From Host Mom:
What a Mother’s Day gift to his mother and grandmother as our baseball pro hit his first major league home run, and won the game! Here is a quotation from the team’s website:

Holm’s first homer lifts Giants past Phils
Catcher slugs two-run shot in seventh; Molina gets two hits
By Rick Eymer / Special to MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Holm got creamed and he couldn’t be happier about it. The rookie catcher, who during Spring Training only wanted a chance to play somewhere in the organization, became the latest Giants hero when he delivered a game-winning home run Sunday in a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The shaving-cream pie, in honor of Holm’s first Major League home run, was courtesy of some of the bullpen pitchers, with winning pitcher Jack Taschner (2-0) the main instigator.

“I was on guard for that,” said a smiling Holm. “I was in the dugout doing an interview and I don’t know if I even looked into the camera. I kept looking over my shoulder.”

The attack came inside the clubhouse, while Holm was doing another TV interview.

“I was able to get a hand up and fend off about half of it,” said Holm, a Sacramento native who had both his parents and grandparents in the stands.

Holm, who rifled a line drive into the left-field stands, was able to secure the ball in a trade that sent a bat and a helmet to a happy fan.

“[Director of media relations] Blake Rhodes did a great job getting the ball for me,” Holm said. “I don’t think they would have let me go out there and get it during the game.”

You can see Steve’s home run on this video from the game.

Way to go, Steve!
Host Mom, Jean

From Host Mom:
Our Baseball Pro was the feature story in the Sports section on May 6,2008, , with a piece entitled “Well-prepared Holm catches an opportunity”

Here is a quotation from the article, noting that Steve played in San Jose during 2006 and stayed with us:

Holm hit 15 home runs in 2006 while committing two errors all season. After a year of Double-A in 2007, he became a minor-league free agent but re-signed with the Giants after being told he had a good shot to go to Triple-A Fresno this season.

Needless to say, Holm sped past Fresno on Highway 99 on his way to San Francisco, where he is batting .333 with three doubles in 27 at-bats and learning that he has reached Valhalla.

“I don’t think you understood exactly how cool the majors were going to be,” he said. “Once you get here, some things are pretty amazing, the locker rooms, the travel,” and, of course, the pitchers.

“Your pitchers can do a lot more. It makes it a little more fun to call a game because they can accomplish what you want them to do.”

At 28, Holm finally accomplished what he wanted to do. A decade after leaving Sacramento’s McClatchy High, where Washington Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson was a teammate, he is crouched behind the plate in big-league stadiums, his blond hair stuffed into a Giants helmet, quarterbacking some of the best pitchers on the planet.

Fortunately, most of the San Francisco Giants games are televised, even the away games, so can see Steve play. Go Giants!
Host Mom, Jean