John Bryan Holaday (born November 19, 1987) is a former American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

. He made his

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) debut on June 6, 2012, with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. He also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers,

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

, and

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

. Prior to his professional career, Holaday played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciple ...

(TCU) for the

TCU Horned Frogs The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competing mostly in the Big 12 Conference. The sc ...

. In his senior season at TCU, Holaday won the

Johnny Bench Award The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by the Greater Wichita Area Spo ...

, given to the best collegiate catcher for the season.

Amateur career

Holaday attended W. T. White High School in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, where he played for the school's baseball team. Holaday was a two-way player, appearing as both a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

and

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

. In 2006, he was named to the Class 5A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Opposing teams began to consistently

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...

Holaday, leading the team's head coach to use him as the team's

leadoff hitter In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in any inning. Strategy Traditionally, the leadoff hitter has been utilized as a contact-oriented position. The leadoff hitt ...

. He competed in the

Connie Mack World Series The American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC) is an amateur baseball organization in the United States for players from sub-teens through adults.

after the 2006 season. After graduating in 2006, he enrolled at North Central Texas College, where he was initially a

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

. During the season, he transitioned into a

. During the summer of 2007, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...

for the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League. Holaday transferred to

(TCU) before his

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educati ...

season, becoming the starting catcher for the

TCU Horned Frogs baseball The TCU Horned Frogs baseball team represents Texas Christian University in NCAA Division I baseball. The Frogs have competed in the Big 12 Conference since 2013 and previously competed in the Mountain West, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conf ...

team. After the 2009 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thous ...

. In 2010, his senior season, he batted .355 17

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

s, 53

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

(RBIs), and 72

runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...

in 68

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Baseball ...

. He was credited for his work with the Horned Frogs' pitching staff, especially freshman

Matt Purke Matthew Taylor Purke (born July 17, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut and played his only MLB season with the Chicago White Sox in 2016. Amateur career Purke attended Klein H ...

. He led the Horned Frogs to the

Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations ...

(MWC) tournament, winning the tournament

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

award. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the

Houston College Classic The Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic is an annual six-team college baseball tournament held in Houston and hosted by the Astros Foundation. The 15th annual tournament was held at Minute Maid Park in March 2015. It was initially cal ...

. Holaday was named to the All-MWC first team, though TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle indicated that he felt Holaday should have won the player of the year award over

C. J. Cron Christopher John Cron Jr. (born January 5, 1990) is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, ...

, due to his contributions as a batter and as a fielder. TCU reached the 2010 College World Series (CWS), the school's first CWS appearance. Holaday was named to the CWS All-Tournament Team. He was also named a Second Team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n and won the

as the top collegiate catcher for the season.

Professional career

Detroit Tigers

The

selected Holaday in the sixth round of the

2010 Major League Baseball Draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

. He signed, and played for the

Lakeland Tigers Lakeland is primarily a toponym. It may refer to: Places Australia * Lakeland, Queensland Canada * Lakeland (electoral district), a federal electoral district in Alberta * Lakeland County, a former municipal district in Alberta * District of ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A follow ...

that season. He attended Tigers' spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2011. He played for the Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, the Tigers

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

affiliate, during the 2011 season. He was again invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2012. He started the season with the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

, where he batted .248 with no home runs and ten RBIs. The Tigers promoted Holaday to the major leagues on June 6, 2012, as the team added him to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

due to injuries to starting catcher Alex Avila. He became the third position player selected in the 2010 draft to reach the majors, following

Bryce Harper Bryce Aron Max Harper (born October 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to his arrival in Philadelphia, Harper played for the Wash ...

and Kole Calhoun. Holaday made his MLB debut that day. He had one hit against Jeanmar Gomez in four

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s during his debut. Holaday was recalled June 17, 2013, when catcher Alex Avila was placed on the disabled list. For the season he batted .296/.367/.444. After the 2013 season, the Tigers informed backup catcher

Brayan Peña Brayan Eduardo Peña (born January 7, 1982) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball catcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Lou ...

they would not re-sign him, giving Holaday the opportunity to become the backup to Avila. Holaday competed with James McCann to be the backup catcher behind Avila during spring training in 2015. McCann won the competition, and Holaday began the season in the minor leagues. For the season in the majors, he batted .281/.292/.453. Once again, Holaday entered spring training in 2016 competing for a backup role, this time with

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia (; born May 2, 1985) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2007 and 2018, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Arizona ...

. Despite losing the job, Holaday attracted large amounts of trade interest due to hitting .438/.455/.969 in 16 games and his lack of minor league options remaining. In 4 seasons with the Tigers, Holaday hit .251/.283/.340 with 3 HR and 30 RBI in 108 games.

Texas Rangers

On March 29, 2016, the Tigers traded Holaday to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Bobby Wilson and

Myles Jaye Myles Joseph Jaye (born December 28, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers in 2017. Career Toronto Blue Jays Jaye attended Starr's Mill High School in Fayettev ...

. Holaday began 2016 sharing catching duties with Robinson Chirinos. Following the acquisition of

Jonathan Lucroy Jonathan Charles Lucroy (born June 13, 1986) is a former American professional baseball catcher. Between 2010 and 2021, he spent 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Oakl ...

, Holaday was designated for assignment.

Boston Red Sox

The

claimed Holaday off of waivers on August 5, 2016.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 20, 2016, Holaday signed a minor league deal with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. After being informed that he would not make Philadelphia's roster to begin the season, Holaday opted out of his contract.

Return to Detroit

On March 31, 2017, the Tigers signed Holaday to a minor league contract and assigned him to the

. On September 1, the Tigers purchased Holaday's contract. At the time of his call-up, Holaday was hitting .269 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 93 games for Toledo. He was outrighted to Triple-A on November 3, and elected free agency on November 7.

Miami Marlins

On December 1, 2017, Holaday signed a minor league contract with the

. Holaday's contract was purchased by the Marlins on March 28, 2018, and he was assigned to the Opening Day roster. He elected free agency on October 27. On November 26, Holaday re-signed with the Marlins to a minor league contract. He was released on March 23, 2019, after opting out of his contract. However, he re-signed to another minor league deal on March 26 to stay with the Marlins. He opened the 2019 season with the New Orleans Baby Cakes. Following the 2019 season, Holaday was outrighted off the Marlins roster and elected free agency on October 18.

Baltimore Orioles

On January 13, 2020, Holaday signed a minor league deal with the

that included an invitation to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

. On August 1, 2020, Holaday was selected to the active roster. In 2020 for the Orioles, Holaday slashed .161/.212/.194 with no home runs and 4 RBI.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 11, 2021, Holaday signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On March 26, 2021, Holaday was released by the Diamondbacks, but re-signed with the club on a new minor league contract the next day. On July 3, Holaday was selected to the active roster. Holaday appeared in 13 games for Arizona, hitting .194 with 0 home runs and 1 RBI. On August 29, 2021, Holaday was released by the Diamondbacks. On March 6, 2022, Holaday announced his retirement from professional baseball via Instagram.

Personal life

Holaday's older brother, Bobby, also played for the baseball team at Warren Travis White High School.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holaday, Bryan 1987 births Living people Baseball players from Dallas Major League Baseball catchers Detroit Tigers players Texas Rangers players Boston Red Sox players Miami Marlins players Baltimore Orioles players Arizona Diamondbacks players NCTC Lions baseball players TCU Horned Frogs baseball players Brewster Whitecaps players Lakeland Flying Tigers players Erie SeaWolves players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Toledo Mud Hens players Tigres del Licey players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Round Rock Express players Reno Aces players W. T. White High School alumni