Frederick William Holdsworth (born May 29, 1952 in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
) is a former right-handed pitcher in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
.
Biography
Born in Detroit, Holdsworth was drafted by the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
as a high school senior on June 4, 1970. Although he had been class
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
, Holdsworth turned down several baseball and football scholarships to sign with the Tigers. When he made his debut with the Tigers on July 27, 1972, he was the youngest player in the American League. Holdsworth played three seasons for the Tigers but never won a game for the team, going 0–5 in 15 appearances.
On May 29, 1975, the Tigers traded Holdsworth to the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
for
Bob Reynolds. Holdsworth did not play at the major league level in 1975, but he became an effective relief pitcher with good control in a partial season for Baltimore in 1976, compiling a 4–1 record and saving two with a 2.04 ERA (
Adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...
of 160) in 16 games.
After a rocky start in 12 appearances in 1977, the Orioles traded him to the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
on his 25th birthday—May 29, 1977. Holdsworth pitched well for the Expos in 1977, going 3–3 with a 3.19 ERA (119
Adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...
). Holdsworth's ERA ballooned to 7.27 in six games with the 1978 Expos, and he was released on January 17, 1979.
The Tigers signed Holdsworth as a free agent on February 20, 1979, but he did not make the major league roster in 1979. On December 4, 1979, the Tigers sold Holdsworth to the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. He finished his major league career playing in nine games, with a 4.58 ERA and no decisions, for the 1980 Brewers. After retiring from baseball, Holdsworth became an accountant. In August 2005, he was elevated to vice president of finance at
Comcast Cable
Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications company and division of Comcast Corporation used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the com ...
's Midwest division in
Bingham Farms, Michigan
Bingham Farms is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,124. The village is located within Southfield Township.
History
Originally settled in 1823 by John Daniels of Rutland, Ve ...
.
References
External links
o
Retrosheeto
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League statisticso
ComCast Spotlight
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holdsworth, Fred
1952 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Detroit
Bristol Tigers players
Denver Bears players
Detroit Tigers players
Evansville Triplets players
Lakeland Tigers players
Llaneros de Portuguesa players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers players
Montgomery Rebels players
Montreal Expos players
Rochester Red Wings players
Rocky Mount Leafs players
Tacoma Tigers players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Vancouver Canadians players