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Copyright Š 2002
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John Olerud
Born: 1968

Cousin of Dale Sveum
[Courtesy Arnie Braunstein]

1B 1989- Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners

All-Star in 1993

	Games	Average	HR	RBI
Career	`1868`	`.300`	`229`	`1062`
League DS	`7`	`.385`	`2`	`8`
League CS	`29`	`.304`	`4`	`18`
World Series	`9`	`.267`	`1`	`2`

Stats through the 2002 season

Books and articles about John Olerud

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A consistently high on-base percentage and fielding savvy made Olerud a highly respected and valuable teammate, though his quiet, stoic nature kept him out of the spotlight even during his three-year tenure in New York. Olerud burst onto the national scene chasing the .400-mark with the Blue Jays for much of the 1993 season, but his reticent personality, characterized by his ironic clubhouse nickname, Gabby, expedited his fade from mainstream baseball consciousness. However, his on-field worth could not be denied, as each team he played for advanced to the postseason at least once.

Olerud showed promise early on at Washington State, where he was named Baseball America's NCAA Player of the Year in 1987 and '88. His senior year, he recovered from a frightening brain aneurysm in January to hit .359 with 30 RBIs in 27 games that spring. The scare would always be with him though, and he began wearing a batting helmet on the field for safety.

Olerud was so promising in college (he set single-season Washington records with a .462 average and 23 homers, and even sported a 15-0 record as a pitcher) that once he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989, he became the 16th player since the amateur draft's inception to skip the minors entirely and go straight to the big leagues. After notching three hits in eight at-bats in the end of that season, the first baseman showed promise with his sweet swing in his rookie year of '90, when he batted a respectable first-year .265.

By the time the Blue Jays rolled into the World Series in 1992, Olerud had cemented a starting job in the lineup, either at designated hitter or first baseman. With a .284 average and his first of many years recording more walks than strikeouts, he was a consistent cog in the wheel of Toronto's first championship.

But the following year would be Olerud's chance to shine. Fresh off the World Series high, he came out swinging in 1993, and was still hitting .400 at the All-Star break (as he would until August 3rd). All of a sudden, the unassuming first baseman became the focus of national attention. Though he finished the year at "just" .363, he also became the 20th player to tally 200 hits as well as 100 walks in one season. The remarkable achievement led to an eye-popping .473 on-base percentage, while he established career highs in runs, doubles, homers, and RBIs, and finished third in the AL Most Valuable Player Award voting behind Frank Thomas and teammate Paul Molitor. In the postseason, he batted .300 over 40 at-bats, with a homer, two doubles, and five RBIs.

But as the Blue Jays began to tamper with his swing, asking him to be more of a pull hitter, Olerud's average declined heavily the next year, and steadily the two after that. After batting .274 with Toronto in 1996, the Jays believed that the lanky first baseman was still heading downhill, and traded him to the New York Mets for pitcher Robert Person. Manager Cito Gaston even claimed that Olerud would fade so much in the face of the Big Apple's ruthless media and fans that he may retire early.

As they say in New York, fuhgeddaboutit. Olerud improved all of his offensive stats (including knocking in over 100 runs) with the Mets in 1997, and began to come out of his introverted shell, displaying a dry, urbane wit in the clubhouse. Despite Gaston's prediction, Olerud actually seemed to thrive in New York, getting an apartment on the tony Upper East Side, and regularly attending the opera and theater. And the next year, hitting at a .354 clip, Olerud broke Cleon Jones' franchise record for batting average in a season, and came three hits and four walks shy of equaling his 200-100 season of 1993.

By 1999, the Mets had formed one of the strongest defensive infields in major league history. Along with the Gold Glove-winning Robin Ventura and Rey Ordonez, the steady Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo contributed solid play as well: The four combined to make only 27 errors that season. Hitting .298 with 125 walks, the first baseman once again provided consistency at the plate, and helped lead the Mets into their first postseason in eleven years. Olerud also displayed some much-needed pop in October, hitting a homer against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Division Series and then two against the archrival Atlanta Braves in the Championship Series. In the emotional Game Four of the NLCS, Olerud's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth off Met-killer John Rocker clinched the team's first win, though they went on to lose in six games.

