Matt Holliday Biography

Oct 16, 2007

Birthdate: January 15, 1980
Birthplace: Stillwater, Oklahoma

If you haven't heard of Matt Holliday, you haven't been watching the baseball playoffs! We have a bio on the 2007 NLCS MVP!

Matt Holliday - Growing Up

At an early age, Matt was destined to be a great athlete. His father Tom was a former minor league baseball player and the baseball coach at Oklahoma State University. He was an All American football and baseball player at Stillwater High School. Despite receiving many offers to play college football, Matt decided to pursue baseball instead. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies.

Matt Holliday - Rise to the Pros

After nearly five years of playing minor league baseball for clubs in Oregon, Colorado, Texas and North Carolina, Matt got his opportunity to play in the big leagues in 2004. He made his major league debut in April 2004 and would finish the year fifth in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year award. His play continued to improve over the next two seasons as Matt became a .300 hitter. Matt made his first ever All-Star team in 2006 and was also honored with the Silver Slugger Award that year.

Matt Holliday - Breakout Season

The 2007 season has been a career year for Matt. On top of being named an All-Star again, he posted career highs in his batting average, hits, home runs and RBIs. His .340 batting average was also the best in the National League. Matt helped his Rockies make an improbable run to clinch the last wild card slot in the playoffs. As of October 17, 2007, the Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games and have earned a spot in the World Series after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in the first two rounds.