1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Left handed Pitcher Mike Holtz

We don't know what the future holds for us - and in the case of Mike Holtz, it took him around the world and back again. Holtz made the 1997 Topps All-Star Rookie squad because of durability (he led the Angels with 66 appearances) and a wicked curve ball that helped him to a 3.32 ERA. 

The question is- was Holtz really a rookie? He had pitched in 30 Games for the Angels in 1996, though he only had 29.1 innings pitched. Technically he exceeded his rookie limits during the 1997 season. He had already been through quite a lot in his young life by 1997, having Tommy John surgery before attending Clemson University, but determined to get back on the mound, Holtz rehabbed and eventually pitched in the College World Series in 1991. Holtz pitched for Clemson from 1991 - 1994, then was drafted by the Angels in the 17th Round. He would pitch two convincingly strong seasons in single A, then jump from AA to the majors in 1996. 

The plight of the middle reliever in major league baseball is to be called upon often, but featured on baseball cards seldom. Holtz had those 66 appearances in 1996, then 58 more in 1998, and would pitch in 60+ games two more times for the Angels, but didn't appear on too many cards in that time. He was a prototypical LOOGY, routinely having more appearances than innings pitched. For his career, he pitched 240 innings but had 353 appearances. The short stints also meant that Holtz rarely got the decision. He was 16-20 with 2 saves over those 353 games. He was used as a lefty set up man for Angels closer Troy Percival for many years.

After several seasons with the Angels, he did a quick tour of Southern California, pitching for Oakland and the Padres in 2002, then spent a couple seasons in the minors pitching for the Pirates and Rays. In 2005, he pitched for Yokohama in the Nippon Professional League, making 44 appearances as a situational lefty, getting in just 24.2 innings of work. He made a comeback in 2006 pitching in a few games for the Boston Red Sox and spending the balance of the season in AAA Pawtucket. Holtz was a strikeout artist, thanks to his big curve and sneaky fastball - his career k/9 rate was 8.4 in the big leagues, and 11.3 in the minors. 

Do you have any Mike Holtz Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading!