DENVER -- Rockies bullpen coach Darren Holmes' cherished offseason duty, providing food for the needy in Asheville, N.C., once meant loading food into one such family's car. And not just any car.
"I've gone and put a box in a Mercedes," Holmes said. "You think, 'How in the world? Why would somebody come up in a Mercedes? Are they taking advantage of you?'"
This is where Holmes' admiration for his wife, Kathy, who spearheaded food pantries in Milwaukee and Denver during Holmes' playing career, becomes evident. Kathy Holmes is the driving force behind their effort in greater Asheville -- where the couple grew up, met and eventually settled.