Johnny Podres
John Joseph "Johnny" Podres (born September 30, 1932 in Witherbee, New York) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1953-55, 1957-67); Detroit Tigers (1966-67), and San Diego Padres (1969).
Podres helped his Dodgers teams win the World Series in 1955, 1959 and 1963. In the 1955 Series he beat the Yankees 8-3 in Game Three and shut them out 2-0 in Game Seven, brings its first WS championship to Brooklyn in 8 tries, including five consecutive Series losses to their Bronx rivals. Podres was named the World Series MVP and was honored as the Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.
In 15-season career, Podres compiled a 148-116 record with 1435 strikeouts, a 3.68 ERA, and 24 shutouts in 440 games.
Highlights
- 3-time All-Star Game (1958, 1960, 1962)
- World Series MVP (1955)
- Tied the modern National League record with eight consecutive strikeouts (1962)
- Led league in ERA (2.66, 1957)
- Led league in shutouts (6, 1957)
- Led league in winning percentage (.783, 1961)
