Editing John Olerud (section)

== Professional career ==
In a 17-season career through 2005 spanning 2,234 games, Olerud posted a .398 [[on-base percentage]], 500 doubles, 255 home runs, 1,275 walks, 1,408 runs scored, 1,230 RBIs, 3,602 times on base, 96 sacrifice flies, and 157 intentional walks. He was also hit by pitches 88 times and grounded into 232 double plays during his career. He is one of only 26 players to ever [[hit for the cycle]] multiple times in their careers. Defensively, in 2,053 games at first base, he recorded a career .995 [[fielding percentage]]. He is a two-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] and a member of two [[World Series]]-winning teams with the Blue Jays ([[1992 World Series|1992]]–[[1993 World Series|93]]).

Olerud jumped directly to the majors after a stellar career at Washington State, where he was a pitcher noted for his performance from 1987 to 1989. He had originally intended to return to Washington State for his senior year but agreed to sign with the Blue Jays only after they promised that he would report directly to Toronto.<ref name=blnbdthm /> He was known for always wearing a [[batting helmet]] in the field as a precaution, due to the aneurysm he suffered at age twenty.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/sports/baseball/29vecsey.html?_r=0 |title=Olerud's Skill Is Noticeable Even During a Laugher |last1=Vecsey |first1=George |date= May 29, 2005|work=The New York Times |access-date=March 8, 2015}}</ref>

=== Toronto Blue Jays ===
Olerud broke into MLB with the Toronto Blue Jays in {{mlby|1989}}, without ever playing in the minors. Prior to the {{mlby|1990}} season, he was named the #3 prospect in MLB by ''[[Baseball America]]''.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=olerud002joh John Olerud Minor League Statistics & History] Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed on August 20, 2020.</ref> He was [[Platoon system|platooned]] by Jays' [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] [[Cito Gaston]] for the first few years of his career, until {{mlby|1992}}, when he became the team's full-time first baseman. In {{mlby|1993}}, his breakout season, he led the American League in batting average (.363), intentional walks (33), [[times on base]] (321), [[on-base percentage]] (.473), [[on-base plus slugging|OPS]] (1.072), and [[Double (baseball)|doubles]] (54, also a career-high), while posting career-highs in home runs (24), RBIs (107), [[Run (baseball)|runs]] (109), and [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] (200). He flirted with a .400 batting average for much of the season, with his average staying higher than .400 as late as August 2.

Despite putting up solid numbers over the next several years, he failed to meet the high expectations placed upon him following his breakout performance in 1993. After the [[1996 New York Mets season|1996]] season, Olerud was battling veteran [[Joe Carter]] and up-and-comer [[Carlos Delgado]] for a spot at either [[first base]] or [[designated hitter]]. Delgado was young, had a bright future and a low salary, while Gaston preferred Carter to Olerud, feeling the latter wasn't aggressive enough at the plate.<ref>[http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2009/4/8/826987/top-50-all-time-jays-10-john-olerud Top 50 All-Time Jays: #10 John Olerud]</ref> Therefore, Olerud was traded, along with cash, to the [[1997 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] on December 20 for [[Robert Person]].

=== New York Mets ===
[[File:John Olerud (2919396065) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Olerud with the Mets at [[Shea Stadium]] in 1999]]
With the Mets, he set a team record in [[1998 New York Mets season|1998]] by reaching base at least twice in 12 straight starts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=477195#gameType=%27R%27|title = Ike Davis Stats, Fantasy & News}}</ref> Olerud set team single-season records for batting average (.354), on-base percentage (.447) and runs created (138) in 1998. He was in the race for the National League batting title until the final day of the season, when [[Larry Walker]] edged him out with a .363 average.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19980928&id=hPgpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xmoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3200,4996299|title=Both leagues crown first-time batting champs|work=Sun Journal|date=September 28, 1998|access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> In the [[1999 New York Mets season|1999]] campaign, Olerud appeared on the cover of the September 6 issue of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', along with fellow Mets infielders [[Edgardo Alfonzo]], [[Rey Ordóñez]], and [[Robin Ventura]]. The magazine raised the debate as to whether the four talented fielders comprised the best defensive infield in major league history.<ref name=sivglvaff /> He set Mets records for most walks (125) and times on base (309) in a season that year.

