Damon Hollins

{{short description|American baseball player & coach (born 1974)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Damon Hollins

|team=Kansas City Royals

|number=39

|position=Outfielder / Coach

|image=Damon Hollins in the dugout, August 8, 2023 (cropped).jpg

|caption=Hollins with the Kansas City Royals in 2023

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1974|6|12}}

|birth_place=Fairfield, California, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Left

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 24

|debutyear=1998

|debutteam=Atlanta Braves

|debut2league=NPB

|debut2date=

|debut2year=2007

|debut2team=Yomiuri Giants

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 1

|finalyear=2006

|finalteam=Tampa Bay Devil Rays

|final2league=NPB

|final2date=

|final2year=2007

|final2team=Yomiuri Giants

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.242

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=28

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=86

|stat2league=NPB

|stat21label=Batting average

|stat21value=.257

|stat22label=Home runs

|stat22value=12

|stat23label=Runs batted in

|stat23value=45

|teams=

Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1998}})
Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1998}})
Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|2004}})
Tampa Bay Devil Rays ({{mlby|2005}}–{{mlby|2006}})
Yomiuri Giants ({{npby|2007}})

As Coach

Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|2020}}, {{mlby|2022}}–present)

}}

Damon Jamall Hollins (born June 12, 1974) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current coach. Hollins played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His only regular major league playing time was in Tampa Bay, where he manned all three outfield positions. He is currently the first base coach for the Kansas City Royals.

Early life

Hollins was born in Fairfield, California and grew up near Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum where he attended Oakland Athletics games as a child. He was the oldest child of his mother, Deborah Watson.{{cite news |last1=Chastain |first1=Bill |title=Notes: Cycle thefts rare feat |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/tb/y2006/m07/d06/c1543068.jsp |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=MLB.com |publisher=Major League Baseball |date=July 6, 2006}}

In 1991, Hollins played in the PONY Baseball and Softball Palomino World Series.{{cite news |last1=Carroll |first1=Brian |title=WEIRTON CAPTURES GOLD MEDAL |url=https://greensboro.com/weirton-captures-gold-medal/article_019d969e-1b13-582b-91e8-308a7d503f4b.html |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Greensboro News and Record |date=August 11, 1991 |language=en}}

Hollins played baseball for Vallejo High School in Vallejo, California. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the 1992 MLB Draft.{{cite web |title=Damon Hollins Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollida02.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=10 May 2021 |language=en}}

Professional career

Hollins began his professional career in the Gulf Coast League in 1992, the day after his high school graduation.{{cite web |title=Damon Hollins Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hollin001dam |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=10 May 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Nied |first1=Dan |title=Hollins right at home in McAfee Coliseum |url=https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2006/08/14/hollins-right-at-home-in-mcafee-coliseum/ |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Vallejo Times Herald |date=14 August 2006}} In 1993, Baseball America ranked Hollins the best prospect in the Appalachian League.{{cite news |last1=Eddy |first1=Matt |title=MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 2001 Appalachian League |url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/milb-top-10-prospects-flashback-2001-appalachian-league/ |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Baseball America |date=September 26, 2020}}

Hollins made his Major League debut on April 24, 1998 at Turner Field, recording a hit against Brian Anderson of the Arizona Diamondbacks.{{cite web |title=Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves Box Score, April 24, 1998 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199804240.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=10 May 2021 |language=en}} He appeared in three games for the Braves that season before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 9, 1998.

From 1999 to 2003, Hollins played in the minor league systems of the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Braves. He briefly returned to the major leagues with the Braves in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, Hollins saw regular playing time for the first time in his career after joining the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Hollins was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

On December 27, {{Baseball year|2006}}, he signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball for the {{Baseball year|2007}} season. Hollins played in 124 games, batted .257 with 12 home runs (two of which were game-ending) and 45 RBI.

After playing in the Kansas City Royals organization in {{Baseball year|2008}}, Hollins signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in January {{Baseball year|2009}},{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090124&content_id=3769114&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi |title=Phils sign Hollins to Minor League deal |access-date=2009-01-24 |author=Alden Gonzalez |author-link=MLB.com |date=2009-01-24 |work=MLB.com}} but was released during spring training.

On December 22, 2009, Hollins signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

==Coaching career==

File:Damon Hollins.png

File:Damon Hollins (51163832805) (cropped).jpg

Hollins became the hitting coach of the Burlington Royals in 2010. In 2011, he served as a coach with the Kane County Cougars. In 2012, he served as a coach with the Wilmington Blue Rocks.{{cite news |title=Ramirez returns as Legends manager |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-161010508 |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=MiLB.com |publisher=Minor League Baseball |date=January 4, 2016 |language=en}} In 2013, Hollins was named the hitting coach of the Idaho Falls Chukars.{{cite news |last1=Kaegel |first1=Dick |title=Royals announce Minor League coaching staff |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-announce-minor-league-coaching-staff/c-63613802 |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=MLB.com |publisher=Major League Baseball |date=November 1, 2013 |language=en}} He served in that role for two years before joining the Lexington Legends as a hitting coach in 2015. In 2019, in addition to serving as a coach for the Chukars, he was named an outfield, base running and bunting coordinator for the Kansas City Royals organization.{{cite news |title=Royals announce 2019 minor league coaching staffs and coordinators |url=https://www.foxsports.com/kansas-city/story/kansas-city-royals-announce-2019-minor-league-coaching-staffs-and-coordinators-010719 |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=FOX Sports |date=7 January 2019}}

Prior to the 2020 season, Hollins was named the first base coach of the Royals, replacing Rusty Kuntz who opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns.{{cite news |last1=Gase |first1=Thomas |title=Vallejo High graduate Damon Hollins is new first base coach with Royals |url=https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2020/07/07/vallejo-high-graduate-damon-hollins-is-new-coach-with-royals/ |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Vallejo Times Herald |date=7 July 2020}} When Kuntz returned to the team for the 2021 season, Hollins resumed his role as a minor league instructor.{{cite news |last1=Sloan |first1=Nick |title=Kansas City Royals announce return of Rusty Kuntz |url=https://www.kctv5.com/news/kansas-city-royals-announce-return-of-rusty-kuntz/article_203b4e36-5d03-11eb-bd39-cbd41e4fa594.html |access-date=10 May 2021 |publisher=KCTV Kansas City |date=January 22, 2021 |language=en}} In November 2021, Hollins was named first base coach for the Royals for the 2022 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/royals-announce-2022-coaching-staff-add-damon-hollins-to-coach-first-base/ar-AAQDEFz |title=Royals announce 2022 coaching staff, add Damon Hollins to coach first base |first=Max |last=Rieper |website=SB Nation |date=November 12, 2021 |accessdate=November 15, 2021}}

Personal life

In July 2006, Hollins' then-fiancée, Patrice, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Tahari. {{Asof|2016}}, he and Patrice were married and living in Litchfield Park, Arizona with their three children.

References

External links

{{Baseballstats|mlb=132360|espn=3826|br=h/hollida02|fangraphs=1919|brm=hollin001dam}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/H/Pholld002.htm Retrosheet]

Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:African-American baseball coaches

Category:African-American baseball players

Category:Águilas del Zulia players

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela

Category:American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic

Category:Atlanta Braves players

Category:Baseball coaches from California

Category:Baseball players from Solano County, California