David Michael Hollins was born on May 25, 1966 in Buffalo, New York. He played baseball at Orchard Park High School, where he graduated in 1984. He went to the University of South Carolina. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 6th round of the 1987 amateur draft. He was also a member of the Philadelphia Phillies' National League pennant winning team in 1993. He also was a member of the National League All-Star team in 1993. Dave returned briefly to the Phillies in 2002, making their 25-man roster. However, Dave only had 7 at-bats for the team and no hits, before he was placed on the DL due to harmful spider bites. Dave spent the 2006 season as the hitting coach for the Binghamton Mets, a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets, of the Class AA Eastern League.