In an open symposium held last night in Walter Hall, seven-time MLB All-Star Al Oliver spoke about his experiences in baseball and tried to instill his message in the audience.
“None of us had any choice when we came into this world,” Oliver said. “We’re all in this together. The sooner we realize that, the better off we will all be.”
Oliver was a lifetime .303 hitter and won a World Series championship as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.
In his 18-year career, Oliver won the Silver Slugger award three times and played aside baseball legends such as Roberto Clemente and Mike Schmidt.
Today, Oliver spends his time speaking to groups and sharing his major saying, “Life’s a hit — don’t strike out!”
Oliver stressed the importance of education and a positive attitude no matter the circumstances.
Other than trying to instill his message, Oliver shared some of his baseball experiences and gave his opinion on some modern-day topics.
When ask about what he thought about the use of steroids in today’s game, Oliver said he had never heard of steroids when he played.
“I didn’t need steroids. I was naturally strong. We had macaroni and cheese, beans and chicken — those were my steroids,” Oliver said. “My dad always told me, ‘you will be around fools, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like one, too.’ ”
Looking back on his playing career, Oliver said his favorite players to watch hit were Pete Rose and Rod Carew.
“I broke in as a first baseman, and every first baseman in the National League knew who Pete Rose was, because that’s where he spent all of his time,” Oliver said.
Although he said many of the greatest hitters of all time played in the 1970s, Oliver said the players he enjoys watching today are Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki, Cincinnati’s Joey Votto and St. Louis’ Albert Pujols.
While Oliver said he admires many of today hitters, he said he does not feel the same way about many of today’s pitchers.
“From what I’ve seen today, I wouldn’t mind facing any of these pitchers,” Oliver said.
Before ending his discussion, Oliver left the audience with one final piece of advice.
“The worst thing you can do is have a gift and not use it. If we’re all motivated, we can make it in this world,” Oliver said. “Make positive choices, and life will treat you well.”
