Miles from Fenway: Good Luck, Olerud

It’s ironic that last night I wrote a post about not writing about baseball and just hours later am about to do so, but the Boston Red Sox made an announcement last night that deserves mention.

37 year old first baseman John Olerud is officially retiring from the game of baseball. In his 17 years in the game he won three Gold Gloves and made two All-Star appearances. He was a soft-spoken, classy player, the kind of guy that Major League Baseball needs more of, and he will be missed.

Olerud was the kind of guy that you just could not dislike as a person. As a player, sure his batting numbers had declined and his speed since his foot injury was absolutely subpar. But he was just such a class act that even being on the Yankees couldn’t make me not like him.

So thanks, John, for ending your career with the Sox. I’m incredibly happy that I got to see you play in as many games as I did (and not just because I don’t trust Kevin Millar’s glove at first). You were a comfort to have at first base and your swing was a thing of beauty to watch. You’ll be missed.

Labels: Boston, Red Sox

posted by FINY @ Wednesday, December 07, 2005

6 Comments:

At 12/07/2005, Ari said…

Do you realize John Olerud finished with the 3rd best winning percentage for a player that started playing after 1970. Pretty Impressive, guy was a winner.
At 12/07/2005, Mike said…

After 8 seasons and helping the Blue Jays win 2 World Series Johnny O is the still the all-time on-base percentage franchise leader. Hes definitly one of the best players Toronto has had come through the system. Classy and soft-spoken are the perfect words to describe this guy.
At 12/07/2005, Jack said…

I liked Olderdude - and I'm gonna miss him.
At 12/07/2005, Michael Leggett said…

Elegant 1st Baseman! Will miss his quiet style!
At 12/07/2005, WelshSoxFan said…

He was the first baseball player I ever liked and I was hoping that he'd come back for one more year.

In other news - Mirabelli looks like he's gone :-(
At 12/10/2005, Feed Watcher said…

Hey FINY:

Maybe you can help us get ready for the 2006 season by posting your top 5 players---from a skill perspective, and then from a straight-up hottie ranking.

We all appreciate your expertise in this area.