![]() For Immediate Release: Saturday, October 25, 2003 |
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Contact: Anny Van Driel |
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Student Received Signed Mark Grace Jersey at End-of-Season Diamondbacks Game
Whether its a local bar wanting to display the jersey for mass crowds to see or a dedicated fan in Chicago offering him $20,000, Holguins life has changed quite a bit after winning the Diamondback celebritys jersey. Holguin, a lifetime baseball fan, decided to move to Phoenix in the summer of 2001 after returning home from the military. Although he was not sure what he wanted to do, he had a friend in Phoenix and felt it would be a good place to start out. Once in Phoenix, everything fell into place. "Phoenix College has been a good fit for me," said Holguin. "Rene Delgado helped me out a lot, she really got the ball rolling for me." Speaking of getting the ball rolling, Holguin has been a Diamondbacks fan ever since their Arizona baseball team started rolling in 1998. An avid fan, Holguin has saved every ticket stub for every Diamondbacks game hes attended, and when the Diamondbacks are on the road, he sits with the patients at Veterans Hospital, where he works, and watches the game with them. "Randy Johnson is my favorite player," said Holguin, "and I have been following Mark Grace since he was with the Cubs." So how did this Phoenix College student/Veterans Hospital employee get so lucky? He picked the winning ticket, thats how. During the last game of the season, the Diamondbacks were selling raffle tickets to win one of 36 team member jerseys. Mark Graces jersey was extra valuable considering this was his last season of playing baseball. When Holguins ticket was chosen, and he randomly picked Mark Graces jerseyhe went completely numb. "The crowd was yelling he got it! and camera and media people were surrounding me," said Holguin. "I was nervous, excited and didnt know what to say! It was an unbelievable experience." This amazing, once in a lifetime experience has changed Holguins life forever. Not only can he use the jersey as a financial investment for the future if thats what he decides to do, he is recognized on the street as the guy who won Mark Graces jersey. "My life is like a roller coaster," said Holguin. "It seems like whenever Im down, something comes along to pick me back up. I am now a firm believer that anything can happen, because it happened to me!" Everyone seems to want to
know what hes going to do with Mark Graces jersey. Will he
sell it? Will he put it on display somewhere? How much would the jersey
sell for? Although Holguin is not sure what the fate of the famous jersey
will be, he did say that if he decides to sell it, he will split the proceeds
with his four sisters. ### |