(My Sportsbook) - The expression of one man's trash is another's treasure is a perfect summation of John Olerud's 2004 season.

A two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner at first base and 1993 American League batting champion while with Toronto, Olerud is now making the most of his opportunity with the New York Yankees.

The 36-year-old Olerud clubbed a two-run homer off Boston's Pedro Martinez in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the Yankees to a 3-0 lead Wednesday night in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. The Yankees held on for a 3-1 victory to take a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jorge Posada worked a one-out walk and Olerud had just looked at two called strikes, but then got the best of Martinez by lacing a 1-2 pitch on a line over the wall in right field. The matchup was great on paper, considering Olerud was a .571 (4-for-7) hitter against Martinez this year.

"Against Pedro, that's a bad position to be in because he can do so many different things to get you out," Olerud said of the 1-2 count. "I'm up there trying to protect the plate and just get the barrel on the ball, got a fast ball up and in and just did a good job of getting to it."

It's been a season of rags to riches for Olerud. He was hitting .245 with five homers and 22 RBI in 78 games when he was designated for assignment in mid-July by the last-place Seattle Mariners. The team tried to deal the veteran first baseman, but he turned down a trade to San Francisco. Being in the final year of his contract and earning $7.7 million, the Mariners decided to release Olerud on July 23.

With Jason Giambi sidelined with a benign tumor, the Yankees stepped in and decided to give Olerud a chance to revive his slumping career by signing him. He was a .297 hitter entering this season.

"Short of making him any promises, I told him he would get every opportunity to be an every day player and maybe sit occasionally," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He decided to come to us. It was huge."

Olerud quickly moved into a starting role, ahead of Tony Clark, and hit .280 with four homers and 26 RBI in 49 regular season games for the Yankees.

"When Jason went down and we were looking around to get some help for Tony Clark there were a couple of guys out there at the time, (Fred) McGriff and Olerud," Torre said. "I think the feeling in the organization was that Olerud had been more of a regular player at that time and we just decided to pursue that."

Olerud, who started his career in Toronto and was part of the Blue Jays' World Series championship teams in 1992 and '93, also played for the New York Mets (1997-99) before being signed by the Mariners as a free agent before the 2000 season. Now, he's working his way toward a third World Series ring.

"It's definitely hard when you get released by a ball club," Olerud said. "It's not anything you want to have happen to you. I was hoping I would get another opportunity to play."

The left-handed hitting Olerud said he was approached from four playoff contending teams until he chose to sign with the Yankees, a decision he felt most comfortable about.

"When you have some options you're looking for a good opportunity, playing- wise," Olerud said. "You just look for a situation where it's the best fit for you, and for me New York was definitely the best fit for me."

A third World Series ring would also look good.