Former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star reliever Al Holland died on Saturday at the age of 73 in Fort Mill, South Carolina, according to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.
The Phillies confirmed his death on social media, issuing their "heartfelt condolences" in a lengthy message.
"The Phillies are saddened to learn of the passing of Al Holland, who spent parts of three seasons with the club from 1983-85," the Phillies wrote on X. "As a dominant closer, Al was an integral part of the team’s winning the National League pennant in 1983 and was an All-Star in 1984. The club and fans are forever grateful for his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind in Philadelphia. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Al’s family, friends, and former teammates at this difficult time."
The 1983 season will always be remembered as the most special season of Holland's career. He was not an All-Star, but finished seventh in the Cy Young Award race and won the only Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award of his career. The Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award was given to the best reliever in each league every year from 1976 to 2012.
That season, he posted a 2.62 ERA in 68 games and recorded 25 saves. The following season, he did manage to get into the All-Star Game, posting a 3.39 ERA and recording 29 saves. He notched saves in Games 1 and 4 of the National League Championship Series in the 1983 season, helping the Phillies reach the World Series.
Holland also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, California Angels and New York Yankees. He finished his MLB career with a 2.98 ERA and 78 saves. He is in the College Baseball Hall of Fame and had his number retired by A&T in 2020.