Matt Holliday

ROCKIES LEFTFIELDER

On life in spring training
My wife, Leslee, and I rent a house in Tucson, and [teammates] Garrett Atkins and Cory Sullivan live with us. My four-year-old, Jackson, wants to play baseball all day, so if I'm beat up and tired, they do it. Last year when we had our second son [Ethan, born on Feb. 23], my wife went into labor at 5 a.m. Atkins and Sullivan took care of Jackson all day.

On the Rockies' historic run to the playoffs
We didn't have superstitions—we were just very loose. We were playing games in L.A. that could have cost us a shot at the playoffs, and guys were playing RBI Baseball [on Nintendo] 20 minutes before the game, with their cleats on.

On the chin-banging slide he used to score the winning run in Game 163 last year, against the Padres
I thought I'd have to run over the catcher because the throw might beat me. I had to get my momentum going forward. Then I realized he wasn't blocking the plate. I got caught in between. I couldn't slide feet first, and I couldn't run him over. I was out of it afterward because I hit my head so hard on the ground. But I'd do it again 100 times to make the playoffs.

On his winter in Denver
A lot more people recognized us and said thanks for a great season. Tulo [shortstop Troy Tulowitzki] and I went to a Nuggets game with our families. We got announced on the loudspeaker, and people clapped. In the past that wouldn't have happened.

On his new two-year, $23 million contract
My life hasn't changed a bit. We're simple people. We have a nice house and nice cars, but we're not out to spend a bunch of money. The best part about it is you can do things for people, give nice gifts to your family and to people who need it.

On his shaved head
I did it last season. It's easy to keep up—I use clippers every three or four days. My wife likes it, so it's too late to go back now.

"We were loose last year. Before games guys were playing [Nintendo] with their cleats on."

PHOTO

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRYCE BOYER