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|death_place=[[Roswell, Georgia]]
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'''John C. Odom''' (January 6, 1982 – November 5, 2008) was a [[minor league baseball]] right-handed [[pitcher]] notable for being traded for ten [[baseball bat]]s. Because of this event he was known to fans as "Bat Man,", "Bat Guy" and "Bat Boy."<ref name="salon">{{cite web |last=Walker|first=Ben|date=2009-03-03| url=http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2009/03/03/D96MPF700_bbo_death_of_a_bat_man/index.html | title=A tragic end for minor leaguer traded for bats | accessdate=2009-03-04}}</ref>
==Baseball career==
Odom, 6-foot-2, described himself as a "lost youth." He was kicked off of his high school baseball team in [[Roswell, Georgia]].<ref name="salon"/> He then played two seasons for the [[Tallahassee Community College]] baseball team, going 6-1 with a 2.75 ERA in {{bybaseball year|2004}}.<ref name="volcanoes">{{cite web| url=http://www.volcanoesbaseball.com/Rosters%20&%20Players/2006_volcanoes_roster_and_bio.htm | title=2005 Volcanoes Roster and Bio | accessdate=2009-03-04}}</ref> In {{bybaseball year|2003}}, he was drafted in the 44th round by the [[San Francisco Giants]].<ref name="salon"/> He played for the Giants' affiliates [[Salem Keizer Volcanoes]] in {{bybaseball year|2004}} & {{bybaseball year|2006}}, and the [[Augusta Greenjackets]] in {{bybaseball year|2005}}.<ref name="espn">{{cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=3409864 | title=Independent team deals pitcher for 10 maple bats |authoragency=[[Associated Press]]|date=2008-05-26| accessdate=2009-03-04|publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref><ref name="bbr">{{cite web| url=http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=25585 | title=John Odom Statistics (Minor Leagues) | accessdate=2009-03-04|publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> He missed most of the 2005 season because of a right elbow injury, having [[Tommy John surgery]] in June 2005.<ref name="volcanoes"/> He did not play in {{bybaseball year|2007}} due to a dislocated left shoulder.<ref name="salon"/> In three seasons and 140.1 career innings in the Giants' farm system, Odom compiled a 3.98 ERA and averaged 7.35 strikeouts per nine innings.<ref name="bbr"/> He was minor league teammates with [[Tim Lincecum]] and [[Kevin Frandsen]].<ref name="salon"/>
===The trade===
The Giants released Odom during [[spring training]] {{bybaseball year|2008}}.<ref name="salon"/> He then signed in May with the [[Calgary Vipers]] of the [[Golden Baseball League]], but a mark on his [[criminal record]], a 1999 conviction for aggravated assault when he was a minor, prevented his [[Immigration|entry into]] [[Canada]].<ref name="salon"/> The Vipers offered Odom to the [[Laredo Broncos]] for a Bronco player, but that player refused to move to [[Calgary]]. The Broncos then offered $1000 cash for Odom, but the Vipers felt cash deals made the team appear financially unstable. The teams then came to an agreement on May 20 to exchange Odom for ten Prairie Sticks maple bats, worth a total of $665.<ref name="salon"/><ref name="espn"/>
In Laredo, they called him [[Batman|"Bat man"]], and played the [[Batman Theme]] when he took the mound. After a bad outing on June 5 in [[Amarillo, Texas]], the heckling from fans and even an umpire was more than he could handle. Although his following outing in [[San Angelo]] on June 10 went well, he decided to leave the team.<ref name="salon"/>
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