2026 MSBL Player Profile: Stan Holloway, Tri Valley MSBL
By Steve LaMontia-Carlentini, MSBL Director of Communications
Stan Holloway is an athlete. Some of us have a skill here and there and flub the rest of the athletic spectrum. However, Stan not only plays our game in the Tri Valley MSBL, and does it quite well, but he also was a collegiate and professional football player. That got my attention.
Bruce Fraser, the League President of Stan’s Tri Valley league in California, recommended that we dig deeper into Stan’s contributions. Here are some of Bruce’s comments to MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler:
“Stan has played in the Tri Valley MSBL for about 15 years, mostly as a pitcher. He actually played football at Cal Berkeley and then, for a couple of seasons, as a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints. I met Stan while playing in a sand volleyball tournament and, after a couple of years, convinced him to play baseball, which he enjoyed in high school.
He is a quality guy and was elected into our Tri-Valley MSBL Hall of Fame in 2022. Stan has played in the TVMSBL for over 10 years and has been one of the best pitchers in the 45+ and 55+ Divisions throughout that time. He has a career 4.48 ERA, and he keeps getting better; over the last two years, his ERA has been about 2.35. The great thing about Stan is his competitiveness! He thrives on going up against the best hitters in the league.
He is one of the nicest players in the league. He always has a smile on his face and also is a World Series Champion with the Tribute in Arizona.”
Added Tri Valley Tribute manager Art Scears after their 2022 60+ Central World Series Championship, “The team received stellar pitching from Eddie Delzer, John Hadley, Stan Holloway, and Mike Pankow, whose combined ERA was below 1.00!”
Stan is 68 years old. He was born and raised in San Francisco, only two blocks from Candlestick Park.
“We would go pick up the cushions from the seats so that we could get a free pass to the next game,” said Stan. “We would also go to Bat Day at the stadium so that we’d have bats for our team. We couldn’t afford bats, so we used the freebies from the Giants!”
How did you transition from football to baseball?
“I have always enjoyed baseball, but loved football. I found that I couldn’t do both effectively in high school. I only played for a year in high school because I hurt my arm while pitching. I still got a small college baseball offer, but I got a lot of offers for football. It was a no-brainer.
Then, my co-workers back around 2010 kept on me about playing ball. For a couple of years, I thought they were talking about softball, which didn’t interest me. When it finally became clear that it was baseball, I went to a tryout as a pitcher. I threw five pitches, and I was on a team!”
Stan ended up on Bruce’s (Fraser) A’s team and remains there today. He is still pitching in the league and at MSBL tournaments around the country, including the MSBL World Series in Arizona.
“I’ve always been a pitcher. I would endlessly throw rocks as a kid, so when my dad was our Little League coach, he saw the fit. I remember throwing one perfect game and a couple of no-hitters. I was born for the bump!”
I asked Stan if he played any other positions when not pitching. He said he’d love to, but…
“My knee got crushed with the Saints. I can’t run a lick. It’s just too much strain, but it doesn’t bother me when pitching. Concentrating on pitching was a pretty easy decision.”
Stan’s World Series experience is also quite impressive.
“I started playing in Arizona in 2012 and try to play all three weeks. I play with Bruce’s A’s, with the Knights, the Dragons, the Tri Valley Tribute, and TABU in the Father/Son division. I also play in the Desert Classic in Palm Springs, and occasionally in San Diego and Sacramento. I played in Vegas once, about seven years ago.
This will be the last year for our TABU Father/Son team with its current young guys. They have families now, and it is getting harder to get the time away. This will be a fitting tribute to our years together. It should be special.”
What is the best thing about the Tri Valley MSBL?
“It’s the camaraderie. Baseball is just an added bonus. Most of the guys don’t take it too seriously. We have fun, go to dinner, and love each other on the team and in the league.
Some guys have to stop playing or are dying, so we try to make the most of the time we have with our friends. That’s why I love Arizona, because I’ve reunited with the same teams from other leagues, year after year. It’s not all about the ring, though we all continue to work hard to that end, too.”
Who is your favorite player of all time and why?
Juan Marichal. He was a great pitcher with that high leg kick, so of course I had to be just like him growing up. They called me ‘Little Marichal.’
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing?
“As I mentioned, throwing a perfect game as a little leaguer tops the list. I was 12 years old and didn’t really know it until somebody brought it up after the game! As an adult, in Arizona at the World Series in a Father/Son game, I had an immaculate inning. Nine pitches, three outs, all strikeouts. The catcher kid set up on the outside corner, and I hit his glove every time for called strikes. The third kid tried swinging, but couldn’t reach it. That was a memorable moment on a memorable stage.”