by Lemongrass Gogolope

8/14/2009: RENO, NV – Just two weeks ago, Pat Holman was struggling.  He was batting a mere .251, well below the high standard that he had set for himself in his first two PEBA seasons.  Word was even circling the league that the young Duluth star may be headed for a stint in the minors.  Like ”Super” Joe Charbeneau and hundreds of other before him, Holman was on the verge of being labeled as a quick flameout, a flash in the pan, or worse: a talented guy who folded like a house of cards under the pressure of baseball at its most competitive.

But then, something changed.  In the past two weeks, Holman has raised his batting average .025.  That's right, 25 points in two weeks.  Last week, his bat was so scalding hot that the numbers it produced – .522 AVG, 1.430 OPS – earned him the Player of the Week award.  The hardworking catcher from Vermont is now taking his cuts with an increased conviction and approaching the plate each time up with an eager smile on his face and plenty of swagger in his back pocket – that's where he keeps it.

So what made all the difference for Holman?  Two things, according to him.  "The first was hiring Coach Vega;" (the old school 21-year-old refuses to refer to his coaches by their first names).  "I don't know why Tempe got rid of him, but I'm sure glad we landed him.  He really knows how to make a guy feel comfortable in the box.”  Unfortunately, Vega was too busy helping other Warriors players to spend a moment in conversation with this reporter, but all around the clubhouse people were singing his praises as both a person and a coach.

The second thing may be a little more surprising to hear attributed to a turn around at the plate: the story of Bud Hoffman.  "Oh, I bawled like a calf when I read that," said Holman.  "That guy just loves his family, his faith and his game.  I challenge any player who read that remarkably well-researched and written story to not be motivated to raise his game.”  (For those who don't know, Bud Hoffman is a 29-year-old ballplayer from Canada who currently plays for Yuma.)  After hearing of everything that Hoffman went through, Holman phoned his father to tell him he loved him and that he would make him proud, and then "hit the cages".

The perfect storm of inspiration and instruction has paid off for Holman and the Warriors.  Once facing the prospect of no longer being a prospect, Holman is now in negotiations to ink a long-term contract with the Duluth franchise.  In the meantime, the Warriors have put together a nice little string to bring themselves out sole possession of the cellar in the league for the first time in a long time.  The future looks bright indeed for the Duluth franchise and their young plate-minder.