Kansas City Athletics
After spending just one season with the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League, he received a September call-up to the Athletics in 1964, 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 1965 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 1966 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 1967 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.
Read more about this topic: Blue Moon Odom
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