TCU Baseball: Why Bryan Holaday is Everything Baseball Should Be

I feel like this an appropriate post. I realize I haven't done one in a while but this just seems too important.

Don't count the Horned Frogs out.

No team in Omaha has more heart than these guys. Yes, UCLA outplayed us tonight. But we don't let up. We still rally and we just came up short. We're down, but we sure as hell ain't out. Why? Heart. I know it sounds cliche, but I've never seen more spirit and more drive than this team. Growing up in Austin, I used to religiously follow Texas baseball. I saw Beau Hale throw a perfect game, I was in the hospital with back surgery watching them win it all in 2002. It's hard to believe I hate the burnt orange now, but I can honestly saw this team in purple has more heart than I've ever seen in a team in my life.

How do I know? First hand experience.

Living in the TCU athletic dorm my freshman year I had the great pleasure of living around the likes of Jantzen Witte, Erik Miller, and Brance Rivera. These guys made the game more personal for me and gave me a reason to fall in love with college baseball again.

While I love these guys who are my age, ever have I ever been more impressed with Bryan Holaday. If TCU wins the CWS, it will because of his leadership. Though it may sounds cliche, if you think Holaday's leadership is a media scam...than you are sorely mistaken.

I had a few baseball guys over for a small get together, and no guys was nicer than Holaday. He was the first guy to shake my hand for having all the guys there, and truly sincere about it.

While I'd take a bullet for many of the guys on the team, I have to praise Holaday. He's shades of Jake Taylor from Major League and Crash Davis from Bull Durham. He's just a grimy, hardnosed motherfucker who knows the game, cares about his team, and strives to win. If only half the men in Major League Baseball had half the heart and soul this guy did the game would be on a whole different level. Through his blood and sweat, this man ever complains, frowns. He is a true competitor who hustles his ass on every play. Bud Selig will be very lucky to have this guy in a few years. He's everything baseball once was before this bullshit we have today.

He plays like a 1970s roughneck with nothing to lose. He doesn't care about money. And maybe not even about winning. He cares about being the best goddamn teammate he can be.

So UCLA, you may have beaten us. But take a page out of this kids book. He's everything he's cracked up to be.

Watch out America. The Frogs are down but they sure as hell aren't out.