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Rockies’ Holliday selected to play in first All-Star game

By Rob Burchianti 6 min read

PITTSBURGH – Tom Holliday knew his son was doing some special things on the baseball field at the major-league level, not only this year, but in the previous two seasons. The Uniontown native was hoping some others would notice as well.

Plenty have, most notably, Astros manager Phil Garner, who named 26-year-old Matt Holliday to the 2006 National League All-Star game roster as a reserve outfielder.

Matt wound up the first-half of the season leading the league in hits with 112. He’s also tied for first in doubles (29), is third in batting (.337), fourth in slugging percentage (.587) and 12th in runs scored. He’s on his way to career highs in home runs (16) and RBIs (57). He also has three triples and four stolen bases.

Last year, his second in the big leagues, Holliday hit .307 with 24 doubles, seven triples, 19 home runs, 87 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

“Anybody who really followed Matt should know he’s been playing very well for an extended time,” said Tom, who is the pitching coach for Texas and helped lead the Longhorns to a College World Series title last year. “He had the best second half of any player in the National League last year, so for him to build off that, it’s actually kind of what we all thought he would do.”

Matt’s performance hasn’t surprised himself either, according to his father.

“He wasn’t cocky or arrogant, but he thought he had figured out professional baseball a little bit,” Tom said. “He’s been as good as anybody in baseball since last year’s All-Star break. It’s good he got rewarded for playing the game right. It’s good to see other people have noticed.”

Holliday hasn’t tasted failure much at all since coming to the major leagues in 2004. That year he hit .290 with 31 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs (including one off Roger Clemens) and 57 RBIs, which earned him spots on Baseball America’s and Topps’ all-rookie teams.

Even with the outstanding season Matt is having, Tom still was holding his breath when the All-Star teams were revealed.

“We felt like he deserved it, but you never know who they’re going to pick,” Tom said. “Matt plays in sort of a remote area, in Colorado, so a lot of people don’t pay attention to what’s going on there. It’s not like the Yankees and Red Sox and teams like that. The fan vote is usually biased towards those teams.

“But Matt is letting people know who he is in his own way.”

Sports Illustrated certainly noticed Holliday. Last week’s issue contained the magazine’s choices for its All-Star team. Matt was not only chosen, but the three-page foldout section had a huge photo of him going down the entire layout next to the NL team.

“We saw he was in there, but we haven’t got a hold of that issue yet,” Tom said. “We’re still trying. We’ll get one sooner or later.”

Tom flew to Atlanta to visit his other son, Josh, who is the hitting coach for Georgia Tech, before they flew up to Pittsburgh. They will attend the game, as well as Tom’s brother and Matt’s uncle, Dave Holliday, who is a Rockies scout.

Matt’s wife, Leslee, and two-year old son, Jackson also will be in the stands.

“Josh, his wife and my granddaughter are going, and two cousins who lived next door to us growing up are going, too,” Tom said. “We’ve all got tickets. We didn’t get them ahead of time, but each player gets an allotment through their team when they’re named as an All-Star. I think we’ll have a group of about 15 there at PNC Park.”

Tom’s mother and Matt’s grandmother, 82-year-old Edith Holliday of Uniontown, is expected to attend the game, too.

“We’re going to do all we can to get my mom to the ballpark,” Tom said. “She doesn’t move as well as she used to. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re going to try our best get her there.”

As Tom pointed out, to be named as an All-Star for the first time with the game in Pittsburgh couldn’t have worked out better for Matt.

“That’s very special,” Tom said. “God works in strange ways sometimes. For him to make the All-Star game in Pittsburgh is very special. The next one to come here might not be for a long, long time, so this is awesome. He gets to go back there and kind of have a reunion at home.”

This could be the first of many All-Star games for Matt.

“He didn’t buy into that sophomore jinx thing, and most people believe it’s the third year in the big leagues that’s kind of the telling story, and to be hitting the way he is now, I think that says a lot,” Tom said.

Tom doesn’t buy into the theory that the thin air of Colorado help pad the statistics of the Rockies.

“A lot of people say that about Colorado, but they keep the baseballs in a humidor there, and I think it’s playing as normal as most other parks nowadays,” Tom said. “There are other easier parks to hit home runs in that Colorado.”

Matt was hoping he’d have a shot at participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby, but those who made the choices of the NL’s four players may not have been aware of his connection to the area.

“Matt would’ve done it if they would’ve asked him, but no one approached him about it,” said Tom, who hopes Matt will get a shot to play in what many consider Major League Baseball’s best park.

“The layout of PNC Park is beautiful,” Tom said. “Matt said he really, really likes this ballpark and likes playing there. It’s a great atmosphere for baseball. I know last summer we went down there and watched a couple games and I was really impressed with the crowd they had for what was two last-place teams at the time. With the music and scoreboard and all the entertainment they provide there during the game, it makes it a nice experience.”

Tom already knows what he’ll be having to eat during the game.

“I guess I’ll have one of those Primanti Brothers sandwiches with the fries on it and everything,” Tom said with a laugh.

Tom hopes Matt will get in the game, but will be happy enough just to see him in the pregame introductions.

“That will be a thrill,” Tom said. “It’s just great he’s been recognized. You can tell that baseball people really know who he is.”

And now the rest of the country will know as well.

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