ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke native and former Major League Baseball pitcher Al Holland Sr. passed away at the age of 73 over the weekend.
A true leader and pillar of success from the Star City, Holland left his mark on baseball diamonds and communities--near and far.
A graduated of Lucy Addison High School, Holland would attend North Carolina A&T where, according to a university release, he led the Aggies football program in rushing in 1971. But Holland’s true prowess was on the baseball field.
As a freshman, he led the nation in strikeouts (143) and finished second nationally in ERA (0.54). Holland never had a season ERA above 1.03, and he pitched a no-hitter in each of his four seasons at A&T.
The Roanoke native was an instrumental part of the Aggies program transitioning from the NAIA ranks to NCAA in 1974. North Carolina A&T retired Holland’s No. 17 in 2020. He has also been inducted into three halls of fame: College Baseball HOF (2015), North Carolina A&T Sports (1994) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (1993).
Holland played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball after making his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 5, 1977. He finished seventh in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1980 while pitching for the San Francisco Giants.
His most successful season came in 1983 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Holland recorded 25 saves to help the Phillies capture the National League pennant. He earned saves in Games 1 and 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers as Philadelphia won the series in four games. Holland also recorded the save in Game 1 of the World Series before the Phillies fell to the Baltimore Orioles in five games.
Holland’s standout 1983 campaign earned him the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award. He also finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting and ninth in National League Most Valuable Player voting. He earned the only All-Star selection of his career in 1984.