The baseball community is thinking about John Olerud and his family as his daughter, Jordan, died after battling complications of a rare chromosome disorder she dealt with since she was born in August 2000. And with Olerud spending time with the New York Mets, the team and their fans showed their support for the former star first baseman and his family. Jay Horwitz, vice president of alumni public relations for the New York Mets announced the news first and the team then released a statement to show love for Olerud.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Olerud family. 🧡💙 https://t.co/4ohknzGKnZ
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 1, 2020
Once fans saw the tweet, they sent messages to the family.
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“So sad!” one fan wrote. “Heard over and over John O was a gentleman. Very sorry to hear about this loss! Deepest condolences.”
“Oh my goodness,” another fan wrote. “This is terribly sad news. RIP Jordan. Condolences and prayers to John and Kelly.”
“RIP,” another Twitter user added. “I was just playing Ken Griffey Jr baseball for N64 and Olerud is on the Mets. She’s not suffering anymore. So sorry for your loss.”
“You can add myself & all Toronto Blue Jays fans to that list,” a fourth fan stated. “Our fabulous first baseman. See you in the Hall.”
With the health issues Jordan dealt with, it led to Olerud and his wife Kelly starting The Jordan Fund. It is for families that are given grants to cover medical funds for children who are diagnosed with the disease which is called tri-some 2p, 5p-. This is a disease where a child has a second extra chromosome and missing part of the fifth chromosome.
“John & Kelly have experienced first hand what an enormous task it is to care for a child with special needs, and what a huge burden it can place on families,” the official website stated. John & Kelly are so grateful to the Lord for giving them a firm foundation of family, friends and the financial means to help care for Jordan.
Olerud played in the MLB for 17 seasons and was a member of the Mets from 1997-1999. In 1998, Olerud recorded a .354 batting average which was a team record at the time.
