Hollandsworth expects to make roster
03/01/2006WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Todd Hollandsworth knows the "non-roster invitee" tag can look like a scarlet letter, of sorts.
It's not the type of label he expected to ever have affixed to his bio back in 1996, when he was the National League Rookie of the Year.
But Hollandsworth knows a spot is waiting for him on the Indians' 25-man roster when all is said and done this spring. That's why he had no problem signing a Minor League deal with the club in January.
"Even though you get the 'non-roster' tag early on, that didn't bother me," he said. "[General manager Mark Shapiro] was pretty clear what the direction was. I understood the position they were in at the time with their roster. He just basically said, 'You come in and do your thing, and you're on the team.'"
Hollandsworth's "thing" could impact the club both on and off the field.
His career has shown him the best and worst the big leagues have to offer, from the highs of winning a World Series with the Marlins in 2003 to the lows of missing most of the 2001 and 2004 seasons with a fractured right shin.
Needless to say, the 32-year-old Hollandsworth has plenty of experiences to draw from when giving advice to the Tribe's young players.
"The highs and lows. That's how the book on me has been," he said. "I have a lot to pass on. That's the reality. You have to grasp each and every year and take it with you."
One of those years that has special significance is 1997, Hollandsworth's sophomore season with the Dodgers. After being named Rookie of the Year in a '96 season that saw him hit .291 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs from the second spot of the lineup, Hollandsworth was moved to the seven hole.
With that move, Hollandsworth figured, came increased expectations for him to drive in runs. He thought he was suddenly going to be counted on to hit more homers.
"Ask anybody who was in charge back then, and they'll probably say they didn't ask me to do that," he said. "But I gave myself the problem. I wasn't a No. 2 hitter anymore. I was a No. 7 hitter. I allowed myself to get caught up too much in changing myself."
Sure enough, Hollandsworth struggled that year, batting .247 with just four home runs and 31 RBIs.
Talk about a learning experience. In fact, it's an experience Hollandsworth will probably find himself talking about with Indians youngsters Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta, both of whom are coming off breakout first years.
"My advice to them would be that you can't be more than you're capable of being," he said. "There's obvious expectation, because you had a great year. You lived up to what everybody said. But don't believe the hype.
"Someone once said to me, 'You're never as bad as you think you are, and you're never as good as you think you are.' Keep that in your back pocket."
Another lesson Hollandsworth wishes he would have learned sooner revolves around the value of shin guards.
In 2001, while playing for the Rockies, the left-handed Hollandsworth chopped hard at a cut fastball from a right-hander, slicing the ball directly into his right shin, fracturing the bone and crushing a nerve.
Almost unfathomably, he did the exact same thing three years later, this time in a Cubs uniform.
"Crazy, fluky stuff," he said. "It's been two abrupt halts to a season."
Hollandsworth came back from the second injury to make the Cubs' Opening Day lineup last season. When he hit just .111 in 36 at-bats in May, though, he found himself on the bench.
The veteran had been forced to adjust to a utility role before, though. In '03, he gave way to young prospect Miguel Cabrera in the Marlins outfield.
"That was one of the toughest years of my career," he said. "But at the same time, I was happy to contribute, regardless of what the circumstances were."
Hollandsworth, who will make $900,000 this season if he makes the 25-man roster, is in a similar situation with the Indians, who will count on him to be the backup at all three outfield spots, in addition to getting some pinch-hit opportunities.
"I think there are a minimum of 300 at-bats for me here," he said. "I believe that in my heart, and I think it's going to happen. I think the better I perform, the more there could be."
Regardless of how often he gets to the plate, Hollandsworth's words of wisdom to young players looking for advice could benefit the Tribe.
"I'm not the kind of guy who's going to call meetings," he said. "But at the same time, I'm compassionate. I can talk to a guy about something that can help. That's what comes with being a veteran on a team with some younger players. You're kind of like an older brother."
That's a tag that suits Hollandsworth much better.
Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/
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