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HOLLIDAY, MATT


	Nickname:	N/A	Position:	LF
	Home:	Newport Beach, California	Team:	CARDINALS
	Height:	6' 4"	Bats:	R
	Weight:	235	Throws:	R
	DOB:	1/15/1980	Agent:	Scott Boras
	Birth City:	Stillwater, Oklahoma	Draft:	Rockies #7 - 1998 - Out of Stillwater H.S. (Okla.)
	Uniform #:	7		Rockies #7 - 1998 - Out of Stillwater H.S. (Okla.)

YR	LEA	TEAM	SAL(K)	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	OBP	SLG	AVG
1998	AZL	Rockies			117	20	40	4	1	5	23	2		15	21			.342
1999	SAL	ASHEVILLE			444	76	117	28	0	16	64	10		53	116			.264
2000	CAR	SALEM			460	64	126	28	2	7	72	11		43	74			.274
2001	CAR	SALEM		72	255	36	70	16	1	11	52	11		33	42			.275
2002	SL	CAROLINA		130	463	79	128	19	2	10	64	16		67	102			.276
2003	TL	TULSA		135	522	65	132	28	5	12	72	15		43	74			.253
2004	PCL	COLO. SPRINGS		6	22	7	7	5	0	2	4	2		5	6			.364
2004	NL	ROCKIES	$300.00	121	400	65	116	31	3	14	57	3		31	86			.290
2005	NL	ROCKIES	$366.00	125	479	68	147	24	7	19	87	14		36	79			.307
2006	NL	ROCKIES	$500.00	155	602	119	196	45	5	34	114	10	5	47	110	.387	.586	.326
2007	NL	ROCKIES	$4,400.00	158	636	120	216	50	6	36	137	11	4	63	126	.405	.607	.340
2008	PCL	COLORADO SPRINGS		3	10	4	6	1	0	1	3	0	0	1	3		1.000	.600
2008	AL	ROCKIES	$9,500.00	139	539	107	173	38	2	25	88	28	2	74	104	.409	.538	.321
2009	NL	ATHLETICS	$13,500.00	93	346	52	99	23	1	11	54	12	3	46	58	.378	.454	.286
2009	NL	CARDINALS		63	235	42	83	16	2	13	55	2	4	26	43	.419	.604	.353
2010	NL	CARDINALS	$16,333.00	129	493	78	148	37	1	24	83	8	3	51	78	.373	.525	.300

PERSONAL:
Holliday says that when growing up, his favorite player was Cal Ripken, Jr. But, being from Oklahoma, he didn't have a favorite team. In 1997, Matt was rated the second best high school quarterback in the country. He is the son of former Oklahoma State/University of Texas baseball coach Tom Holliday. In 2006, Tom became associate head coach at North Carolina State. Tom had played in the Pirates' organization. But Matt passed up the chance of playing football and baseball for Oklahoma State. Instead he signed July 20, 1998 with the Rockies for a bonus of $844,000. He hit .473-12-43 with 20 stolen bases his senior year of high school. Then, he was signed by Rockies' scout Pat Daugherty.	Matt's father, Tom, played baseball at the University of Miami, about 40 minutes from Dolphins Stadium. Tom Holliday was on Miami's first College World Series team, finishing second in 1974. His brother, Josh, was a first baseman in the Blue Jays' organization. Now, he is the hitting coach at Georgia Tech. Uncle Dave is a scout for the Rockies. And, Matt's grandfather once signed with the Yankees. World War II ended Don Holliday's baseball career before it began, though he played in the service, catching for future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford.

In September 2001, Holliday signed a 6-year contract to continue playing baseball only, which was worth a minimum of $700,000. So he again passed up an option to play two years of college football before going into the NFL draft. Matt provides leadership. And he is a good teammate. He is a better person than he is a ballplayer. For Holliday, the effects of growing up in Stillwater run deep. From a young age, he was surrounded by big-time athletes. Several times a year, Tom Holliday would have a cookout with the Cowboys' baseball team -- guests included Robin Ventura, Jeromy Burnitz and other future big leaguers. And Matt and his brother learned from those players. However, not everything Matt learned from the older guys was positive. Tom used the negative experiences to teach his sons that if they screwed up, they'd get in trouble.	"I think it helped shape him," Tom says. "Matt was one of those kids who had his eyes open and his mouth shut. He'd see everything, and he'd say nothing." November 2003: Holliday was a surprise last-minute addition to Team USA after tearing up the Arizona Fall League. The team competed in a qualifying tournament in Panama, but lost to Mexico. In the Arizona Fall League, Matt was a regular in the stadium's gym, then would return to his Mesa-area apartment and continue his muscle-enhancing exercises without weights or machines. His teammates said Holliday would use filled suitcases to do shoulder shrugs and bicep curls. Then, during January, Matt would work out near his his home in Austin, Texas -- often with then-Braves minor leaguers Kelly Johnson and Ryan Langerhans. When they were finished, the Rockies left fielder would opt to continue doing drills with his dad's players.