When Olerud made the tough decision of leaving New York for the Seattle Mariners in December 1999, he cited family as the main criterion, and actually proved his claim. Olerud moved within 15 minutes of his parents in the city of Starbucks and Microsoft, and signed a three-year, $20 million deal with the M's, where he was reunited with his teammate at Washington State, Aaron Sele. And once again, Olerud posted solid offensive numbers (.285 with 103 RBIs), while his defense finally garnered him his first Gold Glove, as the Mariners made their way to the ALCS. (AG)

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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY

ť June 5, 1989: The Orioles select Louisiana State University pitcher Ben McDonald (143) with the first pick in the annual amateur draft. He'll sign August 19 and debut September 6, missing by three days being the first in this draft to debut. The Jays John Olerud, picked on the 3rd round, will debut September 3, singling in his first at bat. The next three picks are high schoolers: the Braves take Tyler Houston; the Mariners pick Roger Salkeld; and the Phillies choose Jeff Jackson. The White Sox get Frank Thomas with the 7th pick, while the Angels take Kyle Abbott with the 10th, and Chad Curtis on the 45th round. The Dodgers use their 1st round pick on Jamie McAndrew, son of former Mets P Jim McAndrew. Mo Vaughn goes to Boston on the 23rd pick and Chuck Knoblauch to the Twins on the 25th (he had been picked on the 18th round by the Phils in 1986, but did not sign). On the 4th round, the Twins select and sign P Scott Erickson, who was drafted but not signed in the previous three drafts.

ť April 23, 1991: In the top of the 6th at Fenway, the Jays John Olerud is at bat when Sox pitcher Roger Clemens catches Joe Carter napping and picks off the baserunner unassisted at 1B. Carter was caught by pitcher John Cerutti the same way in 1986.

ť October 11, 1992: The Blue Jays win their 3rd game in a row, defeating the A's, 76, in 11 innings after trailing 61 through 8. Roberto Alomar's 2-run home run ties the game in the 9th, and John Olerud has four hits for Toronto.

ť April 29, 1993: Toronto 1B John Olerud strokes five hits in the Blue Jays' 8-0 win over the Royals.

ť June 23, 1993: Toronto 1B John Olerud has his 26-game hitting streak snapped in the Blue Jays' 4-3 loss to the Yankees.

ť September 29, 1993: Toronto defeats Milwaukee, 9-6, as Blue Jays 1B John Olerud ties the American League record for intentional walks in a season with 33. Ted Williams set the record in 1957. Toronto hurler Juan Guzman sets a new league mark for wild pitches in a season. His two errant tosses give him a total of 25 for the year, erasing Jack Morris' record, set in 1987.

ť October 3, 1993: Toronto's Joe Carter connect twice for homers in the 2nd inning. For the first time in 100 years, teammates finish 1-2-3 in the race for the league batting title. Toronto's John Olerud wins the crown with an average of .363, followed by Paul Molitor at .332 and Roberto Alomar at .326.

ť October 16, 1993: In the World Series opener, the Blue Jays defeat the Phils, 8-5, behind home runs by Devon White and John Olerud. Al Leiter gets the win in relief. Olerud's home run in the 6th breaks a 44 tie.

ť December 20, 1996: The Blue Jays send 1B John Olerud and his $5 million contract to the Mets for pitcher Robert Person. The move leaves 1B open for Joe Carter.

ť June 18, 1997: At a packed Yankee Stadium, the Yankees edge the Mets, 32 on a 10th-inning RBI single by Tino Martinez. Solo home runs by Chad Curtis and Cecil Fielder off Rick Reed gives the Yankees their lead and Yankee starter David Cone dominates his former team and does not allow a hit until John Olerud's leadoff double in the seventh. The three games at Yankee Stadium draw 168,719.

