John Joseph Podres (September 30, 1932 – January 13, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the majors from 1953 to 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Podres won four World Series titles with the Dodgers. He is best known for pitching a shutout in game 7 of the 1955 World Series to give the Dodgers their first championship.
Professional baseball career
thumb|left|Monument to the birthplace of the baseball player Johnny Podres
thumb|left|200px|Bronze sculpture of Podres at the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]
Podres was born in Witherbee, New York, in 1932. He was of Lithuanian–Polish descent.
Podres was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before the 1951 season. With the Bombers, he had a 21–9 win–loss record and a 1.67 earned run average (ERA), leading the league in wins and ERA.
After spending one more season in the minors in 1952, Podres made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1953.
Podres was out of baseball in 1956 due to military service. He returned to the Dodgers in 1957 and had his best season, going 12–9 and leading the NL with a 2.66 ERA, 155 ERA+, 1.082 WHIP, and six shutouts.
Podres later settled in Queensbury, New York. He died in Glens Falls, New York, in 2008 at age 75 after being hospitalized for heart and kidney ailments and a leg infection. Podres was survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Joni Taylor of Ice Follies fame, and his two sons, Joe and John Jr. He is interred at St. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Moriah, New York, which is in the Adirondack Park.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- Los Angeles Dodgers all-time roster