA. He struck out 100, walked 30, and gave up only 68 hits in 91⅔ innings pitched.
One of the highlights of Holland’s campaign came on September 23rd when he got the save in Carlton’s 300th career win, a 6-2 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals. Five days later, he closed out the division clincher against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Holland was also a vital part of the Phillies’ winning the pennant as they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the NLCS, with Holland saving Games 1 and 4. In the World Series, Holland would earn the save in Game One before the Phillies bowed out in five games.
Holland’s breakout season earned him the NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award. He also finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young and NL MVP voting. The following season, he earned his first and only MLB All-Star Game appearance.
In 1984, Holland pitched well in the season’s first half, reaching the All-Star break with a 2.80 ERA and 17 saves in 20 tries. He managed to break his own franchise record for saves in a single season.
But because of a heavy workload, he put up a second-half ERA almost two runs higher (4.34) than he had before the All-Star break. Holland played another three MLB seasons, but was never able to recreate the dominant seasons in Philadelphia.
In 1989, the 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, as recently as 2006 for the Rookie-level Appalachian League’s Johnson City Cardinals. North Carolina A&T officially retired Holland’s No. 17 on February 8, 2020.
It was part of a ceremony at A&T baseball’s annual 1st Pitch Banquet in the Student Center’s Deese Ballroom. Holland is survived by his wife, Mary, as well as their two daughters and a son. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
