So I'm on mlbtraderumors.com today, and I notice that this guy Damon Hollins just got signed by the Phillies.
So no big deal, small move. But I thought he was retired. Sure enough, he wasn't in the MLB in 2007, playing in Japan instead. Although I guess last year he was in the minors for the Royals.
But that's not all. Apparently Hollins was a true rookie (after 3-4 years of seasoning in the minors) for the Braves in 1998. He was then in the minors in 99. And 2000. All the way until 2004. Wow, I know there are some guys who spend forever in the minors and wait forever to get big league at bats. But to get a taste of the big leagues and then spend 6 more seasons waiting for a second look? That's just awful. It wasn't all bad, as his 2004 time with the Braves was noticed by the (Devil) Rays, who then signed him to compete for CF playing time. But his average dipped and he never really showed good speed in his 2 full seasons of major league service (plus he was battling for spots with some guys named Baldelli and Crawford) and so after the 2006 the Rays let him leave.
But this guy keeps plugging away trying to get back, so my hats off to Hollins...congrats on having a chance at a big league club again. He doesn't walk enough and he hits for low average, and he's not a plus defender (In his last full season he had an awful -7.1 VORP and a terrible -.181 MLVr). But Hollins does have some pop and is certainly persistent...maybe that'll work out for him this time around.
I leave you with a pretty sweet Hollins quote:
"It's like whoa, this is what you want to be doing. This is why you put in all the hard work. Why am I doing this? Why am I eating so healthy? Why am I running so much? This is why. All this hard work pays off. It really pays off."
Let's hope it does.
Persistence, Thy Name is Damon Hollins
