Another key member of our back-to-back World Series championships has retired from baseball. John Olerud calls it quits as a .295 career hitter with 255 home runs and 1,230 RBIs in 2,234 games. Johnny O's best season was 1993 when he won the AL batting title with a .363 average, beating out his Blue Jays teammates Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar.
Way back in May 2003, I checked in on the '93 Jays to see how many were still active and I updated this list in March 2005. Of those who played for the Jays during the '93 playoffs, only four remain active in the Major Leagues.
- Woody Williams - Starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres
- Mike Timlin - Relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
- Al Leiter - Finished last year with the New York Yankees
- Pat Borders - Played last year for the Seattle Mariners
The final four... and 42 year old Borders is hanging on by a hair.
I found it impossible not to root for Johnny O, even when he was playing for the Mets, Mariners and Yankees. He was an extremely likable, soft-spoken player with the sweetest swing you've ever seen.
