John Olerud was a Seriously Underrated Baseball Player

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[@Arden2000]

“You’re going to the mets game too? Nice. What row are you sitting in?” “First base”

[@ccgb92]

LOL

[@MickLoud999]

I was at a Canucks game. We scalped tickets and got the first row beside the Black Hawks bench. My brother is a Hawks fan and was in heaven. It was a televised game so they often stood in front of us during commercial breaks. As we were waiting for the puck to drop 2 blonde ladies came up to the row and asked us "Is this the first row"? Our noses were pressed up against the glass! No ladies. The first row is on the ice near the face off circle. They gave us weird looks and we let them pass!

[@Arden2000]

Mr DMc lmao that’s sick

[@robertbeirne9813]

Mr DMc are you in the wrong comment section?

[@kirkprospector4958]

@@robertbeirne9813 I think all he needed was a Canadian sports team and the word "first" to launch this one.

[@kylebrown8760]

John Olerud is a Jays LEGEND. We love him here.

[@vicentecamacho8484]

Kyle Brown 3 years with my Mets and he was a fan favorite.

[@kinthelt]

He's one of the few players I can name from the Jays in 92 and 93.

[@seipjere]

All-time favourite* for life. 🎖️ 🏆 👍🏻

[@vicentecamacho8484]

EDHOLLA and then the Trolls came out!

[@SuperStrik9]

Definitely. Jays fans will always love Johnny O.

[@GiantSquiddman]

When I was a little kid around 1990, my family saw three Jays games when they played the Twins in Minnesota. Before one of the games my brother and I got to watch some of the Jays take batting practice. After Kelly Gruber smacked a ball out into the bleachers, my brother got it and asked him to sign it for us. He did, and nothing against Kelly Gruber, but you could tell it was just a routine nothing to him, and after tossing it back to us he went about his day. Just then John Olerud came out of the dugout and we asked him to sign some kind of program or something, and he was so sheepish and actually pointed at himself and said "me?" when we asked him! He signed it for us and seemed genuinely happy to do it. I'll never forget that humility. Great guy.

[@bummer1912]

Your super underated as well

[@waydebaker33]

@@bummer1912 wow Rambo, that was really nice. Rambo is such a nice and peaceful guy.

[@bummer1912]

@@waydebaker33 I like people who are more laid back

[@waydebaker33]

@@bummer1912 Me too. That's why I've started living with a pack of wild dogs that runs through my neighborhood. I've given up on "normal" people. These four legged ones are great.

[@toptenguy1]

In fairness to Gruber, he was already a big star back then. Olerud was still relatively unknown at the time. if it was actually 1990, he was not the full time 1st baseman yet, it was Fred McGriff. So I'm guessing a near rookie/non starter would indeed be more excited about an autograph than an All Star level player.

[@shawnreap]

John Olerud isn't just the kind of guy I want on my team - he's the kind of guy I want NINE of. Everyone should look at him as the example of how to be a professional player.

[@joeblow9657]

This. His attitude was so underrated compared to all the megalomaniacs out there

[@johnpatrylo3041]

In every sense of the word, Professional, Dedication you name THATS was him👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Thanks Johnny olerdude

[@nksj28]

"Professional" is a great word to describe him!

[@robdemare8250]

Anybody who got to see him play would agree...

[@stevegirard-voiceaudiopodcasts]

I loved him when he was a Met... talk about a guy who could roll out of bed and hit .300! In 3 years for us, he had just about 300 RBI's... and we'd never had a Met hit 3 freakin' 50 before! He was a guy who's blood pressure never got above normal, but who cares? Another guy like him who I really liked was Kevin McReynolds, who played LF for us... who said that (paraphrasing) 'I don't get to excited about things, I also don't get down... it helps me be a good ballplayer.' So, yeah... I'd take 4 Oleruds and 4 McReynolds on my team... and we'd probably win a ton of games.

[@failedfilmmaker]

Apparently he just lost a teenage daughter to an illness this month. Thanks for doing this video. As a Jay's fan from those years I always thought he was super underrated. The guy could rake.

[@gedias1]

His daughter was severely handicapped and sadly succumbed to her condition.

[@failedfilmmaker]

@Kelltron He had it for so long, sort of surprising he ended with only 363 or whatever it was. Ive never looked, but he must have got cold right at the end of season

[@moisesledesma2607]

He won the batting title in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays with a 363 batting average

[@totalrobot]

Rest in peace little Olerud.

[@cohokid6936]

That is terrible news

[@LateNiteBreaks]

For those unaware, the story goes like this: When Henderson signed with Olerud's Mariners in 2000, he came up to Olerud and asked about the helmet the first baseman always wore in the field. After learning the reason -- Olerud suffered an aneurysm in college, and wore the helmet to protect his head -- Henderson said, "Man, I played with someone like that in New York." And Olerud's response: "Yeah, Rickey, that was me." Apocryphal, but funny nonetheless!

