Tragic news hit the worldwide baseball community this morning. Lincoln Holdzkom died in a car accident in California.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Holdzkom family at this tragic time,” said Baseball New Zealand CEO Ryan Flynn. “To have this happen anytime to such a vibrant and fantastic young man is just terrible, but a week before Christmas makes it so much harder for John and the Holdzkom family.”
Lincoln Holdzkom is the brother of current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher John Holdzkom. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins and got added to the 40-man roster in 2004. He also played in the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Pirates organization. In 2012 he was part of New Zealand’s participation in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Taiwan and also was slated to be on the roster for the 2016 WBCQ in Sydney.