What's the deal with Olerud's helmet?

When I asked John Olerud for the backstory on why he wore a batting helmet while playing 1B, he paused and said, “How long is this podcast? I’ll try to be brief but it's a long, great story."

Baseball is hardly a life and death situation for me. I had the chance to think about dying. I know what's important. That's to live life to the fullest. Don't waste a moment. I plan to enjoy whatever life brings my way and be thankful. I have a life to enjoy.  You want to win and everything, but at the end of the day, there are things that are much more important than this game. - John Olerud

When I asked John Olerud for the backstory on why he wore a batting helmet while playing first base, he paused and said, “How long is this podcast? I’ll try to be brief but it's a long story, and a great story.”

… and so it begins.