"Gimme the ball!" is what Al Holland wants his epitaph to say. A career reliever
with an excellent fastball, he finished his rookie season with a 1.76 ERA and seven
saves for the Giants in 1980, but was always part of a bullpen-by-committee in San
Francisco.
Traded with Joe Morgan to the Phillies for Mark Davis and Mike Krukow,
Holland became their stopper in 1983. His 25 saves plus two more in the postseason
helped them to the World Series, where they lost to the Orioles. He saved a career-high
29 games in 1984, but also lost 10, as his ERA jumped to 3.39 and his fastball grew
more hittable. He would notch only five more saves before being released by the Yankees
early in 1987.
(SG)
Al Holland
