Yes, you read that correctly. In recent days, a right handed pitcher by the name of Nigel Thatch was traded for sixty cases of Budweiser beer. If you don’t believe me, then have a look for yourself.

The first question that came to my mind was, "Bottles or cans?" Seriously, that would adjust the value of the trade to some degree.

Before the exchange, Thatch was a pitcher for the Schaumberg Flyers in the Northern League, an independent baseball league that also features other teams such as the Calgary Vipers, Edmonton Cracker-Cats, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Joliet Jackhammers, St. Paul Saints, Winnipeg Goldeyes, among others. Furthermore, there are a number of recognizable Major League baseball names that have also participated in the independent Northern League at some point during their careers. Among that list of players include J.D. Drew, Kevin Millar, Rey Ordonez, Darryl Strawberry, Jeff Zimmerman, Matt Duff, Tim Byrdak, and Luis Lopez.

Do you realize the significance of the trade, and why it happened this way? Thatch was not only a pitcher for the minor league Schaumberg Flyers in the Northern League, but also an actor. In fact, you would most recently recall him as "Leon" in a series of commercials for Budweiser beer.

If you still are not sure who I am referring to, let me try and jolt your memory some more. One particular amusing line from one of the commercials is as follows: "Leon, there is no 'I' in team" stated the reporter. Leon replied, "Yeah, well there ain't no 'WE' neither".

Actually, the main reason for the bizarre exchange was apparently due to the fact that the Schaumberg Flyers baseball team has a partnership with Anheuser-Busch, though I'm pretty sure the fact that Thatch has also acted in Budweiser commercials assisted as well.

Nigel Thatch was moved over to another independent baseball league, that being the Golden League. Thatch will now be in California playing for the Fullerton Flyers, which will be significantly closer to Hollywood and Los Angeles, allowing him to not only further continue to focus on baseball, but also continue his acting career on the side.