[@ryanlavarnway96]

If that story is true, there is another comedic layer to add as they were teammates again on the Jays in 93’ where they won the World Series. Rickey just being Rickey😂

[@LateNiteBreaks]

@@ryanlavarnway96 I believe he played for the Jays before the Mets.

[@ryanlavarnway96]

robsvlogs21 Yeah meany to say before. Basically in short, were teammates 3 times

[@KardiFan2000]

I read somewhere that Rickey was just joking, but knowing Rickey, maybe he actually forgot that it was John lol.

[@MickLoud999]

That story is just that...a story. I saw an interview with Rickey and he was asked about that. He said it wasn't true but he wished it was!

[@alexroberts6412]

I was starting to think Olerud was a figment of my imagination. No one ever seemed to remember him. Thank you for saving my sanity

[@tigerkiller113]

And he is in MLB The Show 20 too. I would for sure love to have John Olerud on my team. Heck, would even love to get his autograph!

[@prsfuture]

WEDIDNOTSUCK98 they screwed us mets fans as he’s the reward for the collection and he only plays 1b, when u got Alonso who only plays 1b

[@sean9520]

Antonio Soto There is no justice for mets fans

[@shogovoutour2324]

His autograph is rlly hard to get cuz he was a bit quiet and didn’t sign much but I was lucky to get a signed card from him a while back

[@Nedo4779]

I got him to sign a ball when I was a kid, probably my favorite player of all time. He had one of the sweetest swings ever.

[@thenewbruno]

I vividly remember meeting John Olerud at a big Toronto suburb church in 1990. He came out to hang out with a bunch of youngsters for the heck of it. He was so calm and normal. It was incredible.

[@buckfuttler2877]

We love John in Seattle. ALWAYS will!

[@roberttrovato8531]

Did I know who John Olerud was before this? No, no I did not. Do I love him w everything I own now? Yes, yes I do.

[@jonny-dp2qr]

Dudes swing was butter in MLB the show 21 or 22

[@danielcohen9637]

Best 1st basemen I ever saw.

[@The-Dom]

I watched Olerud while he was in Toronto. Everybody I knew considered him to have the sweetest smoothest swing in baseball.

[@mindpurge2270]

Oh he did bro, that swing was pure gold. I can't think of anyone with a smother swing than his.

[@ruihanazawa2906]

I agree, he's the only player who's swing is so smooth that even when he strikes out he looks good. Classy player and classic swing.

[@liamcrothers8896]

Jays fans out here like "You're not telling me anything new here."

[@alexanderfooy723]

Liam Crothers Mets fans as well.

[@rederik99]

Yup. Jays fans knew. Other pitchers were so afraid of him! Intentional walk city.

[@FeelItRising]

@@alexanderfooy723 Washington State fans too

[@phlotographer]

@@FeelItRising Yes and a UW Husky fan as well as a Blue Jay fan loved him. Just no way to carry 3 first basemen. With all those terrific stats, HOF is missing a great one. In '93, I could not loose as being both a Phillies fan from the time I was 8 as well as being a Jays fan from inception attending games down by the lake as well as in Sky Dome (yes Sky Dome not Rogers Centre). Nope, only watched the opener with the snow but did see the Dave Stewart no hitter against as well as being at the only All Star event held in the Great White North -- home of the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors. Ah, what memories. Thanks Mike.

[@nikobellic3830]

Liam Crothers And Mariners fans

[@markvandyke2106]

Griffey's swing is rightfully considered the most beautiful in baseball history, but Olerud's wasn't too far behind.

[@patstevens1913]

John had the sweetest swing. John is one of my favourite players although that whole Jays team was awesome. I wish him well

[@tylerstevens1904]

Fred McGriff, John Olerud, Carlos Delgado. Not a bad streak at first for the Jays. All great ballplayers. All underrated. All should be getting a better look for the Hall of Fame.

[@erickennedy4480]

Delgado should be in the Hall of Fame

[@tonyanthonyfowler]

Agree Delgado and crime dog are HOF worthy....olerud is borderline but not....

[@tylerstevens1904]

@@tonyanthonyfowler Fair enough. My thought is he should have gotten a better look, not just dismissed out of hand as he was.

[@brianc9036]

If Olerud put together stats that got him closer to 3,000 hits I could a strong case. But none the less the guy was a really good player for a long time.

[@thefamily5357]

All 3 should be.

[@FloatingAppleProductions]

One of my favorite Mets. A joy to watch him play. It was always exciting to see him hit a home run because he wasn't a power guy.

[@moisesledesma2607]

He was a great contact hitter

[@elainechubb971]

I loved those late-90s Mets, and the great infield was such fun to watch on defense.

