A joke of a trade involving 10 maple bats for pitcher John C. Odom turned into a sad tale.

Once in a while, everyone likes to joke around and keep things loose. If we’re serious 24/7, most of us wouldn’t last.

However, sometimes a silly joke can go too far. Sadly, that was the case last year when former Giant prospect John C. Odom was traded for 10 maple bats. The bizarre deal took place between Laredo Broncos of the United League and the Calgary Vipers of the Independent Golden Baseball League last May 20.

At one time, Odom was drafted by the Giants in the 2003 44th round. But in four years, he never got further than Single A with injuries setting him back.

He still wanted to pitch and got the chance to for Calgary before they needed 10 maple bats worth 665 bucks accepting the ridiculous offer from Laredo GM Jose Melendez after they couldn’t agree to trading him for a player or even a thousand dollars because the Vipers didn’t do cash deals. But they did the trade for freaking bats! You really can’t make this stuff up.

“People are like, ‘I’d kill myself’ and stuff,” Odom said when the bizarre deal went through.

Unfortunately, following a poor outing in which he was taunted by home fans off the mound, it was the beginning of the end for a guy who had battled demons off the field. He lasted three weeks before spiraling downward to his death on Nov.5 of an accidental overdose of heroin, methamphetamine, the stimulant benzyl/piperazine and alcohol.

Explained former skipper Dan Shwam who managed him on Laredo last year of the novelty act gone bad:

“I guarantee this trade thing really bothered him. That really worried me. I really believe, knowing his background, that this drove him back to the bottle, that it put him on the road to drugs again.”

“There were some demons chasing him, they’d been after him for a long time. But there’s no way to really know whether the trade did it, is there?”

Imagine what must’ve gone through his mind. Many former teammates didn’t even become aware of his death until recently during Spring Training.

“It really is sad,” 2008 NL Cy Young winner and former ‘mate Tim Lincecum expressed last weekend.

“He was a fun-loving guy. I mean, just high energy all the time. I stayed on his couch just because he was on the same team I was on. I asked around a couple guys who I could stay with until I could find a place.”

Noted infielder Kevin Frandsen:

“He was always wanting to joke around, always wanting to keep the clubhouse mood light.”

Sadly, a stupid joke probably contributed to his death.