Blue Moon Odom
Encyclopedia
Johnny Lee Odom was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
who won three consecutive World Series
championships with the Oakland Athletics
in , and .
in Macon, Georgia
to two consecutive state championships while amassing a 42-2 record and pitching eight no-hitters. He signed with the Kansas City Athletics upon graduation.
of the Southern League
, he received a September call-up to the Athletics in , and made his major league debut at just nineteen years old on September 5 at Municipal Stadium
in Kansas City
. Odom lasted just two innings against the New York Yankees
, giving up a three-run home run
in the first inning to Mickey Mantle
and surrendered three more runs in the second before giving way to the bullpen
.
Odom spent the entire season with the Lewiston Broncs of the Northwest League
. His debut for the Broncs is locally legendary and was one of the most spectacular in baseball history. In the bottom of an inning with no outs, Odom came to the mound in relief. He not only struck out three in a row, he threw all strikes and left the mound to a rousing ovation (from an eye-witness account). For the season, he went 11-14 with a 4.27 earned run average
, and led the league in games started
(29) and innings pitched
(198). He only made one appearance at the major league level all season, pitching one inning and allowing one earned run
against the Washington Senators
on September 22.
Odom split the season between Kansas City and the double A Mobile A's, going 5-5 with a 2.49 ERA at the major league level. He began the season in Kansas City, but was demoted in July with a 2-4 record and 5.15 ERA. He beat the Yankees 2-1 in his return. For the season, he went 3-8 with a 5.04 ERA.
, as he improved to 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA the season after A's owner Charles O. Finley
moved his franchise. He had a no-hitter
against the Baltimore Orioles
broken up by a Davey Johnson
single
with two out in the ninth on June 7, . Baltimore scored a run in the first on three walks as Odom walked eight in the game. He finished third in the American League
with 98 walks and tied Frank Bertaina
for the league lead in wild pitch
es with seventeen. He was also named to his first All-Star Game
, and pitched two scoreless innings.
Odom was simply dominant in the first half of the season, going 14-3 with a 2.41 ERA heading into the All-Star break. He also showed himself to be one of the league's better hitting pitchers as he went 3-for-3 with a home run and six runs batted in against the Seattle Pilots
on May 4. He was named to his second consecutive All Star team
, but was tagged for five runs
(four earned) in just a third of an inning as the National League
cruised to a 9-3 victory. His numbers tailed off considerably following the All-Star break, as he went 1-3 with a 4.09 ERA in the second half of the season.
After finishing second to the Minnesota Twins
two years in a row in the newly realigned American League West
, the A's finally won their division in . Odom did not get the opportunity to pitch in the post-season as they were swept by the Orioles in the 1971 American League Championship Series
.
Prior to the start of the season, Odom was shot twice by a burglar while trying to prevent a burglary at his neighbor's house. Odom went 15-6 with a 2.50 ERA in a rotation that also included Catfish Hunter
, Ken Holtzman
and Vida Blue
as the A's cruised to their second consecutive division title in 1972.
, holding to just three hits in the second game of the 1972 American League Championship Series
to give Oakland a 2-0 series lead. The Tigers came back to tie the series as Odom took the mound for game five of the ALCS. He held the Tigers to just one unearned run in five innings, and Vida Blue pitched the final four innings as the A's beat the Tigers 2-1.
Despite the fact that both pitchers pitched well, and their team was now headed to the World Series, a fight broke out between the two men after the game. After going 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and winning the Cy Young Award
in 1971, Vida Blue had a disappointing 1972 season in which he went 6-10. As a result, manager Dick Williams
decided to use Blue as a reliever
in the post-season.
Blue was unhappy with this decision, and made his feelings known. During the team's post-game celebration on October 12, Blue joked with Odom that he choked, and needed to be rescued by him. At some point, the joking turned serious, and nearly came to blows.
Oakland held a 2-0 game lead against Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in the 1972 World Series as Odom faced Jack Billingham
in game three. Odom had allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out ten in six innings before giving up his first post-season earned run in the seventh inning. Unfortunately for Odom, Billingham was even more dominant, as he pitched eight scoreless innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds
to a 1-0 victory.
Odom and Billingham were again embroiled in a pitchers' duel in game seven of the World Series, this time with Odom leading 1-0 before both pitchers gave way to their bullpens. The A's won the game 3-2, giving the franchise their first world championship since moving to Oakland. For the post-season, Odom was 2-1 with a 0.71 ERA and eighteen strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.
, pitching five innings and giving up just one earned run in their 6-0 loss to the Orioles in game two.
Odom made two appearances in the World Series against the New York Mets
. In game two, he pitched two scoreless innings. Odom entered game four of the series with only one out, two men on and three runs already on the board in the first inning. Odom got Don Hahn
to ground into a double play
to end the inning. He left the game in the fourth without giving up a run, however, Darold Knowles
allowed both base runners he inherited from Odom to score.
Just prior to the start of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers
, Odom and fellow A's reliever, Rollie Fingers
got into a fight in the A's locker room after Odom made a comment about Fingers' wife. The incident lasted less than a minute, however, Fingers required six stitches on his head, and Odom sprained his ankle and had a noticeable limp.
Regardless of his injury, Odom pitched a scoreless ninth inning in game two, and earned the win in game five. Odom faced just one batter, Davey Lopes
, in the fifth and final game of the World Series. Lopes grounded out to end the seventh inning with the score tied, 2-2. Joe Rudi
led off the following inning with a home run to put Oakland up 3-2, and give Odom the win.
for Dick Bosman
and Jim Perry
. Odom was unhappy in Cleveland, and after just a month there, Odom was traded again, this time to the Atlanta Braves
with Rob Belloir
for Roric Harrison
. It was the worst season of Odom's career, as he went just 2-9 with a 7.22 ERA for his three clubs.
for Pete Varney
. In just his second start for the ChiSox on July 28, Odom combined with reliever Francisco Barrios
to pitch a no-hitter against his former team, the Oakland A's. Odom pitched the first five innings, Barrios the last four, in what would be his last big-league victory.
in before retiring. He was asked to represent the Athletics at the First Year Player Draft, June 5 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
.
. Odom had a 3-1 career record in the post-season with a 1.13 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
to a co-worker. Then, during the trial, he was arrested a second time on December 11, for assault with a deadly weapon as he held his wife, Gayle, at gunpoint with a shotgun, holding police at bay for six hours. He ended up spending six weeks in alcohol rehabilitation and another 55 days in jail for the drug conviction.
Odom was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
in .
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who won three consecutive World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in , and .
Early years
Odom was nicknamed Blue Moon in grade-school by a classmate who thought Odom's round face resembled the moon. Odom led Ballard Hudson High SchoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
to two consecutive state championships while amassing a 42-2 record and pitching eight no-hitters. He signed with the Kansas City Athletics upon graduation.
Kansas City Athletics
After spending just one season with the Birmingham BaronsBirmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, he received a September call-up to the Athletics in , and made his major league debut at just nineteen years old on September 5 at Municipal Stadium
Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)
Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Odom lasted just two innings against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, giving up a three-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in the first inning to Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
and surrendered three more runs in the second before giving way to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
.
Odom spent the entire season with the Lewiston Broncs of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
. His debut for the Broncs is locally legendary and was one of the most spectacular in baseball history. In the bottom of an inning with no outs, Odom came to the mound in relief. He not only struck out three in a row, he threw all strikes and left the mound to a rousing ovation (from an eye-witness account). For the season, he went 11-14 with a 4.27 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, and led the league in games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
(29) and innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(198). He only made one appearance at the major league level all season, pitching one inning and allowing one earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
against the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
on September 22.
Odom split the season between Kansas City and the double A Mobile A's, going 5-5 with a 2.49 ERA at the major league level. He began the season in Kansas City, but was demoted in July with a 2-4 record and 5.15 ERA. He beat the Yankees 2-1 in his return. For the season, he went 3-8 with a 5.04 ERA.
