Chicago White Sox Pitcher Derek Holland Calls Season Ticket Holders
Chicago White Sox free agent signee Derek Holland made some calls to season ticket holders while impersonating Harry Caray and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
After eight years with the Texas Rangers, starting pitcher Derek Holland signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox in the off-season. The White Sox knew they were getting a left-handed pitcher who could help them on the mound. It turns out, they got a guy who could help them off the field as well.
Holland recently made calls to season ticket holders to thank them for purchasing tickets for the 2017 season. To spice things up a bit, he impersonated longtime White Sox (and Cubs) announcer Harry Caray and bodybuilder/actor/governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This isn’t the first time Holland has displayed his Harry Caray impersonation. Four years ago, he and Ryan Dempster had dueling Harry Carays on MLB Fan Cave. Dempster might be baseball’s best Harry Caray impersonator, but Holland gave him a good run for his Bud Light in their head-to-head Harry Caray battle.
The White Sox also posted a video on Instagram of Derek Holland calling season ticket holders as himself. One video shows Holland introducing himself to a season ticket holder who didn’t know who he was. He said, “This is Derek Holland with the Chicago White Sox. How you doing, big guy? Derek Holland? Yeah, I’m new. You might not know me but I am new. I am with this White Sox team. 2017.”
The White Sox will need the help when it comes to attendance this year. They finished 12th out of 15 teams in attendance in the American League last year and have drawn fewer than two million people in each of the last five years. They haven’t had a winning record since 2012 and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2008.
They also spent the off-season re-shaping their team. They traded away last year’s best position player (Adam Eaton) and best pitcher (Chris Sale). Losing Sale was a particularly tough blow to the fanbase. He’s been their ace since his 17-8, 3.05 ERA season in 2012 and represented the team as an American League all-star the last five seasons.
Sale and Holland are both left-handed pitchers, but the resemblance ends there. Sale has averaged 30 starts, 203 innings, and a 3.04 ERA over the last five years. Holland has averaged 19 starts, 118 innings, and a 4.09 ERA over that same stretch. The White Sox are hoping Holland can stay healthy and get back to the pitcher he was in 2011 and 2013. Even if he does, they don’t look to be competitive in the AL Central.
One thing the White Sox do have going for them is a rebuilt farm system, thanks in large part to the trades they made this off-season. Their top prospect is Yoan Moncada, an infielder acquired from the Red Sox. Moncada was ranked the #2 prospect in baseball by MLB and was in the #1 spot on the Call to the Pen Top 125. Right-handed pitchers Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Carson Fulmer all made the MLB.com Top 100, along with catcher Zack Collins.
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It could be a few years before the White Sox battle for the AL Central title. Their young players need to stay healthy and gain experience. In the meantime, Derek Holland can keep the team interesting, both on the field and off.