On a team of idiots, John Olerud would seem to be a misfit.
Olerud might not be the guy dancing on the coffee table with a lamp shade over his head singing ''Sweet Caroline," but he is the guy with the sweetest swing on the Red Sox roster. When he's on, as he was in a 7-4 Red Sox victory over the Devil Rays last night, driving in six runs with a pair of homers and a ground-rule double, there's no one more entertaining to watch.
Olerud, 36, is often the subject of fodder among fans who believe he should be in the starting lineup all the time. Last night's performance, on a night when Manny Ramirez sat to rest his weary legs, Olerud's performance made a strong case for that opinion.
Olerud would welcome the extra workload, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona reiterated last night that he's trying to manage his playing time, feeling it's more prudent to pick his spots with the veteran hitter rather than risk overuse and possible injury.
''I feel I'm an everyday player," said Olerud. ''I feel like, you know, the hamstring injuries . . . I don't know what the explanation is for them; I don't know if it's a sign I'm getting older and I'm going to start getting more of them. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape. It just depends on the situation and what role you'll have."
Olerud has been hitting well since being activated off the 15-day disabled list Aug. 17 after suffering a hamstring strain. He is now 14 for 30 (.467) with 11 RBIs in his last seven starts.
Olerud, now hitting .333 overall with 5 homers and 29 RBIs, was hitting seventh in last night's lineup. Wednesday night's first base hero, Kevin Millar, played left field and went 2 for 4 while Olerud, a three-time Gold Glove winner, played first base.
Olerud, who played for the Yankees at the end of last season, was signed by the Sox May 1 and joined the big club May 27 after recuperating fully from a Lisfranc joint foot surgery which delayed his '05 debut.
The Sox continued their familiar pattern of falling behind early, then overcoming shaky early innings from their starter, in this case Bronson Arroyo, who got stronger at the same time Olerud and Sox bats began to get hot.
The win, coupled with a Yankees loss, gives Boston a 3 1/2-game lead in the American League East.
After witnessing Boston's four-game sweep, Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said, ''Thank God we don't come in here anymore. I've heard enough 'Sweet Caroline.' "
Terry Francona's gang has won 19 of its last 20 games at Fenway Park.