[@GeoffBosco]

Easily one of my favorite Mets of all time. His time here was too short.

[@Datruth330]

Geoff Bosco absolutely, if he stayed with the Mets they win that 2000 subway series. Sorry, Todd was a shadow of Olerud.

[@josephcolella3107]

Geoff Bosco honestly Geoff as one met fan to the other. You think we beat the Yankees in 2000 if he would have stayed? I think we could have. Ziele was good but not at his level.

[@75aces97]

And how! I wanted that infield to stay together at least one more year.

[@75aces97]

@@josephcolella3107 I've wondered that. I definitely felt better having Olerud than Ziele.

[@robertbeirne9813]

Geoff Bosco if Olerud was still with the Mets in 2000, they would have beaten the Yanks in the Series. IMHO

[@jasona9]

John Olerud was the reason the Blue Jays thought it would be okay to trade 1B Fred McGriff to the Padres for OF Joe Carter. The Toronto Blue Jays obviously had confidence in John Olerud.

[@brianeleighton]

Yes, but regimes change. You get drafted by one group that really believes in you and your ability, so they trade an established star to make room for you. You play for the team for a while and eventually that management group is fired. This new group comes in, and for whatever reasons, decide they do not like your style of play. Now you are the established star getting traded to make room for the young kid they believe in. Remember, this is before analytics were a thing...Billy Beane had just gotten hired in Oakland at the time.

[@KardiFan2000]

@@brianeleighton Except, Olerud was drafted and McGriff was acquired/traded by the same GM (Pat Gillick)...same regime

[@brianeleighton]

@@KardiFan2000 Yes, but the managers did. You are thinking of today, where the front office controls the lineups and playing time. Like I said, Billy Beane had just started in Oakland at the time. Remember the scene where Billy wants Hatteberg to play and what he did to accomplish it? There is a reason that made it into the book, it was pretty much unheard of at the time in baseball for a GM to do that to their field manager. If Gillick still believed in him but Gaston didn't, my point remains. Why? Because if the player is just sitting on the bench they give your club no value. If your manager says he is not going to play him, you got two options. One, fire the manager and pay him the remainder of his contract. Two, trade the player you like and try to get the best value back for him that you can rather than letting him rot on the bench.

[@KardiFan2000]

@@brianeleighton Oh trust me, it had nothing to do with Gaston disliking McGriff or anything, he actually loved McGriff and was his hitting coach for his first 3 seasons...in fact, 1990 happened to be a career year for McGriff (at that point). Before trading McGriff, Gillick RARELY made big trades and NEVER signed a big-name free agent (until '92 and '93)...as a result, Gillick was known in Toronto as "stand Pat". The reason he was traded had more to do with the Jays' failure to defend the AL East title in 1990 than his shortcomings.

[@brianeleighton]

@@KardiFan2000 No, Gaston disliked Olerud. Gillick really liked Olerud. You seem to have construed my comments as a slight on McGriff, and they were not. McGriff was an established star who would attract a good return for your club. Olerud was an unproven high prospect, exactly the type of player a team is looking to get in return for their established star. So, Gillick traded an established star that the future manager of the club really liked for good prospects and to make room for your top prospect to play. Hitting coaches do not determine playing time, the manager does. Fast forward and that hitting coach is now your team's manager. That top prospect is now an established star in the league and your manager hates him and will not play him. That leaves you with the options I laid out earlier, fire the manager or trade the player. You literally have proven my point. Cito Gaston probably hated Olerud from day one since he was so high on McGriff.

[@jamessparham5762]

John is one my highly respected idols growing up. It was special to see him play. He played the game right. I tip my cap to him.

[@jasonwong1624]

John Olerud is my favourite player of all-time. Watching him be an integral part of two World Series Championships was the highlight for me. The biggest testament to his character was how he voluntarily gave up his spot in the line up to Paul Molitor, in the 1993 World Series away games, as the didn’t have the Designated Hitter position.

[@arthurcooperman3106]

I was waiting for this video!! If Olerud was still in NY in 2000, they would’ve won for sure. Todd Zeile was great but Olerud was just so much better.

[@hankscorpio7767]

@Vincent Cuttolo might've been more competitive

[@jvaldez1896]

@Vincent Cuttolo The Yankees were a little bit Better, but the Mets were a very very good team that season with a Prime Mike Piazza. It could have gone either way with a little luck. It was a very exciting subway serie very exciting. Down to the last at bat!

[@jvaldez1896]

@Vincent Cuttolo Piazza wasn't much of a clutch hitter, now thats a really bad statement. Piazza was the most clutch power hitter on both teams maybe ever as a catcher. I remember in this series when Piazza just missed a homerun deep to center field that could have turned the whole series and taken it to a game 6. Play any video game at his prime and you will see for yourself, LOL.

