John Olerud has retired from baseball
Baseball Musings reports that John Olerud has retired from Major League Baseball. I always thought that he was underrated as a hitter because he didn’t have much power for a first baseman and he never lived up to his massive 1993 season. But he was a very consistent hitter over his career, even without the home runs. His career on-base percentage is 398, which is better than Ichiro!’s number as a major leaguer. He could probably squeeze another year or two as a left-handed bat of some rich team’s bench and do very well. In fact, if he were to join the Mariners squad today, he’d probably be the fourth-best hitter on the team!
He was one of my favorite baseball players over his career. He was at W.S.U. when I was there and a good friend of mine shared a lab session with him. My buddy went with several other students to visit Olerud on the hospital when he had has aneurysm and everyone was certain that he would die, so when he did not die, I thought “this guy needs to be a star and I will follow his progress.” And I did until today.
He was the best hitter and the best pitcher on a very good W.S.U. baseball team that year and by all accounts he was a great guy. Buffoons like Carl Everett are tolerable in major league baseball because guys like John Olerud play alongside them. Now I need to go find another very good player to root for. Any suggestions?
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I hated Olerud when he was a Blue Jay and was always reminded of my own medical inadequacies when I saw him wear his batting helmet; regardless, I loved Ole as a Mariner and was proud of his accomplishments at first base and at fifth or so in the lineup. Good on you, Ole, for a serviceable career.
Comment by Andy Welker — January 11, 2006 @ 3:49 am
For some reason I really liked that Blue Jays team, especially when they faced the Phillies and their “Missouri Compromise” haircuts. I guess I saw Oly as a professional answer to all the toolsy, scrappy, bring-their-lunch-pale to work everymen of the Philadelphia squad. Sort of an anti-Dykstra. Olerud didn’t need to scrap and hustle or whatever to prove his value. He merely got on base a lot, hit a bunch of doubles, drew fistfulls of walks.
Comment by Doug — January 12, 2006 @ 1:06 am
No doubt those Blue Jays were my choice that year. I remember watching the series in the TV lounge on my ship. I felt like that lone Jazz fan you and I saw when we went to Lox, Stock, and Barrel to watch a Sonics playoff game in ‘96: A definite minority. I had to hold my tongue when Joe Carter smacked Wild Thing in the mouth.
Comment by Andy — January 14, 2006 @ 10:16 pm
Everyone always forgets the year John had in 1998 with the Mets. He hit .354 at Shea Stadium which is not the hitters park that Skydome is. He lost the batting title by a few to Larry Walker of the Rockies.
Comment by chris — April 22, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
I’ll miss big John. Few know or comment on his defensive ability. He would still be one of the three best defensive first basemen in the American League if playing today. Look at his batting percentages last year – how many first basemen can hit like that? He was not given the chance he should have had the last 2 years in New York or Boston. A quiet man, he did not attract the attention of fans of these cities who have egos just short of the players these teams seem to attract.
Comment by Paul West — May 1, 2006 @ 9:29 pm
sorry to hear that he retired, a decent player, a great hitter, i just loved the man and his career. i remember the great series with the phillies and of course we rooted lenny, his dutch roots gave him tremendous credit over here, of course. still those jays were a great team and john olerud was a proud member. Did you know Dave Winfield played a dutch tournament in his youth, back in the early seventies, another of those proud guys.
Comment by arno belmer — May 19, 2006 @ 2:39 am