Tribute to John C. Odom

John Odom, the minor league pitcher famously traded to the Laredo Broncos for 10 maple bats, died November 5, 2008 at the age of 26. He was often taunted on the mound, even by umpires, because of a trade he had no control over. People jokingly referred to him as "Batman." He was traded from the Calgary Vipers to the Laredo Broncos because he was not able to get into Canada due to his earlier criminal record. When a player-for-player trade fell through, the Broncos offered $1,000 for Odom. Because the Vipers have a policy not to accept cash in trades due to public relations concerns and also had a need for bats, they agreed on a deal with the Broncos to trade Odom for 10 baseball bats. John died of an accidental overdose of heroin, methamphetamine, the stimulant benzylpiperazine, and alcohol.