John Olerud
Though he batted over .300 in just four of his 17 seasons, when John Olerud did it, he really did it. In 1993 with the Blue Jays, he batted .363 and won the American League batting title, and in 1998, he was runner-up when he hit .354 for the Mets. A tall, lanky batter, Olerud had a sweet swing and generally disdained power, choosing instead to lace line drives. An injury in college to his head required Olerud to wear a helmet whenever he was on the field.
Played For
Toronto Blue Jays (1989-1996)
New York Mets (1997-1999)
Seattle Mariners (2000-2004)
New York Yankees (2004)
Boston Red Sox (2005)
Best Season: 1993
Through July, Olerud was batting .402. Then he hit .310 in August and slumped in September (.256) and the chase for .400 was over. He paced the AL in batting, doubles (54), OBP (.473), and intentional walks (33).
Where He Played
First base and DH
Born
John Garrett Olerud was born on August 5, 1968, in Seattle, WA.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: 1B
Primary Team: TOR
College: Washington State
Major League Debut
September 3, 1989
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1989
Steve Finley
Todd Zeile
John Olerud
Sammy Sosa
Omar Vizquel
Ken Griffey Jr.
Juan Gonzalez
Albert Belle
Jim Abbott
Post-Season Appearances
1991 American League Championship Series
1992 American League Championship Series
1992 World Series
1993 American League Championship Series
1993 World Series
1999 National League Divisional Series
1999 National League Championship Series
2000 American League Divisional Series
2000 American League Championship Series
2001 American League Divisional Series
2001 American League Championship Series
2004 American League Divisional Series
2004 American League Championship Series
2005 American League Divisional Series
Awards and Honors
2000 AL Gold Glove
2002 AL Gold Glove
2003 AL Gold Glove
Batting Feats
- September 11, 1997: Cycle...
- June 16, 2001: Cycle...
Notes
During his career, Olerud batted .289 in his home parks, and .301 on the road... In '93, Olerud batted .452 against the White Sox in 12 games, and .442 against the Indians in 13 games.
Hitting Streaks
26 games (1993)
23 games (1998)
All-Star Selections
1993 AL
2001 AL
Replaced
Rance Mulliniks
Replaced By
Richie Sexson
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting to all fields
Largest Weakness as a Player
Consistency
Learn More about John Olerud
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