Hall of Fame
Eric P. Holstein ’87 – Class of 1998
Tough hope…
The signature on the soul of the sport is hope. It is the game of the 0-2 home run; the two-out, ninth-inning rally; the journeyman pitcher who is one day unhittable; the sport where time does not matter and true fans will always wait ‘till next year.
There was something about his demeanor and the way he carried himself that caught your eye as you watched the players loosen up for the game. This was a young man meant to play the game of baseball. Rock solid, yet possessing soft, quick hands and a lithe body that could turn a 6-4-3 with precision and grace.
And he was tough. Tough enough to make opposing catchers regret blocking the plate. Tough enough to take the certain blow on a close pivot at second. Tough enough to sacrifice his potential as a professional second baseman to the Dolphin’s need for a catcher his senior year. Tough enough to always expect a ninth inning rally and to understand that the next opportunity is inevitable.
The certainty of tomorrow is the soul of the Catholic, Jesuit tradition of Le Moyne College. Our strength is the knowledge that the pain of the twenty-seventh out in a well fought contest is a prelude to the next season.
The record of personal and team achievement is clear. He was a four-year starter on the Dolphin teams that won 105 of 134 games and never failed to qualify for postseason play. He was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team three times. He never hit below .350 and capped his career with a .408 average in his senior year. He drove in a total of 121 runs, twice leading the Dolphins in that category, and blasted 19 round trippers.
If sport offers lessons for life, few are greater than the understanding that the close of one contest is the catalyst for greater things.
A mark of excellence on the baseball field and a young man who demonstrated that the human spirit is tough enough to hope on the diamond and in the face of the most profound challenges, Eric P. Holstein ’87 is inducted to the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame.
February 7, 1998
