Olerud retires

DMZ · December 8, 2005 at 1:09 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

(sorry, I thought we’d touched on this elsewhere)

John Olerud has retired. I liked Deanna’s write-up.

I’d only add that Olerud’s demeanor has, perhaps, contributed to the lack of notice of what was a long, nice career where he made huge contributions to some great teams.

Comments

53 Responses to “Olerud retires”

  1. msb on December 9th, 2005 7:51 pm

    sigh. just a reminder of the Olerud timeline.

    Early in the 2004 season the Ms asked Olerud (who had a no-trade clause) if he would accept a trade to the Giants. Olerud declined, feeling that the M’s would come right, and start to win. Sadly, they didn’t.

    When July rolled around, the M’s asked him again if he would accept a trade (to a never specified team), he declined again, and said it wasn’t that he would never accept a trade, but what he wanted (if he wasn’t to be with the M’s) was a team that would work best for his family– one that had relaxed rules about kids, one in an area where he could find proper care for his daughter.

    When no trade that would work can up (partly because folks knew he’d be released) he was DFA’d– the M’s still couldn’t work out anything in the 10 day window, and he was gone. He then talked to and signed with NY at the start of August.

  2. Dave H. on December 10th, 2005 12:03 am

    I’m new to reading this website, but the couple of times that I have perused the comments y’all leave, it seems that the level of intelligence and class you display here is similar to what John Olerud exhibited on and off the field. This is where I’m going to come from now on to read thoughtful insights into our ever-changing Mariners.

  3. skipj on December 10th, 2005 6:53 pm

    RE: #44

    THATS the Olerud article I knew I would never have to read in real life. Great link.

    Aside from the obvious humor of considering John in that type of situation, I thought the team/manger reactions were hilarious. How many times do we hear that crap when some spoiled bad boy has a brush with the law? Is there some MLB/NFL approved script that they bought from the NBA for these situations? Perhaps if we sign Everett we can hear this nonsense from our FO and Hargrove, Lord spare us.