Jim Holland: “I can tell you with no hesitation the investment was worth every minute I deposited into chasing this dream of mine!” (p. 364), My Fortunate Detour: Making a Right Turn into a Baseball Career among the Mountains of West Virginia.

Jim Holland, honored at a Hall of Fame ceremony in Princeton, WV
The photo below was taken during a ceremony honoring Jim for being enshrined in the Appalachian League Hall of Fame for his leadership/management contributions as a club general manager.
My interest in Jim’s story extends well beyond the baseball diamond. Jim’s approach to life and profession and how he engaged community residents in the teams he oversaw grabbed my attention, as did his commitment to people and relationships.
People and relationships are why I chose to entitle this podcast: “The investment was worth every minute.” Those are Jim’s words, written at the end of his new book, My Fortunate Detour.
It’s a great read, available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback options. We talked about the book and more in our 40-minute conversation. Give it a listen and meet Jim Holland.
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About Frank Fear
Frank is TSC’s Managing Editor, coordinating the daily flow of submissions from across the country and around the world. That role includes editing, formatting, and posting articles. He is the author of two books about West Virginia University athletics: “Band of Brothers Then and Now: The Inspiring Story of the 1966-70 WVU Football Mountaineers” (2023), and the forthcoming “True Prue: Darryl Prue Unwavering” (2026). Frank is also the executive producer and co-host of a weekly podcast on Mountaineer sports, “Mountaineer Locker Room. Then & Now,” simulcast on The Voice of College Football Network and The New River Network. Before focusing on sports writing and media work, Frank had a 35-year career as a professor and administrator at Michigan State University.