Holliday will be a difference-maker for the Rockies

There is a gentlemen, who shall remain nameless, who emails me at least three times a week regarding the Rockies. Sometimes his opinions are home runs, but more often than not they are big whiffs.

His latest email was worthy of a golden sombrero.

“The Rox decision to bring back Matt Holliday is nothing more than a publicity stunt to sell tickets, bring fans to Coors Field and boost (TV) ratings. … Holliday won’t do (darn) thing for the Rockies.”

I laughed when I read the email, and quickly dismissed it as noise from another cynical fan. But it also got me thinking. What can Holliday do for the Rockies now that he’s been called up from Triple-a Albuquerque? Here’s what:

Provide a big bat off the bench: “Each and every night, if he’s not starting, he’ll be available to pinch-hit,” manager Bud Black said. “There’s a dangerous bat there late in the game, with power that’s a presence against a bullpen. When Matt steps in the batter’s box, there’s immediate fear that something’s going to be hit hard. That’s always a good thing.”

For the record, Holliday has 314 career home runs, including 19 last year with the Yankees in just 373 at-bats.

Provide a right-handed bat against left-handed starters: Colorado has four

left-handed hitters as primary outfielders — Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra — so Holliday will get some starts in left field. And remember, are a lot of left-handed pitchers in the National League West.

So we’ll see some starts in left field for Holliday, even if he’s relieved late in the game for defensive purposes. By the way, Holliday delivered a .366 on-base percentage and a .477 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching last season.

Provide experience in the clubhouse and on the bench: When catcher Chris

Iannetta, 35, found out that Holliday was being called up, Iannetta tweeted: “You wake up and check Twitter ... and find out your (sic) not the oldest guy on the team anymore. Thanks, Matt!”

Holliday laughed at that, saying: “I appreciate that — I’ll take it as a compliment. Fifteen years later, I’m still good enough that people want me here. The one thing I do have is experience. I’ve seen thousands of pitches and faced tons of pitching over my career.”

Holliday has 305 plate appearances over 73 games with 13 home runs in the postseason.

Provide even more offense than Jason Giambi did in 2009: There have been a

lot of comparisons between Holliday and Giambi’s addition to the roster late in the 2009 season when the Rockies earned a wild-car playoff spot. I predict Holliday will have a greater impact than Giambi did.

Giambi played in 19 games that season, hitting .292, with two home runs, 11 RBIS and seven walks in 31 plate appearances. With Holliday now on the roster, the Rockies had 35 games remaining entering the weekend.

In mid-june last season, Holliday came down with severe fatigue, was placed on the disabled list and was eventually diagnosed with Epstein-barr syndrome. But he’s strong and healthy now.

Signing Holliday was a no-brainer, and he will be a difference-maker.