# John Olerud question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608 "2001-02-08T13:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/1 "2001-02-08T13:20:10Z")
Ok, this is a pointless question, but does anyone know why John Olerud(1st baseman for the Mariners) wears a helmet while playing in the field? I did a search on John Olerud and read about a dozen articles, but none of them mentioned the helmet. Usless trivia questions lay heavy on my mind. Please help. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/2 "2001-02-08T13:32:28Z")
He got a serious concussion from being hit with a ball a few years back, and has worn the helmet ever since. When Rickey Henderson joined the Mariners last year, he saw Olerud wearing the helmet in the field and said “Hey, there was a guy with me on the Mets last year who did that!”. Rickey didn’t even recognize his own Mets teammate from the previous year. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/3 "2001-02-08T13:34:36Z")
According [this page](http://vassun.vassar.edu/~cecurran/olerud-text.html) (a collection of articles), Olerud wears the helmet because of a brain seizure in 1989. > [@](#): > > The seizure was caused, Carlson said, by blood in the spinal fluid from a blood vessel that leads into Olerud’s brain. Known technically as a Grade 1 subarachnoid hemorrhage, the bleeding was caused by a weakened vessel wall, doctors believe. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/4 "2001-02-08T13:37:34Z")
When going to college at Washington state, he had an aneurysm, so he wore the helmet as a protective measure. I don’t know if he still wears it for this reason, or he wears it because he’s always done it that way. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/1999/postseason/championship\_series/nlcs/news/1999/10/17/diamond\_sunday/index.html](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/1999/postseason/championship_series/nlcs/news/1999/10/17/diamond_sunday/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/5 "2001-02-08T13:43:34Z")
It seems my link’s no good. To see the article, go to [http://www.cnnsi.com](http://www.cnnsi.com) and search for “Olerud helmet.” It’s the one about the ‘99 playoffs that starts "NEW YORK – Mets’ first baseman John Olerud is a typical New Yorker." ---
**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/6 "2001-02-08T13:44:01Z")
> [@](#): > > When Rickey Henderson joined the Mariners last year, he saw Olerud wearing the helmet in the field and said “Hey, there was a guy with me on the Mets last year who did that!”. Rickey didn’t even recognize his own Mets teammate from the previous year. OMG! I laughed so hard I cried! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/7 "2001-02-08T13:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > When Rickey Henderson joined the Mariners last year, he saw Olerud wearing the helmet in the field and said “Hey, there was a guy with me on the Mets last year who did that!”. Rickey didn’t even recognize his own Mets teammate from the previous year. Urban legend. The story was made up as a prank by some of Henderson’s ex-teammates on the Mets. It was picked up by the wire services. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-olerud-question/53608/8 "2001-02-08T14:14:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Protesilaus \* > \*\*It seems my link’s no good. To see the article, go to [http://www.cnnsi.com](http://www.cnnsi.com) and search for “Olerud helmet.” It’s the one about the ‘99 playoffs that starts "NEW YORK – Mets’ first baseman John Olerud is a typical New Yorker." \*\* Thanks, thats what I was looking for.