Sunday, November 01

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my second season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- A tattoo extends from the top of Guardians reliever Colin Holderman's left forearm down to his wrist. Spread within multiple roses reads a three-worded message: “My Sister’s Keeper.”

Holderman’s brother and sister, Casey and Cassidy, have the same tattoo. It’s a tribute to their older sister, Taylor, 33, who was born with the rare genetic condition Angelman Syndrome.

Colin, who will turn 31 on Oct. 8, shares a close bond with Taylor. For Players’ Weekend, he is donning customized cleats that celebrate his sister and serve to spread awareness about a cause near and dear to his heart. The light blue cleats have angel wings on the side. One heel says “Tay Tay” and the other has the Angelman Syndrome Foundation logo.

“Taylor's the center of our family, and she's been a huge inspiration to what I do and why I do what I do,” Colin said. “Every day she wakes up, she's happy. She goes about her day with a smile on her face. She got dealt the hand that she did, so there's no reason why I shouldn't do the same and spread happiness and love, because she's doing it every day.”

Angelman Syndrome affects one in 15,000 people and impacts the nervous system. According to Mayo Clinic, it leads to “delayed development, trouble with speech, challenges with balance and movement and intellectual disability.” Seizures are also common. Because it shares symptoms with autism, cerebral palsy and Prader-Willi syndrome, misdiagnosis often occurs.

Doctors thought Taylor may have autism or cerebral palsy. She was tested for Angelman Syndrome when she was a year old, but the test was done and read incorrectly, as the Holderman family later learned. As an infant, Taylor dealt with seizures and was hospitalized when she was 3 years old to go on a ketogenic diet to control them. At that point, she was tested for Angelman Syndrome again, and this time she was diagnosed with it.

Taylor is nonverbal and she relies upon her and Colin’s parents for motor skills tasks -- including their mom, Angie, with whom she is “inseparable,” Colin said. He and Taylor are likewise extremely close after they grew up side by side. Colin visits her at home in Bourbonnais, Ill., multiple times each year, and she watches all of his games.

“Me and her kind of grew up together because she didn't hit any of her milestones as a baby, really, until I came around,” Colin said. “We have an extremely close bond. She watches every game and she wears Guardians gear. She cares a lot. It's pretty awesome to get the text or a picture of her wearing it.”

Colin understands the power of his platform and the power of inclusion. He and Taylor attended Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School together in Bradley, Ill., and they were each other’s buddy in the Best Buddies program for four years. He’d hang out with Taylor in programs during and after school, and they participated in Special Olympics programs together.

Colin has continued to be an advocate for special needs communities since he reached the Majors. He hosted an Angelman Syndrome awareness event at PNC Park in 2024 and ‘25, in partnership with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Those meet and greets served to build community and connect families who can share their experiences.

“You just don't know a lot of people who have [Angelman Syndrome],” Colin said. “Having a space and a community just for families to connect and share stories [is huge]. Like, ‘What works for you?’ or ‘What works for me?’ Just having someone to talk to because it can be lonely. I know it was tough for my family and especially not knowing anybody or going through experiences for the first time.”

Colin hopes to host such an event at Progressive Field later this season. For now, a cause he is passionate about will be on full display during Players’ Weekend. Along with his cleats, Colin has a glove he customized through a partnership with Wilson and Autism Speaks.

The black glove has a puzzle piece imprinted upon it. That logo is known to represent the spectrum of perspectives and experiences of people with autism.

Colin has given a lot of thought to his long-term outreach options. He wants to start his own foundation after his playing career is complete. In the meantime, he relishes the experiences he has had through foundations he is partnered with, and using his platform for a great cause.

At ballparks across the Majors, Colin said fans in the stands who have a family member with autism or Angelman Syndrome call out to him. They see someone performing on baseball’s highest level whom they can relate to.

It means a lot to Holderman to use his platform to raise awareness for a cherished cause.

“I'm a baseball player, and I really care about it,” Holderman said. “Every night I try my best to go out and be the best baseball player. But there's a reason why I'm doing this. There's always something bigger, and this is one of those things for me.”

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