[@CSDonohue11]

Real talk

[@samsportstalk5404]

I’m sorry are we just gonna skip over the fact Lenny dkstya blackmailed umpires???

[@Swedishchef99]

That should be another video

[@nathanjohnson2382]

5 points needs to get on that immediately he goes hard with that type of content

[@KardiFan2000]

@@Swedishchef99 A whole video could be done on Dykstra's off-field "decisions", but it would probably be over an hour long.

[@ndep93]

Dykstra needs his own Tiger King like documentary, not just a KZbin video.

[@davidwalter2002]

@@Swedishchef99 Yes. Exactly. This video is about Olerud, not Dykstra.

[@wardnikoff]

Johnny O is a legend here in Toronto - I saw his first HR live as well as his first multi HR game.. one of my alltime fav players.

[@MrKrushgutz]

I remember how much he was talked about in 1993 because he was hitting 400 for the majority of the season.

[@jasondousett3620]

MrKrushgutz And had a 26 game hitting streak during that summer. He was a great ball player, strong consideration for the HOF, IMO

[@thegodfather1907]

He and the Blue Jays beat my Phillies in the 1993 World Series.

[@MickLoud999]

Actually in 1993 the top 3 batting averages were all Blue Jays Olerud .363, Molitor .332, Alomar .326

[@mikespongili8254]

@@MickLoud999 In the AL only. Andres Galarraga hit .370 to lead the majors, and guys like Gwynn and Bonds (Gregg Jefferies too, anyone?) hit for a better avg than Molitor.

[@cameranmanner4701]

@@MickLoud999 WAMCO was the bating line up.

[@gakster29]

I adored John Olerud when I first was a cognizant 8/9 year old baseball fan in 95/96. I recognized that solidness right from the get-go. Then, being a Mets fan, I was through the roof when he came to NY in 97. I loved him so much, I didn't really hold it against him when he went to Seattle in 2000. Made too much sense for him. Fast forward to 2010, and I was applying to grad school programs. Got rejected from every single one except Washington State in a hail mary acceptance in June. I was so excited to go somewhere, it took a couple of hours to realize I was going to the school that Olerud went to. It's an odd combo being a Met fan who loved Olerud and stumbling upon being a WSU alum after. If the world ever suffers the misfortune of my procreation, I will show my kids his swing. Here's some other things about Olerud: -John Olerud had an OPS with the Mets, in those 3 seasons, of .926. That was the highest of any Met with at least 300 PA's...until Pete Alonso's .941 in 2019. -He was unconscious during the 1999 NLCS. After the Mets went down 3-0, he hit HR early in Game 4, then won the game with 2 RBI single in the 8th off John freaking Rocker. Olerud then hit a 2-R HR in the first inning of the Grand Slam Single game the next day. -Idk if this story is apocryphal, but he *was* recognized on the subway once. Well, "recognized" because he was mistaken for Wayne Gretzky, who was a Ranger at the time. -His father was also an accomplished player at Washington State (being All-American and going to the 65 College World Series), and studied medicine while playing minor league ball. He ended up with a very accomplished medical career. He gave a talk when I was at Wazzu, but I had class during said talk and couldn't make it.

[@steveperez178]

It's too bad he wasn't around for 2000. LFGM

[@shellbournian]

I'm so glad someone finally made this video. loved watching this guy play.

[@couleecardcollectors8562]

Couldn’t agree more. Olerud was one of the most underrated players of his time. Completely dependable and quite frankly, a star.

[@theodorep9569]

No one in Toronto has ever forgotten how great John was. So glad he was with us for our two championships

[@stevepatrick5818]

The tribute is much appreciated. This man was stellar performer for the Mets during those three years. There was quite a bit of disappointed when he departed for Seattle.

[@kroyakre509]

As an M's fan, I will NEVER forget John Olerud. Loved him

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

Olerud always reminded me of Edgar Martinez with a Glove. Both played Positions that expect huge Home Run Power but became Legends from Consistent Contact, Doubles, and getting on base.

[@justinlewis4970]

John has been my favorite player since he played down the road at WSU. I remember watching Moneyball and getting so pissed that John really missed the current era, when, as the video says, he would have been valued a lot more. But then I looked at his salary history: he got a lot of money from the Mariners to play the game he loved in his hometown. So, that makes me feel a little better. Still, if peer respect is anything, I think he ranks among the best.

