A Sad Story... A Sad End

[JimGP20]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9287578/Mates-recall-dead-minor-leaguer-traded-for-bats?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002


This happened in November, but I'm just hearing about it now. This story illustrates the fragility of the human spirit.

Mates recall dead minor-leaguer traded for bats

"Bat Man" or "Bat Guy" or "Bat Boy" — that's what they called him.
Ask the most hard-core baseball fan about John C. Odom and most likely you'll get a blank stare. Yet millions of people have heard of the slender right-hander. He was the minor league player traded for 10 maple bats.

It became a big joke last May, when word of the unusual swap jumped off the sports pages, and Odom went from pitcher to punch line.
He seemed to handle it well, too. A former prospect in the San Francisco Giants (http://forums.hannity.com/mlb/team/71612)' chain — future Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (http://forums.hannity.com/mlb/player/443795) bunked on his couch in Class A ball — Odom gladly agreed to interviews. He kidded about the kooky deal that made him famous, saying it would make a better story if he reached the majors someday.

[Vic Daring]

I read that earlier.

A couple things jumped out at me.

1. The guy was obviously not the model of stability. So maybe he wasn't the best candidate for this deal.

2. You know, this deal that the GM swears was NOT a publicity stunt. Yet the bats were never used and were sold to Guiness for possible use in a public display somewhere.

You can't put all the blame on the team(s). Odom was a little off to begin with. But maybe that should have been considered.

[JimGP20]

I read that earlier.

A couple things jumped out at me.

1. The guy was obviously not the model of stability. So maybe he wasn't the best candidate for this deal.

2. You know, this deal that the GM swears was NOT a publicity stunt. Yet the bats were never used and were sold to Guiness for possible use in a public display somewhere.

You can't put all the blame on the team(s). Odom was a little off to begin with. But maybe that should have been considered.

I agree. I think as long as things were going well, he was a good sport about the whole thing... but when things got rough, the fans turned on him and he wasn't able to take that kind of abuse. People are sometimes way too vicious for no reason, and their actions do take a toll on people. This guy did nothing to deserve that kind of abuse, but got it anyway.

[camp_steveo]

Rip

[iamredbeard]

I've been trying to think what to say about this since this thread was started and I really don't know what to say other than it is tragic.

[Marijuana_MyAntiDrug]

:flag:

[ManOfFaith]

If the trade was not done with the player's blessing, then i hope the GMs who made the trade think about this everyday for the rest of their lives.

[alexz2317]

If the trade was not done with the player's blessing, then i hope the GMs who made the trade think about this everyday for the rest of their lives.
Agree. This guy became a laughing stock for no reason. He didn't deserve it. Hope that GM thinks about him everday for the rest of his life. RIP

[grapabeaux]

Would it have been so burdensome for the team to trade the player for cash to buy the stupid bats, like people in civilized economies do?