Praise and tears. But what a beautiful daughter they raised. RIP Jordan. Living in Canada, I am a fan of the Blue Jays, and John was my favourite player while he played there.
Olerud must look wistfully at Ohtani opening doors that were closed to him in 1989. Somewhere out there (maybe very soon) there's a kid who'll have a John Olerud award on his shelf and who won't have to leave one of his skills behind.
This was really well done. Truly one of the most underappreciated 1st basemen of all time, and when searching for a documentary on him I was hard pressed to find one. This exceeded my expectations, thank you!
Thank you very much Michael! I really appreciate that. I pride myself in how much research I do for these. So that feels really nice to hear you say that. Makes it worth it.
Best swing in the majors.His teammates in Toronto called him “Hobsy” after the Robert Redford character in the movie “The Natural”.The most foolish move by the Jays was trying to change Johnny O,they should of let him be.The Mets said thank you very much.What a great recap of a class act ballplayer and human being.
@@JayTalkingPodcast Olerud's original nickname, given to him by George Bell, was Cheetah for his lack of speed. George was impressed with the with the way that John reacted to it and later stated that he was the most mature rookie that Bell ever encountered.
Amazing story. As a Mets fan I never knew about his family’s struggles. Just makes what he was able to accomplish that more impressive. I too always admired how understated he was but always found ways to contribute to a win.
If I remember correctly, he was the first baseman for the 2 best defensive infields in MLB history. Always liked his game, his demeanor and his class. Great documentary. Need to see more like this.
As a resident 90 miles north of Pullman (Spokane) and in high-school at the time, I remember reading and hearing daily about Olerud at WSU. Once he was drafted I really never heard much about him until he came to Seattle. He quickly and will always be a fan favorite of the city. He was definitely one of those players that flew below the radar but had a huge impact on the teams he played for.. this was a good watch. Thanks for making it.
He is revered here in Toronto for the great years he gave the Blue Jays & my favourite player. He overcame adversity, had the single sweetest swing I've ever seen, & a consummate professional and gentlemen. Ty for the great video!!
Thank you for posting this. I've always admired John for the way he played the game and for how he conducted himself with such humility, courage and gratitude.
I loved his low key attitude. He never got mad or ejected from a game. With how good he pitched in university, it’s surprising he never got a chance in the big leagues.
I really enjoyed this! I remember so clearly the season he batted 400 with the Blue Jays. I was obsessed with baseball as a kid and John was my fave. I'm sure his poster is back home in the basement somewhere...
I was 12 years old in 1992 and a big Blue Jays fans so of coarse John Olerud was one of my favs. I didn’t realize he was such a good pitcher in college and that’s interesting to hear Stanford actually wanted him to pitch more so than hit. What are your thoughts on his ability to have possibly been a 2-way player like we are seeing with Shohei Ohtani? Interesting that they have very similar swings which is what got me thinking about John recently in the first place. Realistically, Olerud is the more accomplished hitter in every aspect besides home runs so theoretically John could potentially have been doing what Shohei is doing now. The award in college baseball for the best 2-way player is named after John Olerud.
I definitely think he was the only guy (other than Shohei) who had the real potential to do it well. I would have loved to seen it. I don't know why he didn't try both.
One of the best I've ever seen play the game...when he went down in Yankees v Sox playoff so did the Yankees, he was leader without saying. A special player a better man 🙏👏
As a Mets fan, I was sorry to see him go but I didn't know about his family situation. With all the 'bad behavior' stars in the game/biz John was a breath of fresh air and he deserves to have his story told like this.
A donny baseball doc brought me here! They both should be in the hall imho. I'm in my 40's and loved watching them both immensely. Olerud in particular, is unfoundly underrated.
I went to UI and got to go to a bunch of WSU games. Bailey-Brayton field is a incredibly nice facility right on the Palouse. Olerud is beloved there. I also loved watching him on the Mariners!
