John Olerud hat two hits and a nice fielding play in both game four and five of the 1992 Fall Classic. Olerud was a little late getting to his first World Series class, but once he arrived he made some big plays. The Atlanta Braves had some big throwers out there on the mound. The Toronto Blue Jays first basemen came to play and get some hits off 'em.
Olerud didn't even play in the first game, and it would have been a tall order for him. He would have faced Tom Glavine. This was in Atlanta, so the Toronto Blue Jays were at a slight disadvantage. As in, no designated hitter. Another disadvantage was Glavine himself. Great pitcher, and left-handed. Glavine went out and beat the Toronto 3-1 on a fine four-hitter. Candy Maldonado had no such luck. Joe Carter played first as Dave Winfield played right. Dave had been the DH most of the season. They couldn't bench anyone who'd hit 20 + plus home runs like those guys. Glavine was a lefty out there, and didn't face a single lefty all day, but none of the Jays could hit him. Just not right, eh?
Olerud had 16 home runs himself, however, and started game two at first. John Smoltz was the pitcher, and a little more to Olerud's liking. More of a fastball first, everything else second. Olerud got ahead 3-1 in the count his first time up, before Smoltz battled back in fanned him with a nice splitter. Olerud had fouled off a fastball previous to that. But Smoltz had to be careful not to throw too many of those.
And Olerud was actually involved in the controversial play of the game when he batted next.
Roberto Alomar was on third in the top of the fourth, and there were two down. Smoltz' first pitch to Olerud bounced away from catcher Damon Berryhill and went to Olerud's right, behind him. Here comes Alomar, here comes the throw...Out! Replays showed Robbie beat the tag, but what can you do?
So John never got to finish the at bat. But in the top of the fifth, Olerud sent Dave Justice, the Braves' right fielder, almost to the warning track. It was 2-0 Atlanta at the time. Kelly Gruber was then retired for the second out, but Toronto somehow scored twice that inning to tie it.
Olerud and Smoltz faced each other again in the top of the sixth with a man on and one out. Olerud again got ahead in the count 3-1, just like he had four innings ago. John then did what you don't do and hit a flare that resulted in an inning-ending double play.
The Jays trailed again by two, 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning. This time, Alomar couldn't be denied. A double down the left-field line. A single by Joe Carter. A single by Dave Winfield. 4-3. That was the end of the line for John Smoltz.
Mike Stanton, who threw very, very, hard, came in to pitch to Olerud. A lefty. Olerud decided the best approach to this situation would be to go after the first pitch. But all he could do is pop out. The Blue Jays still trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth, when Ed Sprague hit a dramatic two-run home run to give Toronto their first lead of the ballgame, 5-4. Tom Henke came in and got the save. Olerud ultimately ended the game without a hit. Same thing in game three as the 1992 Fall Classic shifted to Canada. The Jays, however, also won that game, again in the ninth but this time walk-off style. Would John ever get a hit in the 1992 Fall Classic.
Glavine was back in game four, and Olerud looked over-matched. For about one at-bat. Glavine fanned him in the second on a circle change for his first K. But Olerud was ready for that and anything else that the lefty offered rest of the game.
Olerud singled in the bottom of the fourth. And again in the bottom of the sixth, on the changeup. Toronto put two runners on both innings and failed to score. The Jays needed some offence since they were up only 1-0. The Jays got another run the next inning as Kelly Gruber singled and scored on a Devon White single. That run was needed.
The Braves rallied in the top of the eighth. Ron Gant doubled off Jimmy Key, who was pitching an amazing game. Brian Hunter put and bunt down the left side, Toronto couldn't make a play, and the tying run was at first. Damon Berryhill tried to bunt, but popped out. Mark Lemke grounded out when his grounder hit Key and went to Gruber, but that got a run home plus it moved Hunter to second. Duane Ward came in to get Otis Nixon. He fanned him, but Pat Borders (Who'd hit a solo home run earlier in the game), couldn't get a handle on it. The wild pitch moved Hunter to third. Nixon stole second to keep the heat on Toronto. A single now, and Atlanta is up 3-2. Ward had to get the next batter out or this was really looking bad.
