Two-time All-Star, ex-Mariner Olerud retires after 16 seasons

DALLAS – First baseman John Olerud, a soft-spoken former batting champion and two-time All-Star, has retired after 16 seasons, the Boston Red Sox said on Tuesday.

Olerud, 37, was an All-Star in 1993 and 2001 and hit .295 with 255 home runs and 1,230 RBIs in 2,234 games. He also played for Toronto (1989-96), the Mets (1997-99), Seattle (2000-04) and the Yankees (2004), winning Gold Gloves in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Olerud, who played at Washington State University, won the A.L. batting title in 1993 with a .363 average and helped Toronto win its second consecutive World Series title.

He had surgery in November to repair torn ligaments in his foot and was on crutches until January. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on May 1 and went from extended spring training to a minor-league rehab.

He batted .289 in 87 games for Boston last year.