Former Orioles closer and ex-MASN broadcaster Gregg Olson has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he revealed in a tweet. Olson added that he will undergo surgery in April.
A member of the Orioles Hall of Fame and the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner, Olson, 54, analyzed Orioles games for MASN from 2017-20. He was an All-Star in 1990 and saved 160 games for the Orioles from ’89-93, ultimately pitching 14 seasons in the big leagues.
Upon his announcement, support streamed in from across the baseball world. Olson said in his tweet he would tell his story more fully in short order.
Born and raised in Omaha, Neb., Olson went on to star at Auburn University, becoming the Orioles' first-round draft pick (fourth overall) in 1988. Less than three months later, Olson debuted in Baltimore, where he blossomed into arguably the top reliever in franchise history. Averaging 32 saves per season from ’89-93, Olson was the youngest pitcher in MLB history to record 100 career saves when he reached the milestone and '92, and he remains the franchise leader in the category.
Upon his retirement, Olson founded his own sporting goods manufacturing company, worked as a Padres scout and as an advisor for the FOX baseball drama “Pitch.” He also called games as an anylyst for ESPN. He is the second Orioles legend to reveal a prostate cancer diagnosis in the past calendar year, after Cal Ripken Jr. announced he’d beaten the disease in August.