Jackson Holliday Once Wore a Dodgers Jersey in the Rockies' Clubhouse

Maren Angus-Coombs | Apr 10, 2024

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson Holliday grew up in major league clubhouses following his dad, Matt Holliday. He learned the game by watching his dad's teammates in Colorado, Oakland, New York, and St. Louis.

On Wednesday, Jackson Holliday will make his big league debut almost 20 years to the day of Matt’s first game with the Rockies on April 16, 2004, when Jackson was just four months old.

Matt played 15 years in the major leagues and took his kids along for the ride with him. Growing up in the Rockies clubhouse, he was dressed just like his dad sporting his iconic No. 5 uniform. Until, he watched "The Sandlot."

One year during spring training, Jackson was wearing the color blue wanting to be just like the movie's best player. Rockies clubhouse manager Mike “Tiny” Pontarelli remembers when Clint Hurdle, then the team’s manager, walked out of his office that day and immediately noticed Jackson's new attire.

“Dodgers? Dodgers?” Hurdle screamed. “Matt, what’s up with that?”

Matt calmly told Hurdle that his son wasn't a fan of the division foe but he wanted to be just like Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. Soon after the clubhouse incident, Jackson returned wearing his Rockies hat, learning a valuable lesson in not wearing another team's jersey, especially when it's a division rival.

As Jackson got older, he couldn’t spend as much time around his father’s clubs. He had his teams with practices and games. But all the time spent glued to his dad's side paid off when he was taken as the first-overall pick in the 2022 draft.

He skyrocketed through the Baltimore Orioles minor league system and batted .311 with two home runs, two triples, and three doubles during spring training this year. He began the year in Triple-A where he slashed .333/.482/.595 with two home runs through 10 games. He owns a career .321 average and .949 OPS in the minors.

All the time spent in big league ballparks has finally paid off and Jackson will make his big league debut with the Orioles on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox.