Al Holland Sr., the dominant relief pitcher who helped carry the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1983 National League pennant and later earned a spot in the College Baseball Hall of Fame, died July 4 in Fort Mill, South Carolina. He was 73.
Born Alfred Willis Holland on Aug. 16, 1952, in Roanoke, Virginia, Holland attended Lucy Addison High School—a segregated school for African Americans in the Roanoke area—before enrolling at North Carolina A&T in 1971, according to NC A&T. Three of his younger brothers later followed him to the university to play football.
Holland built a legendary résumé on the mound before ever reaching the professional ranks. He led the nation in strikeouts as a freshman with 143 while posting a 0.54 ERA, and he threw a no-hitter in each of his four collegiate seasons—including a 25-strikeout gem against North Carolina Central University. He never recorded a season ERA above 1.03 and finished his career as a two-time NAIA All-American. Despite being drafted twice—by the Texas Rangers in 1974 and the San Diego Padres in early 1975—Holland chose to remain at A&T both times.
After graduating, he was signed by Branch Rickey III to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his MLB debut Sept. 5, 1977. He finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1980 as a member of the San Francisco Giants before finding his greatest success in Philadelphia.
Holland was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, and his No. 17 jersey was officially retired by the university on Feb. 8, 2020.
"Al Holland was a big-league star, both on and off the field," NC A&T Chancellor James R. Martin II said. "He and his trademark phrase, 'Give me the ball,' personified the Aggie spirit of toughness, competitiveness and excellence that defines our university.”
Holland is survived by his wife, Mary, two daughters and a son.