=== Seattle Mariners ===
Following the 1999 season, Olerud returned home, agreeing to a three-year, $20 million contract with the [[Seattle Mariners]]. In [[2000 Seattle Mariners season|2000]], he amassed 45 doubles, 102 walks, 10 sacrifice flies and 11 intentional walks. He was an important part of the Mariners' historic [[2001 Seattle Mariners season|2001]] season in which they tied the record for most wins in a major league baseball season with 116. Olerud contributed to the effort with a .401 on-base percentage, 94 walks, 272 times on base and 19 intentional walks in 159 games. In [[2002 Seattle Mariners season|2002]], he recorded a .403 on-base percentage, 39 doubles, 98 walks, 269 times on base and led the American League with 12 sacrifice flies. In [[2003 Seattle Mariners season|2003]], he collected another 84 walks. Olerud also earned all three of his Gold Glove Awards while playing first base for Seattle in 2000, 2002, and 2003. In mid-July [[2004 Seattle Mariners season|2004]], the Mariners were in last place in the American League West Division and Olerud was designated for assignment;<ref name=spirepr>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b8cjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RNEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5121%2C1932495 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Report: Mariners moving Olerud off roster |date=July 15, 2004 |page=1B}}</ref> he was hitting .245 with five homers and a trade was attempted but not completed; he was released the following {{nowrap|week.<ref name=mrelse>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dMcjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RNEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1465%2C3376565 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Mariners release former AL batting champ Olerud |date=July 24, 2004 |page=1B}}</ref>}}

=== New York Yankees ===
About a week after his release, Olerud was signed in early August by the [[2004 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] to fill a void left at first base by the injury of {{nowrap|[[Jason Giambi]].<ref name=binny>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BMcjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PtEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6128%2C297155|work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |agency=Associated Press |last=Walker |first=Ben |title=Back in New York |date=August 4, 2004 |page=1B}}</ref>}} Less than two weeks later, the Yankees visited Seattle to play the Mariners. Olerud started the second game on Saturday, August 14; his first time up, Mariners catcher [[Dan Wilson (catcher)|Dan Wilson]] went to the mound to have a "conference" with pitcher [[Jamie Moyer]]. This gave time for about a minute-long standing ovation for Olerud from the {{nowrap|Seattle fans.<ref name=octsink>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4VRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5346%2C3399795 |work=Sunday Register-Guard |location=Eugene, Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Olerud connects to sink Mariners |date=August 15, 2004 |page=D5}}</ref>}} His [[American League Championship Series]] was cut short when he was forced to leave due to an injured foot in Game 3. Olerud pinch-hit in Game 7 but struck out after a lengthy at-bat against Pedro Martínez, making a rare relief appearance; it was Olerud's last at-bat as a Yankee.

=== Boston Red Sox ===
On May 2, [[2005 Boston Red Sox season|2005]], the [[Boston Red Sox]] and Olerud agreed to terms on a minor league contract. He had been recovering from surgery in November 2004 to repair torn [[ligaments]] in his left foot. Initially, Olerud reported to the club's [[spring training]] complex in [[Fort Myers, Florida]]. He was added to Boston's 25-man roster on May 27, sharing time at first base with [[Kevin Millar]] and batting in the middle of the lineup (including several starts in the clean-up spot).

=== Retirement ===
Following the 2005 season, Olerud announced his retirement from baseball on December 6. At the time, his 2,239 career hits represented the 143rd-highest total in major league history. His career .398 on base percentage ranks 65th, and his 500 doubles are 44th.

In 2007, Olerud was inducted into the [[National College Baseball Hall of Fame]]. In 2016, Olerud was named [[Pac-12 Conference|Pac-12]] Player of the Century when the conference released its All-Century Baseball team.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pac-12 All-Century Baseball team revealed|url=https://pac-12.com/news/2016/4/19/pac-12-all-century-baseball-team-revealed.aspx|website=Pac-12|date=April 19, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref> He was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020, although he was not inducted until 2023. The collegiate [[John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award]] is named after him.