ť June 29, 1997: John Olerud hits two homers and Butch Huskey, Matt Franco and Todd Hundley also homer during a nine-run Mets' comeback over the last three innings as they edge the Pirates, 108. For Franco, his home run is his 6th straight successful pinch-hit. Kevin Young is 4-for-5, including a homer, for the Bucs. John Franco picks up his 19th save, and the 342nd of his career, putting him in 4th place on the all-time save list.

ť August 5, 1997: In New York, Houston's Darryl Kile cops his ninth straight decision despite allowing two home runs to John Olerud. Houston hangs on to win, 118. Kile (16-3) allows eight runs and 10 hits in seven innings.

ť September 11, 1997: John Olerud cycles, going 4-for-5 with five ribbies, to lead the Mets to a 9-5 win over the Expos. Olerud hits a bases loaded stand-up triple in the 8th, his first triple in three years, to complete the cycle. The drive bounces off the wall, striking center fielder Vladimir Guerrero.

ť September 23, 1997: Angels Lefty OF Jim Edmonds hits a pair of home runs off Randy Johnson, but Seattle wins, 43, to clinch the American League West. Johnson won't give up another home run to a lefty until John Olerud takes him deep in Game One of the 1999 NLCS playoffs. Jay Buhner hits his 40th homer and then K's for the 173rd time, a new M's record.

ť October 16, 1999: The Mets trip the Braves, 3-2, to stay alive in the NLCS. John Olerud drives home all three NY runs with a solo home run in the 6th inning, and a 2-run single off John Rocker in the 8th. Brian Jordan and Ryan Klesko hit back-to-back homers in the 8th for the Braves' two runs. P Rick Reed shuts out Atlanta over the first seven innings on a single hit.

ť December 7, 1999: In a disappointment to the Mets, the Mariners sign free agent 1B John Olerud to a 3-year contract.

ť October 3, 2000: The Mariners defeat the White Sox, 7-4 in 10 innings, in the 1st game of their AL division series. Edgar Martinez and John Olerud hit consecutive homers off Keith Foulke for the margin of victory.

ť October 15, 2000: The Mariners defeat the Yankees, 6-2, to close within one game of the New Yorkers, who hold a 3-games-to-2 lead in the ALCS. Edgar Martinez and John Olerud hit successive home runs in the 5th inning for Seattle.

ť May 9, 2001: Red Sox 2B Chris Stynes, who had three hits in yesterday's win, suffers two fractures in his left cheekbone when he is hit by an Aaron Sele pitch in the 2nd inning. He'll miss six weeks. Seattle breaks a 55 tie in the 8th on John Olerud's double to win, 105. David Bell has four RBI for the M's, while Trot Nixon homers and Manny Ramirez and Troy O'Leary go back-to-back in the 4th.

ť June 16, 2001: The Mariners trip the Padres, 9-2, as Seattle 1B John Olerud hits for the cycle. It is the 2nd time in his career that Olerud has cycled even though he has hit just 12 triples in his 13-year career, by far the fewest number of triples by a player with more than one cycle. Wally Westlake is 2nd on the list with 33.

ť October 7, 2001: Rickey Henderson gets the 3,000th hit of his career, a leadoff bloop double, as the Padres lose to the Rockies, 14-5. Ricky then leaves the game. The game is the final one of Tony Gwynn's career. Gwynn pinch hits in the 9th and grounds out, then walks around the field shaking hands with hometown fans. Larry Walker, who sits, wins his third NL batting title in three years at .350. Walker and Rockies teammate Todd Helton (.336) become the first teammates to finish 1-2 since John Olerud (.363), Paul Molitor (.332) and Roberto Alomar (.326) were the top three for Toronto in 1993.

ť October 20, 2001: The Mariners clobber the Yankees, 14-3, to win their first game of the ALCS. Bret Boone ties an ALCS record with five RBIs as Jamie Moyer gets the win. Boone, John Olerud, and Jay Buhner all homer for Seattle.

ť November 13, 2002: The American League Gold Glove winners are announced. Three Mariners -- Bret Boone, John Olerud, and Ichiro Suzuki -- take awards.