Jeff Blauser was the next batter. On a 1-0, he hit a hard grounder to the right side of the infield. Not quite down the line, but not far from it. Olerud went to his left behind first and backhanded it. He beat Blauser to the bag on a fine play. Jays' fans breathed a sigh of relief. Olerud did not bat again, and the Jays didn't score in their half. But when Tom Henke got the Braves out 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, Toronto not only had the win, but they were up 3-1 in the World Series. One more win.
And they would have to beat Smoltz to get that. Or whoever started games six or seven for Atlanta.
But the Braves got into any Jays' victory plan. They scored a run in the top of the first. In the bottom of the second, with Atlanta still up 1-0, Dave Winfield sent a liner to centre that Otis Nixon ran down for the first out. John Olerud was up and John Smoltz was on the mound. John vs. John again. Ball one. Ball two. Ball three. Smoltz got it back to 3-2, but Olerud was ready. He singled to centre. A walk and a booming Pat Borders double tied the game.
Smoltz got through the bottom of the third alright, and Atlanta got another run to get the lead back in the top of the fourth. But guess what happened in the bottom of the frame?
Olerud, after fouling off the first pitch, sent a Smoltz splitter to right for a single. Olerud was four for his last four. Candy Maldonado followed with a walk. Kelly Gruber sent Deion Sanders all the way to the wall in left for a long, loud out. Pat Borders singled home Olerud for another RBI and a tie game.
The Braves, though, weren't about to let the Jays win this one. They scored five times off Jack Morris in the top of the fifth, four of them coming on a Lonnie Smith grand slam. Now ahead 7-2 and with Morris out there for David Wells, things were looking up for Atlanta.
Wells got Sid Bream to fly out and end the inning. All the damage had happened with two outs. Toronto came to bat in the bottom of the frame in big trouble. But they kept hitting the ball well.
Roberto Alomar flied out to Deion Sanders in left, as did Joe Carter. Dave Winfield, playing in his first World Series in eleven years, got Toronto's fifth hit of the game. He singled back up through the box on John Smoltz's very first pitch. That brought our boy to the plate again.
Smoltz had walked a batter in each of the last three innings and was looking erratic. So wanted a nice, neat inning to get away from all that. He'd been falling behind in the count and his pitch count was over 90. He quickly got ahead of Olerud 0-2, and it looked like an easy time at last. But John hadn't made things easy for John all series long. Why should this be any different. The fact that it was 7-2 Atlanta made no difference. You never quit in the Fall Classic. No retreat, no surrender.
Smoltz missed low. Then high and wide. 2-2. Finally, he came inside and Olerud took it all the way. 0-2 to 3-2. And Olerud wasn't going to let up either. Smoltz finally threw a strike to avoid another walk, but Olerud fouled it off. The inning ended as Smoltz got him to fly to Sanders.
Wells, back out there in the top of the sixth, got Jeff Blauser to pop to Olerud in foul territory, and that play was no problem. Damon Berryhill, the switch-hitter, batted from the right side and singled. Mark Lemke flied to centre. Otis Nixon was up, and already had two hits and two runs scored to his name. Just like Olerud. And just like Olerud, he was 2-3. It would be Olerud that stopped him from going 3-4, but did Nixon ever give it a ride. The ball had a bit of side spin on it for good measure, but it was fair. Good job of hitting on Otis' part, as he too was a switcher batting right-handed.
Otis lined one down the first base line off on a 1-1 pitch from Wells. John was a little back of the bag, and little off the line, but he snared it. There were two outs, but John stepped on first for good measure for the fourth out.
Toronto had Joe Carter on second in the bottom of the eighth with one out as Dave Winfield fanned. But John Olerud, the scheduled hitter, was not in the on deck circle. It was Ed Sprague. Mike Stanton was back pitching, you see. Sprague sent Dave Justice deep and Carter tagged. But when Candy Maldonado bounced out, the inning was over. The game ended 7-2 for Atlanta, with Olerud's contribution's largely forgotten. Olerud was a quiet guy at first. But he'd helped the Jays in back-to-back games with his hitting and fielding. His wits and his smarts. He let his bat and glove do the talking, thank you!
References
“MLB World Series: Game 5- Atlanta At Toronto.” Fishman, Bob, director. MLB World Series, season 46, episode 5, Columbia Broadcast Corporation, 22 Oct. 1992.
