| Steve Olin | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Olin with theWaterloo Indiansc. 1988 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 4, 1965 Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
| Died: March 22, 1993(1993-03-22) (aged 27) Little Lake Nellie,Clermont, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 29, 1989, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 1992, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 16–19 |
| Earned run average | 3.10 |
| Strikeouts | 173 |
| Saves | 48 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Steven Robert Olin (October 4, 1965 – March 22, 1993) was an American right-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball who played for four seasons in theAmerican League with theCleveland Indians. Olin was a right-handedsubmariningrelief pitcher for theCleveland Indians from1988 to1992. Olin died, along with teammate and fellow relieverTim Crews, in a 1993 boating accident.
Steve Olin was born on October 4, 1965, inPortland, Oregon, and grew up in nearbyBeaverton.[1] He graduated fromBeaverton High School in 1984, and was recruited by baseball coach Jack Dunn to attendPortland State University.[2] Olin set aPac-10 Conference record with 31 careercomplete games at Portland State between 1984 and 1987.[3]
In 195 career games, Olin pitched 273innings and posted awin–loss record of 16–19, with 48saves, 118 games finished, and a 3.10earned run average (ERA). He earned his final win on September 9, 1992, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Olin won the game in relief when Cleveland scored two runs in the top of the ninth.
Duringspring training before the 1993 season, Olin was killed in a boating accident on Little Lake Nellie inClermont, Florida. The boat he was in struck a pier, killing him and fellow relieverTim Crews and seriously injuringBob Ojeda. Crews, who was piloting the boat, had a blood alcohol level of 0.14 at the time of the accident; Olin and Ojeda had negligible traces of alcohol in their blood.[4] Olin and Crews were the first active major league players to die sinceThurman Munson in 1979. In their memory, the Cleveland Indians wore a patch on their jerseys featuring both players' uniform numbers during the 1993 season.
The Beatles song "Yellow Submarine" was played before each ofsubmariner Olin's appearances for the Indians in home games.
One of Olin's favorite songs, "The Dance" byGarth Brooks, was played over the stadium speakers when the Indians clinched the 1995 American League Central Division. Before the game, managerMike Hargrove had phoned the Indians scoreboard room, requesting that the song be played that night.
"I thought it would mean a lot to anyone who was there [with the Indians at the time of the accident]", said Hargrove. "For those who weren't there it had no significance, but it was still a good song. It was a tribute to those guys, to their families. It was part of our promise to never forget them. We didn't tell anyone that we were going to do it. For those who knew, there wasn't a dry eye to be seen. I sawCharlie Nagy; tears were rolling down his face."[5]
· Baseball Almanac