MATT HOLLIDAY: HOW TO BECOME A POWER HITTER

Category: Top Stories

The Cards' slugger gives 4 pieces of advice on to how to go yard.

When you mention Matt Holliday's name, the image that sticks in most people's minds is him sliding headfirst into home plate with the run that got the Colorado Rockies into the 2007 playoffs as the wildcard team.

Holliday scraped and bloodied his chin on the controversial play that has been replayed countless times. And whether you believe he touched the plate or not, it was the pivotal moment in the Rockies' memorable run of 21 wins in 22 games to win the National League pennant.

But it is consistent slugging excellence that has marked the first five years of Holliday's major-league career, and made him a three-time All-Star at age 30. 

In those five seasons with Colorado, Holliday belted 188 doubles and 128 homers, drove in 483 runs, and posted a .552 slugging percentage. 

His best single season was 2007, when he led the National League with a .340 batting average, 137 RBI, 216 hits, 92 extra-base hits and 50 doubles, which earned him second place in the NL Most Valuable Player Award balloting.

Now with the St. Louis Cardinals, at 6-4 and a muscular 235 pounds, Holliday is as strong and powerful as anybody in the major leagues. But his success story is one of dedication and perseverance, too.

He didn't reach the major leagues until after he had spent more than six seasons in the minor leagues. It also took him quite awhile to develop his power, as his highest single-season home run total in the minor leagues was only 16 as Class A Asheville in 1999. What kept him going through his long stay in the minors?

"I love the game,'' Holliday told Junior Baseball. "I love playing it. I love practicing it. I'm always trying to be the best I can be at it, and try to get the most out of the God-given ability I have.

"The only way I know how to do that is work really hard at it. I show up early. I practice hard. I do my work. I try to anything that helps make me a better player. Sometimes you don't feel like doing the extra work, but you have to push yourself." 

It's always been that way for Holliday, who grew up around the game. His father, Tom, is associate head baseball coach at North Carolina State University, and former head coach at Oklahoma State University. His uncle Dave is a special assistant to Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd, and his brother Josh is an assistant baseball coach at Vanderbilt University.

"It's part of my upbringing. I've had good coaching,'' Holliday said.

Holliday shared his insights on how to develop into a more consistent power hitter.

 

To discover Matt Holliday's Tips for Becoming a Power Hitter, be sure to pick up the March/April 2010 issue of Junior Baseball...

To purchase this issue, click here!

To get all the Major League tips every issue, start your subscription to Junior Baseball magazine today! Click here!

---