John Odom (baseball): Difference between revisions

|caption=Odom with the [[Laredo Broncos]].

==BaseballEarly careerlife==

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 {{baseball 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 {{baseball year|2003}}, he was drafted in the 44th round by the [[San Francisco Giants]].<ref name="salon"/> He

==Career==
Odom played for the Giants' affiliates [[Salem Keizer Volcanoes]] in {{baseball year|2004}} &and {{baseball year|2006}}, and the [[Augusta Greenjackets]] in {{baseball 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 |agency=[[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 {{baseball 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"/>

==His deathDeath==

On November 5, 2008 Odom died of an accidental overdose from [[heroin]], [[methamphetamine]], [[benzylpiperazine]] and [[alcohol]]. There being no police report and no explanation of how his body got to the hospital, the [[medical examiner]] had little to go on. Inspired by Odom's tattoo, which read "Poena Par Sapientia" (Pain equals wisdom), the medical examiner did a [[Google search]] and discovered Odom's baseball past. In hindsight, Dan Shwam, Odom's former Broncos manager, suggests the media and fan response to the trade "drove him back to the bottle, that it put him on the road to drugs again."<ref name="salon"/>