Olerud didn't even play in the first game, and it would have been a tall order for him. He would have faced Tom Glavine. This was in Atlanta, so the Toronto Blue Jays were at a slight disadvantage. As in, no designated hitter. Another disadvantage was Glavine himself. Great pitcher, and left-handed. Glavine went out and beat the Toronto 3-1 on a fine four-hitter. Candy Maldonado had no such luck. Joe Carter played first as Dave Winfield played right. Dave had been the DH most of the season. They couldn't bench anyone who'd hit 20 + plus home runs like those guys. Glavine was a lefty out there, and didn't face a single lefty all day, but none of the Jays could hit him. Just not right, eh?
Olerud had 16 home runs himself, however, and started game two at first. John Smoltz was the pitcher, and a little more to Olerud's liking. More of a fastball first, everything else second. Olerud got ahead 3-1 in the count his first time up, before Smoltz battled back in fanned him with a nice splitter. Olerud had fouled off a fastball previous to that. But Smoltz had to be careful not to throw too many of those.
And Olerud was actually involved in the controversial play of the game when he batted next.
Roberto Alomar was on third in the top of the fourth, and there were two down. Smoltz' first pitch to Olerud bounced away from catcher Damon Berryhill and went to Olerud's right, behind him. Here comes Alomar, here comes the throw...Out! Replays showed Robbie beat the tag, but what can you do?
So John never got to finish the at bat. But in the top of the fifth, Olerud sent Dave Justice, the Braves' right fielder, almost to the warning track. It was 2-0 Atlanta at the time. Kelly Gruber was then retired for the second out, but Toronto somehow scored twice that inning to tie it.
Olerud and Smoltz faced each other again in the top of the sixth with a man on and one out. Olerud again got ahead in the count 3-1, just like he had four innings ago. John then did what you don't do and hit a flare that resulted in an inning-ending double play.
The Jays trailed again by two, 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning. This time, Alomar couldn't be denied. A double down the left-field line. A single by Joe Carter. A single by Dave Winfield. 4-3. That was the end of the line for John Smoltz.
Mike Stanton, who threw very, very, hard, came in to pitch to Olerud. A lefty. Olerud decided the best approach to this situation would be to go after the first pitch. But all he could do is pop out. The Blue Jays still trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth, when Ed Sprague hit a dramatic two-run home run to give Toronto their first lead of the ballgame, 5-4. Tom Henke came in and got the save. Olerud ultimately ended the game without a hit. Same thing in game three as the 1992 Fall Classic shifted to Canada. The Jays, however, also won that game, again in the ninth but this time walk-off style. Would John ever get a hit in the 1992 Fall Classic.
Glavine was back in game four, and Olerud looked over-matched. For about one at-bat. Glavine fanned him in the second on a circle change for his first K. But Olerud was ready for that and anything else that the lefty offered rest of the game.
Olerud singled in the bottom of the fourth. And again in the bottom of the sixth, on the changeup. Toronto put two runners on both innings and failed to score. The Jays needed some offence since they were up only 1-0. The Jays got another run the next inning as Kelly Gruber singled and scored on a Devon White single. That run was needed.
The Braves rallied in the top of the eighth. Ron Gant doubled off Jimmy Key, who was pitching an amazing game. Brian Hunter put and bunt down the left side, Toronto couldn't make a play, and the tying run was at first. Damon Berryhill tried to bunt, but popped out. Mark Lemke grounded out when his grounder hit Key and went to Gruber, but that got a run home plus it moved Hunter to second. Duane Ward came in to get Otis Nixon. He fanned him, but Pat Borders (Who'd hit a solo home run earlier in the game), couldn't get a handle on it. The wild pitch moved Hunter to third. Nixon stole second to keep the heat on Toronto. A single now, and Atlanta is up 3-2. Ward had to get the next batter out or this was really looking bad.
Jeff Blauser was the next batter. On a 1-0, he hit a hard grounder to the right side of the infield. Not quite down the line, but not far from it. Olerud went to his left behind first and backhanded it. He beat Blauser to the bag on a fine play. Jays' fans breathed a sigh of relief. Olerud did not bat again, and the Jays didn't score in their half. But when Tom Henke got the Braves out 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, Toronto not only had the win, but they were up 3-1 in the World Series. One more win.
And they would have to beat Smoltz to get that. Or whoever started games six or seven for Atlanta.
