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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Bill Holmes, Major Prospect - PC2471

Bill Holmes' performance was enough to impress anyone, including the opposing Rio Grande head coach.

Hitting in a double header for Ohio's Marietta College in 1989, Holmes knocked a total of four home runs, picking up six hits total on the day, according to The Pomeroy Daily Sentinel. Over the two games, Marietta scored 21 runs.

"It was a tremendous hitting display by Marietta," Rio Grande coach Dave Oglesby told The Daily Sentinel, "and Holmes is a major prospect."

Holmes took performances like that and became a late-round Pirates draft choice. But he couldn't take them to a long pro career. His career lasted just two seasons, only making it to high-A.

Holmes' pro career began that year in 1989, taken by the Pirates in the 26th round, out of Marietta.

At Marietta, Holmes' 1989 season is still in top five in home runs, RBIs and putouts. He had 22 home runs, with 79 RBIs and 433 putouts.

With Pirates, Holmes played his first season between rookie Princeton and short-season Welland. Between them, he hit .280 in 67 games.

For 1990, Holmes started at single-A Augusta, getting 40 games there, hitting .291, with two home runs. He picked up three hits and three RBIs in a May game. In a June contest, he went 4 for 5, with one of those home runs.

But it was Holmes' final season. He saw time that year at high-A Salem, getting into six games there, 11 at bats. He didn't get a hit. His career ended with 46 games played that year.
1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,078
Made the Majors: 658 - 61.0%
Never Made Majors: 420 -39.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

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