"It was January and he was going all out, basically doing full Spring Training workouts," Johnson said. Holliday was rated the ninth-best prospect in the Rockies' organization by Baseball America during the off-season before 2004 Spring Training. During 2004 Spring Training, Matt hit .321 with eight RBIs in 23 games and was the last position player sent out to Triple-A. But after he hit 364 (8-for-22) with two home runs, five doubles and four RBIs in his first six Triple-A games with the Colorado Springs SkySox, the Rockies called Holliday up for his Major League debut on April 16.	In 2005, Holliday checked into spring training with the Rockies about 15 pounds lighter. He said it wasn't by design. "I didn't try to lose weight, but I ate healthy and ran a little more than I had in the past," Matt said. Matt and his wife, Leslee, have two sons, Jackson, who was born on December 4, 2004 and Ethan. Matt is a good father. He has great character and is an excellent teammate. He is even-tempered. he prefers to spend time with his wife and family. Asked who the most influential person in his life is, Holliday said, "My faith in Jesus is the most influential part of my life. Of people in this world, probably my mom and dad. They did a great job of raising my brother and I, and teaching us right and wrong, and allowing me to be a good parent and being able to set a good example."

During the 2006 season, Holliday drove an E-320 Mercedes. His favorite dessert? "Im a big peanut butter fan," Matt said. "The peanut butter pie at Sullivan's Steakhouse is pretty unbelieveable." Matt does some good impersonations. And his musical tastes? "I like country music, but I'm not very particular. I usually like whatever's popular. I like Scott Stapp, the guy from Creed, and his solo album, The Great Divide," Matt said. It is Christian music, which he and wife, Leslee enjoy. Matt's teammates call him "Big Daddy." Clint Hurdle gave him the nickname and it stuck.	Asked what he would be doing if he weren't playing baseball, Matt said, "I'd be coaching�probably baseball. Or, playing football. Whether I would have made it in football, we'll never know." Holliday is a good cook. He likes to grill. He does a good job with a steak he marinates in a blue cheese sauce. For movies, Holliday likes anything Will Ferrel or Vince Vaughn do. During the offseason after the 2007 campaign, Matt refined his diet, eschewing fried foods and sugar-based beverages. His mom was health conscious, so he grew up with an idea of how to eat properly. His wife, Leslee, now makes most of his meals. Good food and regular workouts leave him in remarkable shape. By 2009, Holliday was a real fitness and nutritionist nut -- traits passed down from his mother. She worked as a trainer and was the family "food cop," as his dad, Tom Holliday puts it.

Holliday spends a lot of time on a stationary bike. With music blasting in his ears, he is lost to the world, peddaling away and logging so many miles that some of his new teammates like to call him Lance Armstrong. "It's therapeutic for me," Matt says of his riding routine. Holliday is a fierce competitor and very driven. "I have a drive to be the best I can possibly be and to be one of the best players, if not the best player, in the league," Matt said. "Whether I get there or not is not necessarily the point. I want to exhaust every opportunity I have to do that. If I get there, great. If not, I can deal with that." TRANSACTION REPORT	June 1998: The Rockies chose Holliday in the 7th round, out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. January 16, 2007: Holliday avoided salary arbitration with the Rockies by signing a $4.4 million contract for 2007. January 18, 2008: Matt and the Rockies again avoided salary arbitration when they agreed to a $23 million, 2-year contract that called for $9.5 million for 2008, and $13.5 million in 2009. November 12, 2008: The A's sent closer Huston Street, left-handed starter Greg Smith and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies, acquiring Holliday. July 24, 2009: The Cardinals sent 3B Brett Wallace, RHP Clayton Mortensen and Double-A outfielder Shane Peterson to the Rockies, acquiring Holliday.

November 9, 2009: Holliday became a free agent. In mid-December, Matt passed up a 5-year, $82.5 million offer from the Red Sox, who then signed P John Lackey. January 5, 2010: Matt signed a 7-year, $120 million contract with the Cardinals.

BATTING:
Holliday is a four-tool player, lacking only plus-speed. (Editor's note: In 2008, however, he surprised with 28 stolen bases.) But it is his bat that is going to give him a long Major League career. He hits for both power and average and makes good contact, hitting the ball all over the field. The ball jumps off his bat. He swings very hard and he keeps his hands in the hitting zone for a long time. That first attribute allows Matt to hit the ball hard; the second allows him to hit the ball very frequently.	Matt can hit the ball the other way. He has good plate coverage and a solid knowledge of the strike zone. He attacks the ball in his hitting zone, displaying good pitch recognition. Holliday keeps his hands back and drives both sliders and curveballs. He picks up a pitcher's weaknesses from at-bat to at-bat. His first year in the Majors, the Rockies watched Holliday put on marvelous batting practice shows but not always transfer that into games. Now, Holliday's batting practice is geared toward hitting the ball where it's pitched and making contact. If he is seeing pitches well and hitting them hard, the power shows naturally.

