Olerud retires after 16 seasons

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

Olerud, 37, was an All-Star in 1993 and 2001 and a .295 career hitter with 255 home runs and 1,230 RBI in 2,234 games.

He played for Toronto (1989-96), the New York Mets (1997-99), Seattle (2000-04), the Yankees (2004) and the Red Sox (2005). He won Gold Gloves in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Olerud, a native of Bellevue and a graduate of Washington State, won the American League batting title in 1993 with a .363 average and helped Toronto win its second consecutive World Series title.

Olerud had surgery in November 2004 to repair torn ligaments in his foot.

He signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox on May 1 and batted .289 with seven home runs and 37 RBI in 87 games for Boston last year.