[@jwrightonline]

O's fan here. I've only ever had 2 baseball players jerseys... Cal Ripken Jr. and John Olerud. I'm probably the only O's fan to ever be seen in a Blue Jays or Mets jersey that wasn't due to losing a bet (Had both a Blue Jays & Mets Olerud jersey, felt less tacky wearing the Mets one though). "Hey, I thought you were a Birds fan?" "I am." "What's with the Jays/Mets jersey then?" *turns around and shows the name OLERUD written across the back* "Ah, gotcha. Fair enough." It's like my Colts and Broncos Manning jerseys. I don't like the Colts or the Broncos, but I love my boy from theTennessee Vols, Peyton Manning. Great video on John Olerud. Thanks for posting it.

[@jmathieson15]

More known for that sweet swing but the field helmet is definitely memorable

Blue Jays fan always was a huge fan of John Olerud, he was production. Saw him with jays against mariners in seattle, his home run won the game. Very good video thanks for this!

[@ThePyroHunk]

He had a sweet swing. Loved his time with the Mets 😊

[@GeoffBosco]

Yeah that swing was a beautiful thing to watch.

[@tommydebo5]

Thanks man, I needed this. He was a my favorite player growing up and I played his style of good D and hitting for average and doubles and still do to this day. John Olerud is an inspiration.

[@rh5466]

He was a role model of mine. I'm grown up now, but I still aspire to carry myself like him.

[@torontocards.3326]

Olerud and Rickey Henderson were briefly teammates on the 93 Jays, winning the World Series. Years later, they were teammates on the Mets. Henderson noted that Olerud wore a helmet while fielding, and mentioned he played with a guy like that before. Olerud responded, "That was me"

[@Futureman75]

TorontoCards.33 I was curious if this comment would appear.

[@markelkington7276]

I loved watching Johnny-O play for the Mariners. Fabulous player.

[@jasonkoch3182]

Great video. Was a huge John Olerud fan growing up. I used to honor him by wearing my plastic Blue Jays batting helmet during the neighborhood streetball games. Great, great player.

[@opqs8157]

I always wondered why he had a batting helmet when he was on defense. Now I know

[@jasondousett3620]

OPQS Initially it was give him extra protection and confidence due to the surgery. Over the years, he couldn’t take it off as it just didn’t feel comfortable not having it on.

[@jasondousett3620]

OPQS Initially it was give him extra protection and confidence due to the surgery. Over the years, he couldn’t take it off as it just didn’t feel comfortable not having it on.

[@donwhiteley3293]

And knowing is half the battle. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

[@twfchamp02]

I’m not much of a baseball fan anymore but I always remembered John Olerud. His name made me watch this and wow. I forgot how good he was. Fantastic video. Thanks for taking me back.

[@TheGuitologist]

Do Mark Grace!

[@everetth-top4760]

Wow! It's cool to see all of the love for Olerud no matter where he played. Toronto...loved. New York..loved. Seattle..loved. I am sure if he played for the Angels back in the day, I would had loved him play for my team, too.

[@SportStorm23]

Wow, can't say I've heard of Olerud before this video, but how does a guy that hit .363 in the Blue Jays championship season not get talked about more often?

[@herotomillions4095]

Because he played his first 7-8 seasons with the Jays

[@joelegue182]

He was the "O" in the W-A-M-C-O in the Jays Championship teams. Points to anyone who can name all 5 members of this killer's row of hitters!

[@herotomillions4095]

@@joelegue182 White Alomar Molitor Carter Olerud Not hard

[@toptenguy1]

@@herotomillions4095 And in late 1993, they added friggin' Rickey Henderson to that. It would have been shocking had they NOT won the World Series!

[@75aces97]

1990s baseball was very one note. If you played a corner position and didn't eat steroids for breakfast and hit 50 HR, you didn't get any publicity. Getting on base and getting people out was for squares.

[@MikePado]

I remember him as a heck of a player. Being a Red Sox fan I saw a lot of him with the 'Jays hurt us quite a bit.

[@MadKingLordeus]

Olerud and McGriff. They had a strong run at 1B.

[@donwhiteley3293]

Don't forget they had Cecil Fielder along with McGriff in 87-88 too. How many teams can say they traded away or released 3 different young all-stars who all played the same position in a 7 year span only to end up with a guy at that position (Delgado) that would go on to set a franchise record for HRs and be a HOF candidate in his own right?

[@nottarealla9336]

And carlos delgado right after. Nice stretch at first for a decade

[@calebdyer9425]

Years ago when I still played baseball, I actually really liked Olerud and didn't understand why he wasn't appreciated more. He started at first base at the first MLB game I ever spectated (SEA@BOS May 2004). I'm glad people are really starting to realize how valuable and unique players like him actually were. Lots of really great players were so easily forgotten in the PED era.

[@mastermindmartialarts]

I always had mad respect for Olerud. He was never super spectacular when he played so he got overlooked but his consistency is amazing.

[@shack8110]

Dude was solid day after day.

