DETROIT — There’s a story Angie Holderman likes to tell about her oldest son, Colin. One that speaks to his kind heart and protective nature — and not just when it comes to protecting leads.
When the Pirates reliever was 5 or 6 years old, a classmate who was visiting the Holderman house made a derogatory comment about Colin’s older sister, Taylor, who was born with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that can lead to delayed development and intellectual disabilities.
Colin Holderman promptly told the kid to either like and respect his sister or get out.
“I was protective of her,” Holderman said. “It started early and continues to this day.”
It’s one reason why Holderman has the words “My Sister’s Keeper” tattooed on his left arm, a nod to the continual inspiration he draws from Taylor and also the bond that’s shared within the Holderman family.
Although Colin is nearly three years younger than Taylor, they basically learned to walk together and remain close to this day.
Back home in Bourbonnais, Ill., Taylor Holderman watches every one of her brother’s games, wearing a Pirates T-shirt and clapping with excitement whenever Colin pitches. Taylor is Colin’s biggest fan, and the roles are reversed in everyday life.
“She loves watching baseball,” Colin said. “She gets super excited. She locks in. It’s awesome.”
Whenever Colin returns home, he and Taylor will spend a bunch of time together, watching movies, listening to music and swimming — another of Taylor’s favorite activities.
“Anything with water,” Colin said, his face lighting up. “Being in the pool, the lake, doesn’t matter.”
Angelman syndrome is a rare neurogenetic disorder that occurs in one in 15,000 live births or 500,000 people worldwide, according to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation's website. It has some characteristics of autism, cerebral palsy and Prader-Willi syndrome and is caused by a loss of function of a specific gene in the brain.
Development delays typically become noticeable by 6-12 months. Issues can include crawling/walking/balancing, seizures or speech problems.
Colin said Taylor, who will turn 30 in June, is mostly nonverbal, does OK mobility-wise and overall has an extremely happy and excitable personality, another trademark of Angelman syndrome.
"She definitely knows what’s going on," Colin said. "She just can’t relay it. She’s super smart. She really doesn’t need protecting. She’s great. But we’re there."
Throughout his life, some of Colin’s purchases have been cars — two Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats, plus a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Colin will take Taylor for rides, where she loves the noise and excitement of riding along with her brother.
The care required for Taylor (by Angie and by Colin’s father, Keith) inspired Colin to participate in Best Buddies and Special Olympics programs as a kid. One day, he wants to start his own foundation aimed at raising money for Angelman syndrome.
His closeness to Taylor has opened Colin’s eyes to some of the things he sees as an MLB player. Maybe it's someone heckling him in the stands or especially eager for an autograph. Holderman always thinks of his sister.
If there's a bad game or Colin pitches poorly, he also has the perspective that many people and families are dealing with much bigger problems.
“She’s definitely the rock in my life,” Colin Holderman said. “She’s been an inspiration for everything I’ve done. We’ve had a strong bond since the beginning. It forced me to grow up a little bit quicker. She’s amazing.”
A few years ago, Colin’s younger sister, Cassidy, started the tattoo trend, getting the same three words done on her ribs. Colin decided it would be the perfect way to start the sleeve that he’s always wanted, surrounding “My Sister’s Keeper” with roses. Colin said his younger brother, Casey, will soon follow suit.
Colin and his wife, also named Casey, are expecting a baby in November and he has space reserved above his Taylor tattoo, further covering his left arm in ink.
“I know I’m going to have all girls, so I have to be somewhat intimidating,” Colin joked.
As intimidating as Colin Holderman might be on the mound — his 6-foot-7 frame, a 97.5 mph sinker and a nasty sweeper combining for a 2.65 ERA in his setup role — he’s the exact opposite around Taylor. He’s a protective younger brother and someone who’s thrilled to kick back, watch some Disney movies and laugh.
“That’s our thing — we like watching movies,” Holderman said. “A lot of Disney movies. She’s also a big fan of the movie “Beethoven.” She loves when dogs mess up stuff. When she gets laughing, it’s incredible. She has a very distinct laugh. It’s hilarious. It’s more contagious than anything.”
THREE UP
• If the MLB All-Star Game was this week, how would Mitch Keller and David Bednar not go? Bednar’s a slam dunk. The only question is Keller — and I barely see how it's that. Only two in the NL have a better ERA than Keller (2.38). Only two have more strikeouts (69). Five have a lower WHIP (1.02). If this continues, he should absolutely be there.
• Haven’t been impressed with Luis Ortiz, and it stinks that Mike Burrows is injured. The good news: Quinn Priester is putting himself in position for a June call-up (or thereabouts). Seems to be figuring out who he is, going 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA, .200 batting average against and 0.84 WHIP this month. Talent is there. Has been a matter of putting it together.
• Speaking of pitching, how quietly good has Rich Hill been? Since April 17, his 2.23 ERA ranks 11th among National League pitchers (minimum 20 innings). Hill is 4-1 with 11 walks and 35 strikeouts during that time. The success certainly makes you think about what will happen come Aug. 1 for the MLB trade deadline.
THREE DOWN
• There's too much rotating up the middle for the Pirates. Rodolfo Castro, Ji Hwan Bae, Tucupita Marcano and Chris Owings are constantly in and out of the lineup. Has to make it tough to get comfortable. Then again, no one has earned the right to stay. It's a catch-22 situation until someone does that or they maybe commit to Castro hitting right-handed.
• Still don't understand the minor league catching situation. Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez will have to play together eventually. Why not now? And if Davis needs to catch every day ... why isn't he actually catching every day? Furthermore, what's wrong with promoting one of these guys to jumpstart a largely lackluster offense? Probably not permanent. But send a message.
• It's been a brutal month for the Pirates schedule-wise, with the Rays (33-13 entering Saturday), Blue Jays (25-20), Orioles (29-16), Diamondbacks (25-20) and Rangers (27-17) all presenting significant challenges. The Pirates didn't help themselves by dropping two of three to the Rockies. They finish with the Giants, who've been playing better of late.
ON DECK
• NASTY NATE: Another series, another elite starting pitcher on the opposite side. This time, Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi and his 2.83 ERA. Eovaldi has worked at least seven innings in his past four outings, three times allowing no earned runs.
• RANGER RUNS: It's really not pitching, though. Only the Rays have scored more runs than the Rangers, who had 273 entering Saturday's games. Adolis Garcia was third in MLB in home runs with 14 and led all hitters with 48 RBIs.
• NO BREAKS: A trip to Seattle awaits on the weekend. The Mariners and Rangers are a combined 21-13 since April 30 and have two of the best records in the American League during that time.
• NOT NIRVANA: Seattle, meanwhile, has been doing it with pitching. Overall, Mariners pitchers ranked fifth in ERA (3.62), are first in FIP (fielding-independent pitching) at 3.33 and lead in soft-contact percentage (18.8%).
NUMEROLOGY
31.1%: No pitching staff has generated a better chase rate than that of Seattle. Those guys also throw the most strikes. The Pirates counter with a 27.4% chase rate (21st) and the ninth-best zone percentage. Mariners starter George Kirby (5-2, 2.45 ERA, 41 strikeouts) has been really good.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: May 19, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: May 19, 2023, 4:33 p.m.
