| John Olerud | |
|---|---|
 Olerud with the Boston Red Sox in 2005 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: August 5, 1968 Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 3, 1989, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 2005, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .295 |
| Hits | 2,239 |
| Home runs | 255 |
| Runs batted in | 1,230 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2020 |
John Garrett Olerud, Jr. (/ˈoʊləruːd/; born August 5, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1989 through 2005, most notably as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays team that won two consecutive World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. He also played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.
A two-time All-Star, Olerud was a patient, productive hitter throughout his career,[1] winning the American League batting title in 1993, and finishing as runner-up for the National League batting title in 1998. Olerud was also an excellent defensive first baseman, and won three Gold Glove Awards. In 1999, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated titled "The Best Infield Ever?" along with Edgardo Alfonzo, Rey Ordóñez, and Robin Ventura, when he played for the Mets.[2] Olerud was notable for wearing a helmet while on defense, due to his suffering from a brain aneurysm in college.
- ^ Taylor, Phil (May 10, 1993). "A swing so sweet". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ Verducci, Tom (September 6, 1999). "Glove affair". Sports Illustrated. p. 56.