[@jasondousett3620]

yu stu It is unfortunate that solid players like him don’t get the recognition because of his quiet demeanour. The guy was a stud without having to be ‘loud’.

[@mastermindmartialarts]

@@shack8110 super efficient

[@joshlewis575]

400 into August n 363 for a season are pretty spectacular

[@mastermindmartialarts]

@@joshlewis575 Agreed, but he was never a guy that was highlighted every night by sports casters like others from his era (McGwire, Griffey, Bonds, etc). His consistency often got overlooked because of the homerun hitting era he played in.

[@Flewellen727]

John Olerud is INSTANTLY one of my favorite players ever because of this. Thanks for making this video!

[@adamogilvie8337]

Had the smoothest swing ever. Hands down the best overall hitter I've ever watched play the game. And I saw a lot of his games in the 7 years in Toronto.

[@jas9239]

Adam Ogilvie best overall hitter to play the game? I think you and I both know that’s not true

[@adamogilvie8337]

@@jas9239 LOL to me it was the best followed by Griffey jr. Got to ask now, who's yours

[@jas9239]

Adam Ogilvie smoothest swing and best overall hitter are two different things..smoothest I’m with you on Griffey..best overall hitter was ichiro, I don’t even find that arguable

[@thefamily5357]

Roberto Alomar?

[@marzf1004]

There's so much Mariners content on KZbin lately! I'm loving it! Olerud was (and honestly probably still is) my mom's favorite player his entire Mariners tenure

[@Panguin9]

Here's my All-Olerud (underrated players)team: P- Lance Lynn, C- Mitch Garver, 1B- Freddie Freeman, 2B- Ketel Marte, 3B- Eugenio Suarez, SS- Andrelton Simmons, OF- Jorge Soler, Austin Meadows, Ender Inciarte

[@ct53222]

Freeman garver and suarez are not underrated

[@Panguin9]

People think Alonso is better, and I don't think people realize that Freeman has been one of the top three hitters in the league five years in a row. That said, Christian Walker would have been a better choice.

[@Panguin9]

There weren't any great choices for Catcher or 3rd. I could have gone with Eduardo Escobar at 3rd.

[@bigbrother4059]

Scott Gilpatric you could literally just put the dbacks entire team 💀💀

[@Panguin9]

@@bigbrother4059 I'm sorry, I'm slightly biased

[@mtp4430]

Yes, seriously underrated. I'm a life long Mets fan and we had him for 3 seasons. This guy was GREAT. No doubt one of the most talented ballplayers the Mets have ever had. He was one of my all time favorite Mets even though his time with the Mets was brief. Great video, and thank you for trying to educate people as to how excellent a ballplayer this guy was.

[@jackhalley5543]

I've never click on a video SO fast

[@jayscards8640]

The most basic form of success as a batter is getting on base. Clearly, Olerud clearly knew how not to make an out. I had him as my first baseman on my Strato-Matic team in 93. He led my team to become the champion of the 20 team-league I was a part of back then. Definitely underrated! Thanks for creating this.

[@dno718]

Me and my dad still use him as our standard for a perfect swing

[@totalrobot]

Will Clark is smoother

[@07hockeystar07]

@@totalrobot Tony Gwynn

[@RM-TheQuadroon]

I'm a Gen Xer, Olerud was in my staple of favorite players growing up. He was one of my favs for the reasons you gave for him being so unknown. Very humble and down to earth guy. Definitely underrated. Great vid!👍

[@connormancuso6434]

I just looked at his stats today before the video he was underrated

[@colbyquinn3653]

Honestly one of the best baseball videos I’ve ever watched on KZbin....Y’all truly don’t get the credit you deserve...Keep it up I love this stuff!

[@vinleminh]

Anyone here remembers John Olerud in the MLB Showdown card games?

[@steveperez178]

Wow, I totally forgot about that game.

[@dmart6436]

Me and my 15 year old kid are playing MLB the Show and we unlocked Olerud, and he asked who he was, I told him how great he but never got enough credit. This was last night, the we see you're video. Great job! Subscribed!

[@bfut1071]

I've always liked Olerud and wondered why noone else noticed him

[@anthonyriche552]

Wow, excellent video my man! Well narrated!! I’m from NY and a Mets fan and I can tell you the Olerud was one of my favorites. I knew when he was at the plate that he would get on base somehow. He was SOLID! Great fielder and just smart at the plate. And if you look at his level swing, that’s the sign of a great hitter. Mattingly had a similar swing also. Thanks for explaining why he always wore the batting helmet.

[@StateoftheFranchiseSports]

I've met Michael Kay on the train once and didn't even realize until I got off the train, I tweeted him after 😂 he said he woulda given me a pic too

[@haedyncavanagh]

How did you not notice Kay’s massive head?

