(I wrote this last week, just waiting for the proper day to post it. That is why some of the statistics are slightly out of date.)
I am being relatively serious. John Olerud, my favorite baseball player since he was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1989 -- I loved how he both pitched and played first base in college -- is known for mostly for his consistancy: on-base percentage of at least .375 for the past 11 seasons, .300 average most years; 30 or 40 doubles a season, 15 or 20 home runs. A good, but not great, baseball player.
But now. Let us compare Olerud's current statistics with two other first basemen who have made the hall of fame:
AVG OBP SLG H HR RBI
John Olerud .299 .404 .475 1996 231 1092
George Kelly .297 .342 .452 1778 148 1020
Frank Chance .296 .394 .394 1273 20 596
More to the point, let's compare Olerud's projected future statistics to more Hall of Fame first basemen:
3000 hits obviously would make him a lock, but ever two or three more good seasons would give him statistics that match up surprisingly well with a number of first-base hall-of-famers. (Even now, he has a better on-base percentage than all but four or the 18 hall-of-famers who played first base.) Investment note: Pick up his rookie cards now.
---
John Olerud quote of the week. Regarding what 2000 hits means to him: ""I think this means I'm getting older. I've been playing for a number of years."
---
Bonus John Olerud quote of the week. "John Olerud [who wears jersey number 5], had to veto 'Mambo No. 5,' but he's OK with his current playlist [the songs that play when a player comes to bat], which includes the soccer anthem 'Alé Alé Alé Alé' and 'Johnny's Theme' from 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.' 'I should come up with a few songs that are my responsibility, but usually I don't care,' Olerud said....'I really should pick some, because otherwise people might think that's the kind of music you like, and that might not be the case.'"
i sincerely do not know what you are doing here. are you lost? were you
looking for your delicate calico cat, and did you follow her up two flights of stairs
to this room? she is not here. she was here, yes. we gave her a warm bowl of milk, we talked with her about campaign finance reform for a time, and then she bid us good day. i believe she was
going to the post office two blocks down, but i don't quite recall.
for surely you did
not find your way from prinsiana, the least traveled site on
the internet. if you did, though, perhaps you are looking for humor. perhaps you are looking for profundity. perhaps you are looking for answers.
i'm sorry, but you shall go naught-for-three.
