New York’s First Taste Of Derek Holland Cheese

ARLINGTON - Back when Alex Rodriguez successfully engineered his escape from Texas and mentioned the “24 kids,” Derek Holland was really a kid, pitching as a junior for the 2003-04 Newark High School Wildcats in Ohio against the likes of Dublin Coffman.

Rodriguez and the Yankees were rude visitors in Holland’s first major league home start on Wedneday night. Derek Jeter greeted him with a leadoff single. Two batters later, Mark Teixeira put him in a two-run hole with a home run that nearly reached the Armitron signs behind the out-of-town scoreboard in left field.

Hideki Matsui pulled one the other way, into the home run porch. Jeter stung him for two singles and a double. Rodriguez doubled and also hit a ball deep into the corner in left that was run down by David Murphy.

Since Rodriguez was lifted for a late-inning replacement, he was dressed and on his way before the the clubhouse was opened after the game.

Jeter’s take on Holland: “Anytime he’s throwing as hard as he does, it’s not easy. We were patient enough to get some balls in the zone. He’s got a great arm.”

Teixeira, batting right-handed, pulled a fastball that was down and in for the first of his two hits off Holland.

“He had to throw strikes. And when he did, we did a good job of putting some good swings on ‘im,” he said.

With a fastball like that at age 22, is Holland the kind of pitching prospect that Teixeira wishes was in Arlington when he was a Ranger?

He frowned, said, “I don’t know,” and turned away.