eric Holtz is big. Everything about him is big...from his larger-than-life personality, to his constant companion Samson, a 120 lb. Bernese Mountain Dog. And at 52-years-old, this sultan of swing still believes in going big – playing hard, and leaving it all out on the field.
The byproduct of that is I’m gonna get banged up, dinged up, broken fingers, broken toes.
But thirteen years ago, it was nearly game over for Eric when a SLAP tear in his shoulder stole his ability to catch and throw the ball.
I was almost in tears.
Luckily for him, one of his teammates could help. You see, Martin Levy wasn’t just the best line drive-fielding third baseman Eric had ever shared the dugout with, he was also a surgeon in the Department of Orthopedics at Montefiore who specialized in Sports Medicine.
I made a decision that my goal would be to put people back on the ball field.
It’s hard to describe our relationship. He’s my doctor but he’s also become a family member to me.
Today, ball players half Eric’s age struggle to keep up with him. And when he’s not stealing bases or smacking frozen ropes to the outfield, he runs a successful training facility for college, minor, and major league players.
Listen, my father died when he was 51, I’m 52 and still playing with guys half my age.