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Saturday, January 7, 2023

Tim Holland extended his career with off-season work; Saw eight seasons, made AAA


Tim Holland started in the minors well, but as he moved to his second and third seasons, he ran into trouble as his average dipped.

So, going into his fourth season in 1990, he needed to show what he could do, The Baltimore Sun wrote, and it paid off at high-A with a .302 average.

"I worked a lot this past off-season on my hands and not rushing at the ball," Holland told The Sun that August. "In prior years I had trouble chasing the curve."

Holland did well enough that year to continue on. He went on to play in a total of eight pro campaigns. He topped out at AAA.

Holland's career began in 1987, taken by the Orioles in the fifth round of the draft out of Rio Americano High School in California. Holland's father and grandfather also played professionally.

Holland started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield. He hit .274 in 53 games, with four home runs.

He then moved to short-season Erie in 1988 and single-A Waterloo in 1989. He hit just .198 at Erie and .202 at Waterloo.

Holland made high-A Frederick for 1990 and hit that .302. He also earned a trip to Australia for winter ball with Perth.

For 1991, Holland moved up to AA Hagerstown. He hit .248 there with eight home runs. That June, he spoke to his hometown Sacramento Bee about the transition to AA.

"I found guys can get all their pitches over any time they want," Holland told The Bee. "Now that I've made the adjustment, I'm coming along much better."

Holland returned to Hagerstown for 1992, then to AA Bowie in 1993. He also got a nine-game look at AAA Rochester for 1993. He went 3 for 28 there.

Holland moved to the Red Sox system for 1994. He saw time at high-A Sarasota and AA New Britain. He also saw a game that year at independent Lafayette. That season marked the end of his career.

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,106
Made the Majors:1,360-33.1%
Never Made Majors:2,746-66.9%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:553
10+ Seasons in the Minors:336

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