Oakland A's
Odom's arrival as a quality major league starter seemed to have coincided with his franchise's arrival in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, as he improved to 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA the season after A's owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
moved his franchise. He had a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
broken up by a Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
with two out in the ninth on June 7, . Baltimore scored a run in the first on three walks as Odom walked eight in the game. He finished third in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 98 walks and tied Frank Bertaina
Frank Bertaina
Frank Louis Bertaina was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 5' 11", 177 lb., Bertaina batted and threw left-handed...
for the league lead in wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es with seventeen. He was also named to his first All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, and pitched two scoreless innings.
Odom was simply dominant in the first half of the season, going 14-3 with a 2.41 ERA heading into the All-Star break. He also showed himself to be one of the league's better hitting pitchers as he went 3-for-3 with a home run and six runs batted in against the Seattle Pilots
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington for one season, . The Pilots played home games at Sick's Stadium and were a member of the West Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
on May 4. He was named to his second consecutive All Star team
1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 40th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 23, 1969 at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC. The game resulted...
, but was tagged for five runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(four earned) in just a third of an inning as the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
cruised to a 9-3 victory. His numbers tailed off considerably following the All-Star break, as he went 1-3 with a 4.09 ERA in the second half of the season.
After finishing second to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
two years in a row in the newly realigned American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
, the A's finally won their division in . Odom did not get the opportunity to pitch in the post-season as they were swept by the Orioles in the 1971 American League Championship Series
1971 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 3, 1971 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandDave McNally, a 20-game winner for the fourth season in a row, survived a rocky start to win the opener. He trailed, 3–0, after four innings pitched, giving up three doubles and a triple. The A's had McNally tottering in the...
.
Prior to the start of the season, Odom was shot twice by a burglar while trying to prevent a burglary at his neighbor's house. Odom went 15-6 with a 2.50 ERA in a rotation that also included Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
, Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
and Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
as the A's cruised to their second consecutive division title in 1972.
1972 World Series
In his first post-season start, Odom shutout the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, holding to just three hits in the second game of the 1972 American League Championship Series
1972 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 7, 1972 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaGame 1 pitted ace pitchers Catfish Hunter for the A's and Mickey Lolich for the Tigers, and, as expected, both were brilliant...
to give Oakland a 2-0 series lead. The Tigers came back to tie the series as Odom took the mound for game five of the ALCS. He held the Tigers to just one unearned run in five innings, and Vida Blue pitched the final four innings as the A's beat the Tigers 2-1.
Despite the fact that both pitchers pitched well, and their team was now headed to the World Series, a fight broke out between the two men after the game. After going 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and winning the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in 1971, Vida Blue had a disappointing 1972 season in which he went 6-10. As a result, manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
decided to use Blue as a reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in the post-season.
Blue was unhappy with this decision, and made his feelings known. During the team's post-game celebration on October 12, Blue joked with Odom that he choked, and needed to be rescued by him. At some point, the joking turned serious, and nearly came to blows.
Oakland held a 2-0 game lead against Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in the 1972 World Series as Odom faced Jack Billingham
Jack Billingham
John Eugene Billingham is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox...
in game three. Odom had allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out ten in six innings before giving up his first post-season earned run in the seventh inning. Unfortunately for Odom, Billingham was even more dominant, as he pitched eight scoreless innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
to a 1-0 victory.
Odom and Billingham were again embroiled in a pitchers' duel in game seven of the World Series, this time with Odom leading 1-0 before both pitchers gave way to their bullpens. The A's won the game 3-2, giving the franchise their first world championship since moving to Oakland. For the post-season, Odom was 2-1 with a 0.71 ERA and eighteen strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.
1973 World Series
Though Odom fell to 5-12 with a 4.49 ERA in , his A's returned to the post-season. Odom was used in relief by Dick Williams during the 1973 post-season. He made just one appearance in the 1973 American League Championship Series1973 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn Game 1, Jim Palmer spent 16 minutes retiring the side in the top of the first inning. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. The Orioles went to work against lefty Vida Blue and his...
, pitching five innings and giving up just one earned run in their 6-0 loss to the Orioles in game two.
