Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Josh Donaldson This jersey has Toronto Blue Jays and John Olerud graphics as well as Cool Base technology so you'll stay cool, comfortable and... $84.99 $109.99 Add to cart More. After being selected in the third round of the 1989 draft, Olerud, an accomplished amateur pitcher with a fastball that exceeded 90 m.p.h., was called up to the big leagues at age 20 having never spent a day in the minors. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Protest live updates: State Capitols tighten security, DC locks down; heavily armed man arrested with 'unauthorized' inauguration ID, The EU could throw out its landmark trade deal with China over concerns about Beijing's human rights record. By the end of the 1996 season, it was all but a foregone conclusion that Olerud was operating on borrowed time. “He was not just one of the pieces of the World Series teams, he was a significant part of the whole thing,” former Blue Jays president Paul Beeston said. He would win 15 games in the 2001 season. Carter would play one more season with the Jays. Toronto Blue Jays John Olerud tries to tag out Oakland A's Rickey Henderson in a pick-off attempt at first base 12 October, 1992 in the third inning... John Olerud of the Toronto Blue Jays during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 1, 1994 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. “I know as a starting pitcher, facing a guy like John Olerud was a nightmare because he’s going to walk, he’s not a selfish hitter and he could spray the ball over the field. He was an incredibly tough out and he could beat you in many different ways. So he pushed to trade Olerud to make room for Carter to play every day. In his mind, Olerud’s overall numbers would get more praise today than they did back then when people were more concerned with the traditional power numbers. After the season, he’d leave as a free agent, signing with the Orioles, and then was traded to the Giants mid-season and then retired. John Olerud doesn’t get enough love as one of the greatest Jays ever with one of the greatest seasons in 1993. The two-time all-star might not have possessed the power typically associated with first basemen, but he did just about everything else. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. “I don’t think that suits my strength,” Olerud lamented at the end of his last season in Toronto. Find the latest John Olerud Player Jersey and show off your bold new team gear while representing your favorite player on the next gameday. C $13.43. He finished a 17-year career with a .295/.398/.465 line, 2239 hits, and 255 home runs. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution MLB first baseman who played 17 seasons, winning two World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays. For as talented as he was, nothing Olerud did — besides that memorable ’93 run toward Major League Baseball’s still seemingly unachievable feat — was ever enough. Yet, while Olerud is known for his 1993 chase of .400 and his contributions to the Jays’ championship teams, his stature within this city wasn’t always so positive. The next season he flirted with hitting .400 deep into August and finished the year leading the majors in doubles (54) and OBP (.473) and the American League in average (.363) and OPS (1.072). Cito was never a fan of John’s. $75.00. Guys who get on base, guys that put the ball in play. Olerud averaged just 13 home runs and 58 RBIs over his final two years in Toronto. For a unique way to show off your Toronto Blue Jays pride, get this Youth John Olerud Toronto Blue Jays Base Runner Tri-Blend Long Sleeve T-Shirt - Royal. I’m of course talking about none other than John Olerud, who is the focus of this week’s Flashback Friday post. Former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, the man who guided Toronto to back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993, once said that if he had a daughter, he’d pick John Olerud to be her husband. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema John Olerud in höchster Qualität. John Olerud … (Olerud) was an integral part of it because he was always getting on base and he just did his piece.”. His resumé includes a batting title, three gold gloves, a pair of World Series rings and a spot in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. “Our option, quite frankly, is to trade him,” Ash said at the time. There were almost as many mechanical adjustments as there were home runs in his final two years with the Jays. We did. He attended Interlake High School in ... Born: August 5, 1968 STARmeter. The franchise hadn’t just given Olerud away, they had paid someone to take him off their hands. “John was not a pull hitter. We need to rebuild around the younger guys.’. Johnny O had an amazing career with the Blue Jays, but nothing was more magical than watching his incredible 1993 season. John Olerud was born on Monday, August 5, 1968, in Seattle, Washington. 28 Chuck Johnson, “Mets Figure Timing Is Right To Acquire Olerud From Jays,” USA Today, December 23, 1996. View rank on IMDbPro Filmography. Toronto’s coaching staff was obsessed with turning Olerud into something he wasn’t. Toronto had Carlos Delgado waiting in the wings at first base and an aging Joe Carter required at-bats at designated hitter. 9: 1B John Olerud (1989-96) One of the best pure hitters to ever wear a Blue Jays uniform, Olerud’s sweet swing from the left side is hard to forget. Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Oder starten Sie eine neue Suche, um noch mehr Stock-Fotografie und Bilder zu entdecken. 9. Reduced price! And as a result of his contributions to the Blue Jays, the team sent a heartfelt message to him and his family after learning his daughter Jordan died after battling a rare chromosome disorder she was diagnosed with in August 2000. “That’s exactly what teams are looking for. Narratives change over time. They wanted the Washington native to hit for power, pull the ball with increased regularity and be more aggressive at the plate. In Olerud’s case, history made his case stronger. After that, he played 5 years for the Mariners, hitting .285/.388/.439 with 72 homers. John Olerud is remembered for having one of the sweetest swings in Blue Jays history. His last MLB appearance was on October 2, 2005, for Boston Red Sox. Today in Blue Jays History: Olerud traded for Person. John Olerud featured for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox during his MLB career that spanned that 16 years. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Maybe seeing the way things were heading, our GM Pat Gillick left the team after the 1994 season to take over the Orioles. “We obviously feel he has not lived up to what we thought he could accomplish.”. “A lot of people like to think of first base as a power position. #OTD in 1996, the Mets acquired John Olerud from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Robert Person. Today, the trade of John Olerud. But I think people look at the whole package now, not just power, regardless of position.”. Hitting .234/.284/.399 with 21 home runs (and a pretty impressive 102 RBI, considering those numbers). “If I have a regret, my regret is the way I played these last two years,” he said. But we also had an aging outfielder, Joe Carter, who really couldn’t handle playing the outfield every day anymore, but he could play first (not as well defensively as Olrude, but he could play the spot). Republication or distribution of this content is There have been just seven Blue Jays with more wins above replacement (WAR) than the 22.6 Olerud produced during his six years in Toronto and only two of them — Tony Fernandez (37.5) and Delgado (36.8) — won a ring with the Blue Jays. You had the great players who went into the Hall of Fame, Roberto Alomar and Paul Molitor. Add in that he was a two time World Series hero. Your Account; Logout; Login; Create Account; John Olerud. To order 1990 SCORE JOHN OLERUD #5 SIGNED/AUTOGRAPH ROOKIE CARD BECKETT CERTIFIED. I’m not sure if it is the worst trade in team history, but I’m sure it is my least favorite trade. I think people appreciate those skills more now. As Matt noted, John played better after leaving Toronto. New (Other) C $1.94. Durchstöbern Sie 160 blue jays john olerud Stock-Fotografie und Bilder. It ultimately led to a trade — Olerud for New York Mets right-hander Robert Person — that former Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash wishes he could have back. It’s not like we didn’t know how good he was. … There was only one way the team could go, and that wasn’t up. “He would be very valued today,” Ash said. A strong GM might have stood up to his manager and said, ‘No, Carter’s time is done. During the 1992 post-season, Olerud hit .333 with a .389 OBP. 1990 BOWMAN #510 JOHN OLERUD ROOKIE RC TORONTO BLUE JAYS . His professional career spanned 17 seasons with the Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners, Yankees, and Red Sox. We had three guys for two spots. From United States. He hit .291 with a .398 on-base percentage in 1995. He moved up in the batter’s box and then back. A lot of the unfair expectations can be traced back to the start of Olerud’s career. 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