Todd Hollandsworth

Todd Mathew Hollandsworth (born April 20, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB).

In, he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, setting a record as the fifth consecutive Los Angeles Dodgers rookie to do so (preceded by Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raúl Mondesí, and Hideo Nomo).

Hollandsworth was born in Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington, in 1991.

He was drafted in the third round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school.

Over four seasons in the Dodgers' farm system, Hollandsworth displayed decent power.

He batted .262 with 57 home runs and 245 runs batted in, including a 1994 season with the Pacific Coast League's Albuquerque Dukes in which he clubbed nineteen home runs with 91 RBIs.

A lack of outfield depth earned Hollandsworth a spot on the Dodgers opening day roster.

He made just six appearances as a late inning defensive replacement for Billy Ashley in left field before breaking a bone in his right wrist.

After a brief stint in Albuquerque, he returned to the Dodgers, and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored against the Florida Marlins in his first start on July 14.

He also turned in a fine defensive play to preserve the no-hitter Dodgers pitcher Ramón Martínez hurled.

On July 18, he hit his first career home run against the Houston Astros' Shane Reynolds.

A few innings later, Reynolds served up his second career home run.

All told, Hollandsworth batted .233 with five home runs and thirteen RBIs in 1995.

He made 115 plate appearances with 103 official at bats, allowing him to go into the season with his rookie status still intact.

He went hitless in the 1995 National League Division Series with the Cincinnati Reds.

Hollandsworth got off to a slow start in.

An 0-for-3 performance against the rival San Francisco Giants on April 16 punctuated a 1-for-25 slump that saw his batting average drop to a season low .111.

From there, Hollandsworth went on a tear.

He went twelve for his next 25 to raise his batting average to .288.

He hit his first home run of the season on May 11, and like his first home run the previous season, a second home run followed in the same game.

For the season, he led all NL rookies in hits (139), doubles (26), home runs (tied with Jermaine Dye, 12), RBIs (59) and stolen bases (21) on his way to winning NL Rookie of the Year honors.

While the Dodgers were swept in three games by the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Division Series, Hollandsworth had an excellent series.

He went 4-for-12 with three doubles.

Hollandsworth suffered a sophomore slump in.

He was batting .232 with two home runs and eighteen RBIs when demoted to triple A on June 13.

He returned at the end of the month, and batted .323 through the month of July before breaking a bone near his right elbow.

He returned in September, but saw very limited use.

He went 4-for-24 over the remainder of the season to end the season at .247 with four home runs and 34 RBIs.

Injuries also derailed his season.

He injured his leg twice during Spring training, and suffered a season ending injury in late May.

During the off-season, the Dodgers signed free agent center fielder Devon White, prompting Hollandsworth to request a trade.

His request went ungranted, and despite his undefined, limited role in, Hollandsworth put up his best numbers since his rookie season.

Finding his way into the line-up in all three outfield positions, first base and designated hitter during interleague play, Hollandsworth batted .284 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs, all career highs since his rookie season.

He began the season platooning with White in center and batting lead-off.

With a tight three team race going on in the National League West, Dodgers brass felt they needed to acquire more of a true lead off batter at the trade deadline.

On July 31, Hollandsworth and two minor leaguers were shipped to the Colorado Rockies for former Dodger prospect center fielder Tom Goodwin.

After a less-than stellar first month with his new club (.234 avg., 1 HR, 5 RBI), Hollandsworth turned it on in September.

He batted .379 with ten home runs and eighteen RBIs.

His nineteen combined home runs a new career high.

Meanwhile, the Rockies, who were 50–54 at the time of Hollandsworth's acquisition, improved to 32-26 following the trade.