Derek Holland

Derek Lane Holland (born October 9, 1986), nicknamed "Dutch Oven",[1] is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

[5] On April 22, 2009, Holland made his MLB debut; pitching 2+1⁄3 innings, allowing three hits, no runs, no walks, and striking out two.

Holland's wildness opened the door for what turned into a huge inning for the eventual champion Giants, as all three of the batters he walked came around to score.

[9][10] On October 23, Holland was the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the 2011 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up no runs on two hits, two walks and striking out seven.

[citation needed] Holland signed a contract extension on March 20, 2012, that was worth $28.5 million over five years with a two-year club option.

[11] Holland finished the regular season with a win–loss record of 12–7 with an ERA of 4.67 as he gave up 32 home runs, fifth highest in Major League Baseball.

[citation needed] On January 7, 2014, Holland suffered a knee injury after a fall while playing with his dog at home.

[12][13] Holland underwent arthroscopic microfracture surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee on January 10, 2014.

[citation needed] On November 8, 2016, the Rangers announced they would decline a 2017 club option on Holland, making him a free agent.

He was granted an unconditional release on September 5, 2017, after a 7–14 record, 6.20 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP through 26 starts and 3 relief appearances with the White Sox.

On January 14, 2019, the Giants re-signed Holland to a one-year deal with a club option for 2020, earning a base salary of $6.5 million and a $500,000 buyout for 2020.

[citation needed] In a post-game interview on May 11, Holland told the media that he "faked an injury" and questioned the Front Office's operations.

[22] Bruce Bochy and Farhan Zaidi both responded to his statement, chastising him for not approaching them first before speaking to the media and ensuring they had an open door policy when it comes to player concerns.

On January 31, 2020, Holland signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates that included an invitation to Spring Training.

On February 1, 2021, Holland signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that included an invitation to Spring Training.

[32] Holland appeared in 20 games (6 starts) for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, posting a 5.53 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched.

Holland joined the Dallas College North Lake Baseball staff as a volunteer pitching and first base coach for the 2024 season.

[38] In 2018, Holland appeared in a skit on MLB Network's Intentional Talk in which he mocked Asian people by feigning a racially insensitive accent.

Holland during his rookie season in 2009
Holland with the Rangers in 2010
Holland pitching during the 2011 season
Holland during Spring Training in 2012
Holland in 2014
Holland warming up in the bullpen with the Cubs in 2019