[@SylviusTheMad]

The Mariners were a really interesting team when Olerud was there. Bret Boone got all this credit for all the RBIs he had, but since he hit behind John Olerud and Edgar Martinez, there was someone on-base for MORE THAN HALF of Boone's plate appearances. And he hit fourth; he led off innings more often than anyone on that team except Ichiro. But when he wasn't leading the inning, there was usually someone on base (and since Olerud and Edgar were both doubles machines, probably someone in scoring position).

[@tommyj653]

I feel Freddie freemen also brakes the stereotypical first basemen mold

[@kornival117]

freddie still hits for power though. Votto is the one that comes to mind for me

[@tommyj653]

@Jason Fonseca I know, I’m talking modern players.

[@moisesledesma2607]

He was an amazing contact hitter

[@Reddog794]

I based my swing on John's growing up, I can honestly say my infield skills were developed off him, and I learned my patience in the box from him. It makes me happy to see at least one person making content about the player that meant so much to me as a kid. Thank you for the great content.

[@PicoRiveraCalifornia]

I feel like I belong to a special group of people because I recognized his name instantly.

[@shapilier793]

Same lol

[@brianc9036]

Definitely remember Olerud for wearing the helmet and playing a long time. I remember him from the Mariners days. Had no clue he had such big seasons with the Blue Jays and Mets.

[@Seaseahawks57]

I’m a mariners fan but a young one. My dad is a huge Olerud fan!

[@Seaseahawks57]

Will I ever see them in the playoffs?

[@brianc9036]

@Vincent Cuttolo Wouldn't say I am young. I started watching baseball when I was 10 in 1997. Well before KZbin and Baseball-Reference.

[@andrewkw666]

He was so ahead of his time. Rewatching the 93 world series it's amazing that he sat game 3 and didn't even come in for defense (he was on deck to ph but never came up). Forgetting about if he had been encouraged to walk more and pull less instead of more, if he had just been moved to hit 2nd instead of 5th he would have scored so many more runs. He got walked a lot less with hall of famers batting behind him also. If he didn't get hurt towards the end of his career or have family issues encourage him to retire "early" he would have been a lot closer to 3000 hits and maybe got some love from the dinosaurs. Also he had the most aesthetically pleasing swing I've ever seen.

[@aqgpandemic5406]

Ahh yes, the Joey Votto of the 1990's. Also to add to that ops+ showing how good he was, consider how ops+ accounts for the era a player plays in and this was the power mad 1990's, so in 1993 John Olerud was 86% better than the average hitter in possibly the most power mad era in baseball history, by not focusing on home runs.

[@iherduliekmudkipz5540]

Especially considering that Votto is from Toronto, and would've definitely seen Olerud play as a kid when the Jays won back-to-back WS.

[@gnielsen07]

In 2017, Joey Votto got on base at least once in 150 games that season... an amazing year... the last time it happened.. was in 1999... by Jon Olerud. (Also a pretty good player named Jeff bagwell did it in 99 as well)

[@macandrewes]

Olerud was phenomenal. I saw him all through his years with the Blue Jays. He was fortunate to play on good teams throughout his career, but he was also an important part of why those teams were good in the first place. Good players make those around them better. It's contagious. 1993 really was magic though. The Blue Jays had the top three in AL batting average in Olerud (.363), Paul Molitor (.332) and Roberto Alomar (.326). Nothing like out-hitting a pair of HoFers by 30 to 40 points. The whole team was stacked though. I'll never forget that WAMCO top 5 of Devon White, Alomar, Molitor, Joe Carter and Olerud. Opposing pitchers must have looked at that and just said "Why me?". Thanks for the video!

[@WeldonGHunter]

"John Olerud played three minor league games ever. They were in 2005. The Blue Jays promoted him directly to the major leagues in 1989." Damn - JO was a time traveller as well!!

[@WeldonGHunter]

@Vincent Cuttolo Now it makes sense!

[@mypetmeatball]

Yes he played three minor league games at the end of his career. It makes sense.

[@justinmolinari5338]

Thanks for making this, my favorite player of all time that I modeled my swing after coming up in the game. He signed a ball for me during a rain delay with the Mets in 1997 and it's the only sports memorabilia I own that I care about.

[@kornival117]

olerud was the equivalent of wade boggs and tony gwynn. great hitters that walk more than strikeouts. could have hit 30+ HRs every year but choose to put the team first

[@BogartWestern]

As a 90s kid who played first base and hit for contact pretty well, I definitely knew and admired Olerud.

[@veritasetutilitas5432]

Cito Gaston had his favorites and John wasn't one of them. He had a near perfect swing

[@rederik99]

Just one more reason I never really liked Gaston. They may have succeeded with him, but he just wasn't a great coach. Same way I feel about Gibbons. I like Montoyo so far, though.

