Jim Olander

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1963)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| image =

| name = Jim Olander

| team =

| number =

| position = Outfielder

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|2|21}}

| birth_place = Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = September 20

| debutyear = 1991

| debutteam = Milwaukee Brewers

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = October 5

| finalyear = 1991

| finalteam = Milwaukee Brewers

| statyear =

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .000

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 0

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 0

| teams =

• Milwaukee Brewers ({{by|1991}})

}}

James Bentley Olander (born February 21, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and currently a baseball scout.

Olander attended Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Arizona.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mgoiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5KYFAAAAIBAJ&dq=jim-olander&pg=6056%2C2479305|title=Jim Olander outstanding in all fields|last=Drago|first=Mike|date=July 25, 1986|publisher=Reading Eagle|access-date=November 29, 2011}} He was selected by Philadelphia Phillies in the 7th Round (175th overall) of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft. Olander played in the minor leagues from 1981 to 1994 with the Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Houston Astros organizations. He was successful in the minor leagues: in 1986 he was named to the Eastern League's All-star Team{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HAoiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kqYFAAAAIBAJ&dq=jim-olander&pg=2502%2C4005819|title=Varsho steals spotlightin EL all-star shootout|date=July 15, 1986|publisher=Reading Eagle|access-date=November 29, 2011}} and was viewed by the Phillies organization as a prospect likely to play in the majors. However his following seasons were shortened by injury and he eventually left the Phillies organization and signed as a free agent with the Astros who soon after traded him to the Brewers.{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=olandji01|title=Jim Olander Trades and Transactions|publisher=Baseball Almanac|access-date=November 29, 2011}} Olander was named the Most Valuable Player of the American Association in 1991.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ApRSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9RIEAAAAIBAJ&dq=jim-olander&pg=6879%2C5053424|title=Orlander reveling in call-up|last=Haudricourt|first=Tom|date=September 21, 1991|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|access-date=November 29, 2011}} That same year he was a "September call-up" and joined the Brewers for 12 games. Olander was expected to fight for a spot on the Brewers 1992 40-man roster but he broke his leg in early May.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GYZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4xIEAAAAIBAJ&dq=jim-olander&pg=4786%2C1490062|title=Brewers can't hack Comiskey|last=Haudricourt|first=Tom|date=May 6, 1992|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|access-date=November 29, 2011}} He never played another major-league game.

In October 2007, the Detroit Tigers promoted Olander from national crosschecker to big league scout, a job he still holds.

{{cite news|url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071019&content_id=2272370&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020231819/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071019&content_id=2272370&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 20, 2007|title=Notes: Tigers promote Egan|last=Beck|first=Jason |date=October 19, 2007|publisher=Major League Baseball|access-date=November 29, 2011}} He was responsible for recommending Cody Ross to the Tigers prior to the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft.{{cite news|url=http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101025&content_id=15836640&vkey=news_sf&c_id=sf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202131141/http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101025&content_id=15836640&vkey=news_sf&c_id=sf|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2014|title=Scout not surprised by Ross' rise as pro|last=Claire|first=Fred|date=October 25, 2010|publisher=Major League Baseball|access-date=November 29, 2011}}