Mariners release John Olerud
The Seattle Mariners released former American League batting champion John Olerud. Olerud was hitting .245 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 77 games when he was designated for assignment last week. He was in the final year of his contract that paid him $7.7 million this season. Olerud is best known for his early days in Toronto when he made the majors after brain surgery and wore a batting helmet while playing first base. His best year was 1993 with the Blue Jays when he hit .363 and flirted with the .400 mark for a big chunk of the 1993 season.
