Nicknamed Digger after a comic character from the radio show “The Life of Riley,” O’Dell was an eccentric lantern-jawed extrovert. A gentleman farmer from South Carolina, he bragged more about his quail shooting than his pitching, and at times kept opponents from stealing his catcher’s sign by throwing what he wished. He went 19-14 for the 1962 NL champion Giants, then lost the World Series opener to the Yankees. He relieved in more than half his ML games and was the Braves’ bullpen ace in 1965, when he saved 18 and won a league-high 10 in relief.