Odom made two appearances in the World Series against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. In game two, he pitched two scoreless innings. Odom entered game four of the series with only one out, two men on and three runs already on the board in the first inning. Odom got Don Hahn
Don Hahn
Don Hahn is an American film producer who has produced some of the most successful Walt Disney animated films of the past 20 years. He currently owns his own film production company called Stone Circle Pictures.-Early life:...
to ground into a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
to end the inning. He left the game in the fourth without giving up a run, however, Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
allowed both base runners he inherited from Odom to score.
1974 World Series
Odom was used in relief in the season, earning his only career save on August 30 against the Detroit Tigers. The A's once again faced the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS, beating them in four games. Odom's only appearance came in their game one loss.Just prior to the start of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Odom and fellow A's reliever, Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
got into a fight in the A's locker room after Odom made a comment about Fingers' wife. The incident lasted less than a minute, however, Fingers required six stitches on his head, and Odom sprained his ankle and had a noticeable limp.
Regardless of his injury, Odom pitched a scoreless ninth inning in game two, and earned the win in game five. Odom faced just one batter, Davey Lopes
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
, in the fifth and final game of the World Series. Lopes grounded out to end the seventh inning with the score tied, 2-2. Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
led off the following inning with a home run to put Oakland up 3-2, and give Odom the win.
1975 season
Odom made just seven appearances for the A's in before a May 20 trade sent him to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Dick Bosman
Dick Bosman
Richard Allen Bosman is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators , Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics . Bosman started the final game for the expansion Senators and the first game for the Texas Rangers...
and Jim Perry
Jim Perry (baseball)
James Evan Perry, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for 1959-1975 for four different teams. During a 17-year baseball career, Perry compiled 215 wins, 1,576 strikeouts, and a 3.45 earned run average....
. Odom was unhappy in Cleveland, and after just a month there, Odom was traded again, this time to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
with Rob Belloir
Rob Belloir
Robert Edward Belloir , is a former professional baseball player. Born in Heidelberg, West Germany, he was the 25th German born player in Major League Baseball....
for Roric Harrison
Roric Harrison
Roric Edward Harrison is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He holds the distinction of being the last American League pitcher to hit a home run in an American League game before the introduction of the Designated Hitter.-Early years:Harrison signed with the Houston Astros out of Westchester...
. It was the worst season of Odom's career, as he went just 2-9 with a 7.22 ERA for his three clubs.
Chicago White Sox
Odom began the season playing minor league ball for the Atlanta Braves, and did not see any major league experience until a June 15 trade sent him to the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Pete Varney
Pete Varney
Pete Varney , born April 10, 1949 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was a Major League Baseball player for the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves....
. In just his second start for the ChiSox on July 28, Odom combined with reliever Francisco Barrios
Francisco Barrios
Francisco Javier Barrios was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox . Barrios batted and threw right-handed...
to pitch a no-hitter against his former team, the Oakland A's. Odom pitched the first five innings, Barrios the last four, in what would be his last big-league victory.
Return to the A's
Odom pitched six games for Oakland's triple A affiliate, the San Jose MissionsSan Jose Missions
The San Jose Missions were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League in 1977 and 1978. The team had been known as the Sacramento Solons prior to 1977, and played its home games in a football stadium there...
in before retiring. He was asked to represent the Athletics at the First Year Player Draft, June 5 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
.
Career stats
An excellent athlete, Odom was used quite often as a pinch-runner. He also wielded a strong bat (for a pitcher), hitting twelve home runs with a .195 career batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. Odom had a 3-1 career record in the post-season with a 1.13 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
Personal life
Odom was arrested twice in . The first, for selling cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
to a co-worker. Then, during the trial, he was arrested a second time on December 11, for assault with a deadly weapon as he held his wife, Gayle, at gunpoint with a shotgun, holding police at bay for six hours. He ended up spending six weeks in alcohol rehabilitation and another 55 days in jail for the drug conviction.
Odom was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in America at .-Exhibitions:The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Inductees, High School, collegiate sports, Olympic, Paralympic,...
in .