Matt has trouble hitting crafty lefthanded pitchers who mix their pitches up well. He can turn on a high fastball, but has trouble extending his arm on down and in heat. "The kid has a desire to learn," Clint Hurdle said in 2004. "His quest for knowledge, I'm impressed with that and his ability to piece things together, whether it be video or training sessions or in the cage or during an at-bat during the game. To be able to utilize all the tools around him is a plus. He asks questions now, which he was hesitant to do when he first came up. He's getting a lot of support and help from his teammates, which has given him a good comfort zone." (Thomas Harding-MLB.com-9/7/04)	In 2005, Holliday really came on. His 64 RBIs after the All-Star break ranked second in the National League only to Philadelphia's Chase Utley (65). Holliday also finished seventh in the NL with a .307 average. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said, "(Matt) works very hard on his offense. He watches a lot of film on pitching. He looks for tendencies. He doesn't have an ego, where he's going to get one thing done one way. He'll hit the ball to right field, he hits the ball to left field. He's become a very good breaking-ball hitter." (September, 2007) Holliday is a complete hitter: And here are five ways he is: * He keeps the barrel of the bat in the strike zone longer than most hitters, allowing him to hit balls hard to the opposite field. * He is arguably the Majors' best breaking-ball hitter, and is not afraid to smash the pitch early in the count. * He keeps his hands back despite a big leg kick so even when fooled, he can get base hits. He has closed an inside hole in his swing so pitchers who dare throw inside consistently get hurt. He has outstanding plate coverage, which allows him to foul off pitches until the pitcher makes a mistake. (Troy Renck-Denver Post-April 2008)

Holliday was the 2007 batting champion in the National League. He led the NL in average (.340), RBIs (137), doubles (50), total bases (386), and was fourth in home runs (36). Matt doesn't think when he is at the plate. "The best results as a hitter are when you're free and easy and thinking about getting a good pitch and ripping it up the middle," Holliday said. (June, 2009) BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES In 2004, this righty batter hit .237 with 2 home runs in 97 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitching. But he nailed righthanders for a .307 average with 12 home runs in 303 at-bats.	In 2005, Holliday's hitting against lefthanded pitchers improved markedly when he hit .324 with 3 home runs in 105 at-bats off them. And he hit .302 with 16 home runs in 374 at-bats vs. righthanded pitching. In 2006, Matt hit .327 with 4 home runs in 107 at-bats against lefthanded pitchers. He batted .325 with 30 home runs in 495 at-bats vs. righthanders. In 2007, Holliday hit .301 with 9 home runs in 143 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .351 with 27 home runs in 493 at-bats against righthanders. In 2008, Matt hit .293 with 5 home runs in 123 at-bats against lefties. And a fine .329 with 20 homers in 416 at-bats vs. righthanders.

In 2009, Holliday hit .289 with 3 home runs in 152 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers, and .322 with 21 homers in 429 at-bats against righthanded pitching. At the start of the 2010 season, Holliday's career batting average was .318 with 152 home runs and 592 RBI in 3,237 at-bats in the Major Leagues.

FIELDING:
He can play third base, first base, and left field. But, of course, left field is his position, and he has become one of the best left fielders in the Major Leagues. During 2000 Spring Training, then-Rockies manager Buddy Bell twice worked with Matt on his play at the hot corner. "It's kind of overwhelming when you go home and call your parents and say Buddy Bell worked with me individually," Holliday said. "It was great instruction." But, in 2001, Holliday moved from third base to the outfield. He had a few problems at third base with quickness and lateral movement. He lacks quick reactions and his hands needed to be softer.	He has an above average arm in left field. During 2007 spring training, veteran center fielder Steve Finley helped Matt on balls hit into the left-center gap, working with Holliday on a spin move and a sidearm throw to get the ball to the cutoff man as soon as possible. "I work hard at it, and I take pride in it," Holliday said of his defense. "I just try to do the best I can out there and get good reads. I feel like I'm getting better." (Jack Etkin-Rocky Mountain News-3/19/07) Holliday talks a lot while playing the outfield -- mostly talking to the center fielder. He wants to know where every pitch is, and when a pitch is called a ball that he thinks is a strike, he hollers to the center fielder for an explanation. "Center fielders probably get annoyed," Matt said. "(But) it's important to me."

RUNNING:
Matt has only average speed, but he can steal an occasional base. In 2005, Holliday led the Rockies in stolen bases, with 12.

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
Otober 2000: Holliday had surgery on his left foot in early October. June 27, 2001: Matt went on the D.L. with an elbow problem that required Tommy John reconstructive ligament transfer surgery. September 12, 2004: Holliday suffered a slight sprain of his left (non-throwing) ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow while diving to field a line drive during a Rockies game against the Padres. His glove stuck in the gorund, wrenching his arm back. October 12, 2004: Matt underwent surgery to reliever a minor nerve problem in his right foot. June 9-July 19, 2005: Holliday was on the D.L. with a fractured right pinkie finger. He was inured while diving for a ball in left field.	September 18, 2007: For the last two weeks of the season, Matt played through a strained left oblique muscle as the Rockies stayed in contention for the National League Wild Card. He described the pain as "not excruciating," and that it didn't hurt to stand and talk about it. May 25-June 10, 2008: Holliday was on the D.L.

Last Updated 9/4/2010. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.