#33 BILLY O'DELL
Left-handed Pitcher
What came before: Signed out of Clemson in the era of the Bonus Baby by the Baltimore Orioles. O'Dell never played in the minors.* He delivered on his promise, never having an ERA below 3.00 and earning back-to-back all-star berths before being traded to San Francisco in a five-player deal before the 1960 season.
He won 19 games for the Giants in 1962, but was moved to the bullpen before his trade to the Braves in 1965. Upon arrival, manager Bobby Bragan saw something he liked about the lefty and made him Milwaukee's closer. He was perfect for the role, going 10-8, 2.18 with 18 saves in 62 games.
That 1966 season: Beginning the year, O'Dell and Clay Carroll shared the late-inning workload. But with the Braves quickly falling out of contention, the high-priced O'Dell was shipped to the Pirates on June 15 for another, younger swing man, Don Schwall.
O'Dell maintained his level of success for the Pirates, and finished the season pitching in a combined 61 games, going 5-5, 2.64 with 10 saves.
What happened next: O'Dell was diagnosed with Addison's Disease, which among its symptoms include muscle fatigue and weight loss. He spent a month in the hospital, but briefly recovered after cortrisone treatments. But his pitching career was over after the 1967 season as he struggled with a 5-6 record and a 5.82 ERA. His final game was on Sept. 12 and the Pirates released him in October.
He was named to the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976. Billy O'Dell retired to his farm in Newberry with his wife and five children.
