South Carolina Baseball: Former Gamecock traded to new MLB team

South Carolina baseball fans mourned the loss of the legendary Tommy Moody this offseason. The former Gamecock player and broadcaster was the pre-eminent authority on all things USC, and baseball was his specialty.

One of the countless great things about Tommy Moody was his affinity for giving players nicknames.

He used nicknames like "The Winchester Rifle" for Winchester, Virginia native Michael Campbell, "The Freak from Goose Creek" for Goose Creek, South Caroilna native Justin Smoak, and "Gumby" for pitcher Jordan Montgomery (he didn't make up Gumby, but he adopted it after hearing the team using the name).

One of the best nicknames Moody coined, though, was for third baseman Jonah Bride. Bride was from Owasso, Oklahoma, and Moody called him the "Owasso Walloper." Whenever Bride would hit a ball hard, he often would broadcast into his microphone that the Gamecocks had gotten an "Owasso Wallop."

The Owasso Walloper was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft, and he made his Major League Baseball debut back in 2022.

On Tuesday, Jonah Bride was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Miami Marlins. The trade was made for cash considerations.

Bride has spent time at third base, first base, catcher, and second base since becoming a pro, and that versatility made him an attractive option for the Marlins. With the majority of his action coming at the Triple-A and Major League levels the past two years, it would seem as if Bride would get an opportunity to compete for a role within the Marlins organization this spring.

During his time in the Minors, Bride has had a lot of success as a hitter (career MiLB slash line of .288/.400/.459/.859), but the success has not yet translated to the Big Leagues. Though the numbers haven't been great at the MLB level, Bride did hit a home run off of AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.

With the Marlins, Bride will be in one of the best divisions in baseball as the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets have World Series aspirations. The Marlins made the MLB Postseason in 2023 despite modest expectations around the club.

Bride joins Cody Morris (Cleveland Guardians to New York Yankees) and TJ Hopkins (Cincinnati Reds to San Francisco Giants) as former South Carolina baseball players who were traded this offseason.