[@KardiFan2000]

@@rederik99 Even great managers make bad decisions from time to time...mind you, Gord Ash made the final decision on John.

[@brycemcneil4404]

I love Cito and will never not love Cito, but he absolutely ruined what was going to be a Hall of Fame career for Olerud. Why you would look at someone with Olerud's swing, a 1.072 OPS, .473 OBP and .599 slugging and say "You know what the problem is? This guy doesn't hit enough home runs!"

[@KardiFan2000]

@@brycemcneil4404 Disagree that he "ruined" him, but there was no reason to trade him...none whatsoever. Cito was the typical old-school manager, going by his gut instead of going by numbers...sad how that '96-'97 situation played out. That was probably the turning point of the Jays missing the playoffs every year up until 2015.

[@shack8110]

A manager should care about nothing but winning games and the peacefulness of the clubhouse. Nice going Cito. John Olerud will be remembered as a great baseball player, Cito will not be remembered.

[@emilyscandycakes4530]

Met fan here... he was clutch...quiet..respectful...and a baseball player.. wish we can have more of these guys in the league..

[@joshywashy4ever]

Basically, John Olerud was the Kawhi Leonard of baseball.

[@Rizzo5785]

I wonder if he has the same goofy laugh

[@Mr_Nibblesworth]

Dafuq?

[@damets]

One of my favorite Mets of all time. He was so good hitting 3 in front of Piazza. It's amazing he never got a gold glove until he went to Seattle. Those Mets teams with Olerud, Alfonzo, Ordonez, and Ventura were so fun to watch, especially because they were so good defensively.

[@jamesdroz566]

IF HES 86 PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE PLAYER WHY WOULD THEY GIVE HIM UP. Just because he doesn’t hit home runs doesn’t mean he’s bad.

[@Panguin9]

Because nobody cared about those stats back then

[@mansurrahim]

Thanks for putting this together. In '93 Jays had the top three batting averages: Olerud, Molitor and Alomar.

[@thenatecrate8299]

Let’s keep it at 0 dislikes, shall we? Edit: why god

[@13jorino]

I just don't get it

[@davidwalter2002]

Because some people have such little self-esteem and no life to speak of, they must troll websites and down vote for the feeling of power and fulfillment normal people like you and me get out of our lives. SMH. Poor sods.

[@75aces97]

Cito Gaston logged in 6 times.

[@Zoggosh]

i definitely only remembered him as the helmet in the field guy. end of his career was about ages 7-11 for me, never knew just how productive he was and for how long. great vid

[@seanthompson2259]

Still one of the sweetest swings! As a 10 year old jays fanatic I always loved him and Devon white

[@koolaid117]

I was just reminiscing about those great Blue jays teams. I remember watching Olerud chasing .400 and it was amazing. A member of my favorites team chasing the legendary Ted Williams. Throw in back to back World Series wins and it was a great time to be a Jays fan! Love Olerud!

[@bubblerman]

I had legitimately never heard of him until now. Great video Mike!

[@BigKahunaTuna]

I can’t think of a more underrated player than Johnny O and you’ve quantified it beautifully. Nicely done!

[@frankg3rd1]

I forgot how much I loved the player John Olerud.....funny....this may be the only video on youtube that captures his greatness !

[@erichvonmolder9310]

He was a very good solid player you want on your team. He did have flashes of greatness in two of those years in his career. His Defence saved a lot of runs that made up for years he hit under 300.

[@michaelgarcia5937]

Awesome video! Loved watching Olerud when I was a kid in the 90s!

[@randybolton9274]

Loved the video and Olerud was ALL THAT and more!! Being a die-hard Brave fan I always wanted John and the Braves to get together. Never worked out but really enjoyed watching him play!! I believe when "making" up your all-time rosters you should start with the first baseman!!! Needs to be a great fielder and hitter.... in that order!! John is a Hall of Famer in my book!!!!

[@codythompson759]

Man I forgot about John Olerud! I remember he was so consistent, great baseball player. What a swing! Also my kind of guy, humble and low key nothing wrong with that! Good video btw, thanks

[@ebscoHOSTpub]

i LOVED watching Olerud as a kid when he was with the Mets. He was always my favorite bc I could spot his helmet. Never knew why until today. Great video.

[@leelantern805]

Me too he was one of my favourite players, that year he was chasing 400 was so exciting and boy was that a sweet swing

[@Alchemicalromance93]

I am a Yankees fan and I love and respect John Olerud. He's one of my all time favorite players and I actually really respected his attitude when I watched him play back in the 90s.

[@robpoole2417]

One of my favourite jays of all time one of my favourite players of all times thank you for this more people need to realize how great of a player he was

[@inttruders]

My freshmen year at WSU I remember Olerud hitting over.460 while going 15-0 as a pitcher. He was pretty amazing.