I would've paid just to watch him take BP and i got to do that when he came to Boston I loved his swing. The mechanics were flawless. You're correct about him being there most underrated first baseman
When he came to the Mets, he was his own guy. He didn't have to be Keith Hernandez. He was a quiet and humble ball player which cant be said about most players today who handled playing for a NY team very well. He was so fundamentally sound at the plate and with the glove. I hated seeing him leave. It hurt the lineup and the defense.
No Wazzu fan should begrudge John Olerud for going back on his word to return for his senior year, considering he received a higher signing bonus and more guaranteed money than the 1988 top pick and started his career in the majors and was only a few months removed from a life-saving medical procedure. Ultimately hard to fault that decision. But with that said, we did miss out on an absolutely loaded 1990 Wazzu squad that could have teamed Olerud up with future 1st rounders Aaron Sele and Scott Hatteberg.
So why didn't they let him do both pitching and hitting? Was it the lack of regular dh position? Or did the teams just not want someone pitching with a batting helmet on? 🤔 😆 Johnny O is still one of my favorite players. I enjoyed watching him play as I grew up in the 80's and 90's.
i got to play against him in the Kamloops International where he pitched a no-hitter against us and hit a ball to me at third base so hard that I was caught going the wrong way as it ticked my throwing hand.
@@JayTalkingPodcast yeah, I was playing for our small-town Enderby Legionnaires, a senior men's team made up of loggers and accountants, so it was cool seeing an American college team with their army of players doing their infield and warm-ups.
We gave this attention as our video pick this week at Baseball Egg: baseballegg.com/2022/05/02/the-blue-jays-gave-up-on-john-olerud-a-video-perspective/
Great documentary! Johnny O is everything I admire, not just as an athlete, but as a person of substance and humility.
Great human! Thank you for watching and commenting.
Praise and tears. But what a beautiful daughter they raised. RIP Jordan. Living in Canada, I am a fan of the Blue Jays, and John was my favourite player while he played there.
Mine too. I was so touched by their daughter I had to tell part of her story. Thank you Brad.
My favourite player of all time.
Same. I just met his parents on Friday night. What a great family
Great docu. Garrett was on my son's baseball team. Had the pleasure of interacting with John. Class act guy.
Terrific. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thank you for creating this video of not only one of the best 1st basemen and players in MLB history, but a great man🌟
Thank you kindly for watching and commenting. Appreciate that!
I've always held a very similar view and he remains one of my all-time fave Jays. Good film - well done, sir.
Thank you my man! I appreciate your time. Hope you stick around. Lots more great docs and stories coming.
Why is Olerud not in the Hall of Fame? what a good hitter!
Great question!
Because it’s the hall of fame. Not the hall of good. Love John but his numbers don’t add up to Hall of Fame levels
Simply awesome work and tribute 🤝🧬🤝
Thank you for watching.
what a great dude
Olerud must look wistfully at Ohtani opening doors that were closed to him in 1989. Somewhere out there (maybe very soon) there's a kid who'll have a John Olerud award on his shelf and who won't have to leave one of his skills behind.
This was really well done. Truly one of the most underappreciated 1st basemen of all time, and when searching for a documentary on him I was hard pressed to find one. This exceeded my expectations, thank you!
Thank you very much Michael! I really appreciate that. I pride myself in how much research I do for these. So that feels really nice to hear you say that. Makes it worth it.
Best swing in the majors.His teammates in Toronto called him “Hobsy” after the Robert Redford character in the movie “The Natural”.The most foolish move by the Jays was trying to change Johnny O,they should of let him be.The Mets said thank you very much.What a great recap of a class act ballplayer and human being.
Thank you. I didn't know that.
@@JayTalkingPodcast Olerud's original nickname, given to him by George Bell, was Cheetah for his lack of speed. George was impressed with the with the way that John reacted to it and later stated that he was the most mature rookie that Bell ever encountered.
Amazing story. As a Mets fan I never knew about his family’s struggles. Just makes what he was able to accomplish that more impressive. I too always admired how understated he was but always found ways to contribute to a win.
