Q&A With Baseball's Joe Holland
May 17, 2005 | Baseball
May 17, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - A native of Beaumont, Texas, Joe Holland is one of five seniors on the 2005 Green Wave baseball team that earned the preseason No. 1 ranking by Baseball America and has maintained a spot in the Top 5 the entire year to date.
Holland came to Tulane after two stellar seasons at Blinn College. As a junior, he played in all 62 games and hit .318 en route to helping Tulane advance to the NCAA Super Regional. Along the way, he posted a .502 slugging percentage with 19 doubles, a triple and eight home runs, and earned a spot on the NCAA Oxford Regional All-Tournament Team when he hit .333 with a double and a pair of walks.
Tulane assistant media relations director Richie Weaver had the chance to sit down with Holland to discuss his career to date, as well as a variety of other topics. Below is what transpired.
What is your major?
"Cell and molecular biology. My dad is a doctor and my mother is a pharmacist, so I guess you could say I grew up in a doctors' household."
Why did you decide to attend Tulane?
T"his was a chance for me to get a great education and play for a top tier baseball program. Out of junior college, I got calls from schools like Baylor and Lamar, but chose to come here because it was the best of both worlds as far as athletics and academics."
Guys on the team call you "Zor." Where did that come from?
"Brandon Gomes first started calling me "Zo" last year, and then Brian Bogusevic added the "r". I don't know where it came from but it sort of stuck."
What is your favorite book?
"The Bible. I don't read it every day, but pick it up a few times a week. I use it for guidance and to live like God would want me to."
Why did you attend junior college after graduation?
"I got a few offers from some smaller schools out of high school, but I thought if I could prove myself at the junior college level, an opportunity would present itself. All in all, things turned out for the best."
If you could play another sport at Tulane, what would it be?
"Golf. I'm not real good at it, but I enjoy playing."
What is your personal philosophy?
"`Anything is possible in him who believes.' It's from The Bible, Mark 9:23. My mom put that up in my room when I was young, and it's something I've always taken to heart."
Who has most influenced your athletic career?
"My parents. They've provided tireless support and they're always at my games. They drive here to Tulane whenever we're home, and haven't missed a road trip yet."
What is the best advice you were ever given?
"Be consistent. Never get too high when you're doing well and never get too low when things aren't going the way you'd like. Stay the same level."
What is the best baseball movie?
"Field of Dreams. I like it mostly because it touches on the players who have passed through the game and left their mark."
What is your favorite food?
"My mom's beef tenderloin. She really knows how to cook!"
What is your dream vacation destination?
"Omaha, Neb. I plan on going there this June."
What are your plans for the future?
"I'd love to play professional baseball, but if that doesn't work out, I would like to become a doctor."
If you could have dinner with any three people in history, who would they be?
"Jesus, Babe Ruth, and my grandfather, Billy Holland. I'd love to see Jesus work and ask him a lot of questions about the world. As for Babe Ruth, I'd like to find out what it was like to have all the entire country in the palm of his hand. Finally, my grandfather's name is really Joseph Sr., but his middle name was William. He was a huge baseball fan and we always wished that he could come out and watch me play."
Who is the best all-time player at your position?
"Roberto Alomar. It's starting to become a power position, but he had tremendous range, was a switch hitter and had decent power."
What is your favorite TV show?
"Sportscenter. It comes on something like 10 times a day, and I try and watch it whenever I can."
Who is your favorite actor?
Matthew McConaughey. `Dazed and Confused' was a great movie, and (Tulane director of baseball operations) Sherry (Schonekas) made us watch `How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' last year on the bus. While it was not particularly my kind of movie, he still did a good job in it.
If you could go to any concert, who would you go see?
"Incubus. I saw them at the New Orleans Arena last semester and in San Antonio about two years ago. They sound better live than they do on CD."
If Tulane could beat one team in baseball, who would it be?
"Texas. Most people back home are either Texas or Texas A&M fans. They're one of the top programs, and I think we're just as good or better than they are. My sister is actually a freshman at Texas now, but she wears a lot of Tulane baseball shirts around all the time."
Are there any people you would like to thank?
"Of course, I have to thank my parents for always being there, God for making me the person I am, and my high school coach, Steve Griffith, for allowing me to play for him and organizing great teams."
