Johnny Podres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Podres |
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Podres with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 30, 1932 Witherbee, New York, U.S. |
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| Died: January 13, 2008 (aged 75) Glens Falls, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 7, 1953, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 21, 1969, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 148–116 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.68 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,435 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Joseph Podres (born September 30, 1932 – died January 13, 2008) was an American baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played from 1953 to 1969. Most of his career was with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Podres helped the Dodgers win four World Series championships. He is famous for pitching a shutout in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series. This win gave the Dodgers their very first championship.
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Starting His Baseball Journey
Johnny Podres was born in Witherbee, New York, in 1932. His family had Lithuanian and Polish roots.
In 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Podres. He started his professional baseball career that year. He played for a minor league team called the Hazard Bombers. With them, he had a great record of 21 wins and 9 losses. He also had a very low earned run average (ERA) of 1.67. This means he didn't allow many runs. He led his league in both wins and ERA.
After one more year in the minor leagues, Podres joined the Dodgers in 1953. He won 9 games and lost 4. He helped the Dodgers win the National League (NL) championship. In the 1953 World Series, he started one game but his team lost. The Dodgers did not win the series that year. In 1954, Podres continued to play well, with 11 wins and 7 losses.
The 1955 World Series Hero
In 1955, Podres had 9 wins and 10 losses. Even so, the Dodgers won the NL championship again. They faced the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series. The Dodgers lost the first two games.
On his 23rd birthday, Podres pitched a complete game victory in Game 3. This means he pitched the whole game by himself. The series went to a deciding seventh game. Podres was chosen to start this important game. Many people thought it was a surprising choice because of his regular season record.
But Podres pitched an amazing game. He threw a 2–0 shutout. A shutout means the other team scored zero runs. This helped the Dodgers win their first World Series title ever. It was also their only championship while they were in Brooklyn.
For his great performance, Podres received the first-ever World Series Most Valuable Player Award. He was also given a red sports car! He won the Babe Ruth Award too. Later, Sports Illustrated magazine named him their Sportsman of the Year.
A Star for the Dodgers
Podres did not play baseball in 1956 because he was serving in the military. He returned to the Dodgers in 1957. This was one of his best seasons. He won 12 games and lost 9. He led the National League with a 2.66 ERA and six shutouts.
In 1958, the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Podres won 13 games and lost 15. He was chosen as an All-Star for the first time. In 1959, he won 14 games and helped the Dodgers win the NL again. He started two games in the 1959 World Series. He won one of them, and the Dodgers won the series.
In 1960, Podres won 14 games. He was an All-Star twice that year. In 1961, he had his best year for wins, with 18 victories and only 5 losses.
In 1962, Podres won 15 games. He was an All-Star for the fourth and final time. In 1963, he won 14 games. The Dodgers won the NL championship again. He started one game in the 1963 World Series and won it. The Dodgers won that series too. From 1957 to 1963, Podres pitched many innings and won over 10 games every year.
After 1963, Podres' performance started to slow down. In 1964, he played only a little. In 1965, he won 7 games and lost 6. The Dodgers won the NL again. Podres did not play in the 1965 World Series, which the Dodgers won.
In 1966, the Dodgers traded Podres to the Detroit Tigers. He played for them through the 1967 season. He spent 1968 in the minor leagues. Then, he played one last season with the San Diego Padres in 1969 before he retired.
In his 15 years in MLB, Podres had 148 wins and 116 losses. His career ERA was 3.68. He recorded 1,435 strikeouts. He was especially good in the World Series. In four World Series, he won 4 games and lost only 1. His ERA in the World Series was a very low 2.11. He also had a good batting average in the World Series, hitting .313.
Later Years and Coaching
After he stopped playing, Podres became a pitching coach. He coached for the Padres, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Philadelphia Phillies. He coached for 23 seasons between 1973 and 1996. He worked with famous pitchers like Frank Viola and Curt Schilling.
In 2002, Podres was honored. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.
Podres lived in Queensbury, New York. He passed away in Glens Falls, New York, in 2008. He was 75 years old and had been in the hospital for health issues. He was survived by his wife, Joni Taylor, and his two sons, Joe and John Jr. Joni Taylor was known from the Ice Follies. Podres is buried in St. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Moriah, New York.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- Los Angeles Dodgers all-time roster
Images for kids
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Monument to the birthplace of Johnny Podres
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Bronze sculpture of Podres at the Baseball Hall of Fame