If I remember correctly, he was the first baseman for the 2 best defensive infields in MLB history. Always liked his game, his demeanor and his class. Great documentary. Need to see more like this.
I appreciate your comment. Thank you. More will be coming!
His defense just got better and better!
Olerud was a favorite. As a Mets fan, I always felt had he stayed for the 2000 season, we probably could of beaten the Yankees in the world series.
That would have been incredible. Would have enjoyed seeing that. I got the feeling he really loved his time with the Mets.
Thank you for watching.
As a resident 90 miles north of Pullman (Spokane) and in high-school at the time, I remember reading and hearing daily about Olerud at WSU. Once he was drafted I really never heard much about him until he came to Seattle. He quickly and will always be a fan favorite of the city. He was definitely one of those players that flew below the radar but had a huge impact on the teams he played for.. this was a good watch. Thanks for making it.
Nicely done. Baseball Reference has him ranked 23rd All Time amongst 1st baseman. He's up there with the greats.
He is revered here in Toronto for the great years he gave the Blue Jays & my favourite player. He overcame adversity, had the single sweetest swing I've ever seen, & a consummate professional and gentlemen. Ty for the great video!!
You are welcome. Thank you.
Thank you for posting this. I've always admired John for the way he played the game and for how he conducted himself with such humility, courage and gratitude.
I loved his low key attitude. He never got mad or ejected from a game. With how good he pitched in university, it’s surprising he never got a chance in the big leagues.
I really enjoyed this! I remember so clearly the season he batted 400 with the Blue Jays. I was obsessed with baseball as a kid and John was my fave. I'm sure his poster is back home in the basement somewhere...
That's awesome! Thank you.
Always loved Olerud he was and is a class act all the way
Absolutely one of the greatest I've seen in my lifetime. Thanks for this wonderful tribute!👍
You are welcome!
This was great! He was one of my favorite players as a Met, so I definitely share the sentiment. Well done!
Thanks so much for taking the time to watch. Super happy you enjoyed it!
@@JayTalkingPodcast Great work thank you from a fan in Australia.
Excellent work sir. John was one of my favorite players too.
Thank you my friend! Happy you watched.
Great job. One of my favourite players of all time.
Thank you my friend. Mine too!
Great story on John! Thanks! I grew up just down the block from Interlake HS. Local legend for sure.
Thank you very much for watching!
It was such an honor to meet Sr. On friday night.
very well done, you need to do more in this style
Thank you! I will be for sure.
I was 12 years old in 1992 and a big Blue Jays fans so of coarse John Olerud was one of my favs. I didn’t realize he was such a good pitcher in college and that’s interesting to hear Stanford actually wanted him to pitch more so than hit. What are your thoughts on his ability to have possibly been a 2-way player like we are seeing with Shohei Ohtani? Interesting that they have very similar swings which is what got me thinking about John recently in the first place. Realistically, Olerud is the more accomplished hitter in every aspect besides home runs so theoretically John could potentially have been doing what Shohei is doing now. The award in college baseball for the best 2-way player is named after John Olerud.
I definitely think he was the only guy (other than Shohei) who had the real potential to do it well. I would have loved to seen it. I don't know why he didn't try both.
The Ricky Henderson story always kills me
I was told to include that story by many people. But was unsure if it was real or not.
My favorite player growing up by a mile and I grew up around Edgar and Ichiro with the legend of Griffey still fresh in the area
Oly is a solid all around Man and the epitome of what a Ball Player should aspire to be.
One of the best I've ever seen play the game...when he went down in Yankees v Sox playoff so did the Yankees, he was leader without saying. A special player a better man 🙏👏
Thank you for watching and commenting.
As a Mets fan, I was sorry to see him go but I didn't know about his family situation.
With all the 'bad behavior' stars in the game/biz John was a breath of fresh air and he deserves to have his story told like this.
Thank you.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable documentary. He was underrated as a player but a class act.
Thank you.
