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Texas lefty Holland OK with delay of ALCS Game 2

09.10.11

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas left-hander Derek Holland had just gotten out of the shower at home Sunday afternoon, and was about to make his usual pre-start shave, when the phone rang.

It was a club official calling to say Game 2 of the ALCS was postponed. The few wisps of hair on Holland's chin and near his ears would have another day to grow.

"They told me, 'You're free. You've got the night off. Just come play some catch,'" Holland said. "So, that's what I did."

Although Holland was ready to make the second postseason start of his career — taking on the Detroit Tigers, with the Rangers leading the series 1-0 — he didn't mind waiting another day.

Holland figured it gives him more time to rest, review video of himself and the Detroit hitters and go through all his other pre-start routines, from playing a hockey game on his Xbox to watching a chunk of the movie "For Love of the Game."

"Getting this extra day of rest is the more important thing, especially to clear up some of the sinus stuff that I've got going on," Holland said, later stressing that his sniffles were no big deal. "I can just kind of relax and watch more video. Maybe I'll pick up something that I didn't see before. So that's a good thing to have, too."

Source: The Associated Press