But the Braves got into any Jays' victory plan. They scored a run in the top of the first. In the bottom of the second, with Atlanta still up 1-0, Dave Winfield sent a liner to centre that Otis Nixon ran down for the first out. John Olerud was up and John Smoltz was on the mound. John vs. John again. Ball one. Ball two. Ball three. Smoltz got it back to 3-2, but Olerud was ready. He singled to centre. A walk and a booming Pat Borders double tied the game.
Smoltz got through the bottom of the third alright, and Atlanta got another run to get the lead back in the top of the fourth. But guess what happened in the bottom of the frame?
Olerud, after fouling off the first pitch, sent a Smoltz splitter to right for a single. Olerud was four for his last four. Candy Maldonado followed with a walk. Kelly Gruber sent Deion Sanders all the way to the wall in left for a long, loud out. Pat Borders singled home Olerud for another RBI and a tie game.
The Braves, though, weren't about to let the Jays win this one. They scored five times off Jack Morris in the top of the fifth, four of them coming on a Lonnie Smith grand slam. Now ahead 7-2 and with Morris out there for David Wells, things were looking up for Atlanta.
Wells got Sid Bream to fly out and end the inning. All the damage had happened with two outs. Toronto came to bat in the bottom of the frame in big trouble. But they kept hitting the ball well.
Roberto Alomar flied out to Deion Sanders in left, as did Joe Carter. Dave Winfield, playing in his first World Series in eleven years, got Toronto's fifth hit of the game. He singled back up through the box on John Smoltz's very first pitch. That brought our boy to the plate again.
Smoltz had walked a batter in each of the last three innings and was looking erratic. So wanted a nice, neat inning to get away from all that. He'd been falling behind in the count and his pitch count was over 90. He quickly got ahead of Olerud 0-2, and it looked like an easy time at last. But John hadn't made things easy for John all series long. Why should this be any different. The fact that it was 7-2 Atlanta made no difference. You never quit in the Fall Classic. No retreat, no surrender.
Smoltz missed low. Then high and wide. 2-2. Finally, he came inside and Olerud took it all the way. 0-2 to 3-2. And Olerud wasn't going to let up either. Smoltz finally threw a strike to avoid another walk, but Olerud fouled it off. The inning ended as Smoltz got him to fly to Sanders.
Wells, back out there in the top of the sixth, got Jeff Blauser to pop to Olerud in foul territory, and that play was no problem. Damon Berryhill, the switch-hitter, batted from the right side and singled. Mark Lemke flied to centre. Otis Nixon was up, and already had two hits and two runs scored to his name. Just like Olerud. And just like Olerud, he was 2-3. It would be Olerud that stopped him from going 3-4, but did Nixon ever give it a ride. The ball had a bit of side spin on it for good measure, but it was fair. Good job of hitting on Otis' part, as he too was a switcher batting right-handed.
Otis lined one down the first base line off on a 1-1 pitch from Wells. John was a little back of the bag, and little off the line, but he snared it. There were two outs, but John stepped on first for good measure for the fourth out.
Toronto had Joe Carter on second in the bottom of the eighth with one out as Dave Winfield fanned. But John Olerud, the scheduled hitter, was not in the on deck circle. It was Ed Sprague. Mike Stanton was back pitching, you see. Sprague sent Dave Justice deep and Carter tagged. But when Candy Maldonado bounced out, the inning was over. The game ended 7-2 for Atlanta, with Olerud's contribution's largely forgotten. Olerud was a quiet guy at first. But he'd helped the Jays in back-to-back games with his hitting and fielding. His wits and his smarts. He let his bat and glove do the talking, thank you!
References
Brunt, Stephen. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years Of Blue Jays
Baseball. Penguin, 1997. Print.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
2005. Print.
Gamester,
George, and Gerald Hall. On Top Of The World: The Toronto Star’s Tribute To
The ‘92 Blue Jays. Doubleday Canada, 1992. Print.
“MLB World Series: Game 5- Atlanta At Toronto.” Fishman, Bob, director. MLB World Series, season 46, episode 5, Columbia Broadcast Corporation, 22 Oct. 1992.
Nemec,
David et all. 20th Century Baseball
Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's
Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major
League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/.
Web. 05 Dec. 2015.
Taylor, Phil. “A Swing So Sweet.” SI.com, Sports Illustrated, Web, 13 Oct. 2015, <https://www.si.com/vault/1993/05/10/128558/a-swing-so-sweet-blue-jay-john-olerud-has-always-had-a-great-stroke-but-now-he-has-the-numbers-to-match-it>.
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