Thank you for this! Amazing work. Love Olerud and so glad you brought some attention to such an underrated player. Go Cougs and Go M’s!
Thank you for watching and subscribing Micah!
I really enjoyed this video love baseball player who really needs to be appreciate them with their accomplishments with the game
Thank you for watching, Jim!
Most people don't realize that John Olerud's career stats is actually comparable to Don Mattingly's
A donny baseball doc brought me here! They both should be in the hall imho. I'm in my 40's and loved watching them both immensely. Olerud in particular, is unfoundly underrated.
My absolute favorite blue jay of all time... such a sweet swing he had.
As a Red Sox fan, I remember how scary Olerud was in '93
I went to UI and got to go to a bunch of WSU games. Bailey-Brayton field is a incredibly nice facility right on the Palouse. Olerud is beloved there. I also loved watching him on the Mariners!
Thank you Rob!
Thank you for watching and commenting, Scott.
Being a TO fan I real liked John. John had the sweetest swing
Great Documentary!
I would've paid just to watch him take BP and i got to do that when he came to Boston
I loved his swing. The mechanics were flawless.
You're correct about him being there most underrated first baseman
I would have loved to see him take BP. The stroke was so smooth.
Well done video
Appreciate you watching and commenting. Thank you Nick.
When he came to the Mets, he was his own guy. He didn't have to be Keith Hernandez. He was a quiet and humble ball player which cant be said about most players today who handled playing for a NY team very well.
He was so fundamentally sound at the plate and with the glove. I hated seeing him leave. It hurt the lineup and the defense.
He was a doubles machine.
I enjoyed learning more about the man under the helmet.
Yeah John had an amazing eye at the plate.
Thank you for watching!
That's a photo of the 1965 University of Boston team (@ 0:10)?
Cool!
When his batting average was
higher than Tony Gwynn,
I said.. Who Is This Guy..!??
👍👍👍
Cool
No Wazzu fan should begrudge John Olerud for going back on his word to return for his senior year, considering he received a higher signing bonus and more guaranteed money than the 1988 top pick and started his career in the majors and was only a few months removed from a life-saving medical procedure. Ultimately hard to fault that decision.
But with that said, we did miss out on an absolutely loaded 1990 Wazzu squad that could have teamed Olerud up with future 1st rounders Aaron Sele and Scott Hatteberg.
Thanks for watching. And thanks for the extra info on the 1990 squad. Loved that. Thank you
He was very good hitter.
Imagine if the Jays had just let him play his game, insta HoF.
So why didn't they let him do both pitching and hitting? Was it the lack of regular dh position? Or did the teams just not want someone pitching with a batting helmet on? 🤔 😆
Johnny O is still one of my favorite players. I enjoyed watching him play as I grew up in the 80's and 90's.
That's a great question. I would love to dig deeper on that. Thanks for watching.
Mr. Natural Swing
GREAT VIDEO! GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN JESUS CHRIST'S MOST HOLY NAME AMEN!
I didn't know he played for the Yankees and Red Sox
Thanks for watching!
Drops 56 pointsin 1999.. from 354 to 298... ohh nooo 298! Haha holy cow he was.good
So they changed his swing and blamed him for lack of production...
Drama Drama
What??? this is like making a documentary of Jeff Blauser
i got to play against him in the Kamloops International where he pitched a no-hitter against us and hit a ball to me at third base so hard that I was caught going the wrong way as it ticked my throwing hand.
Wow. What a great memory. Thanks for watching!
@@JayTalkingPodcast yeah, I was playing for our small-town Enderby Legionnaires, a senior men's team made up of loggers and accountants, so it was cool seeing an American college team with their army of players doing their infield and warm-ups.
@@perryroberts4353 so cool!
We gave this attention as our video pick this week at Baseball Egg: baseballegg.com/2022/05/02/the-blue-jays-gave-up-on-john-olerud-a-video-perspective/
That's terrific! Thank you ver much for the should out. I'll check this out today.
great person, great family, blessed to know them