Johnny Podres: Pitcher, coach dies at 75

Mr. Podres smoked heavily, and, by his own admission, drank too much at certain stages in his life. He loved nothing more than watching young pitchers and betting the horses, particularly the trotters and pacers.

But he was a pitcher, not a handicapper. He'd tell anyone who would listen about just-missed quinellas or lucrative trifectas some ill-timed turn of fate had foiled.

"If Johnny's got money on the horse you like," Fregosi, another racing lover, liked to say, "you might as well tear up your ticket."

As a coach, he kept it simple. His typical message when visiting the mound was positive. When it wasn't, he would tell the struggling hurler that "Jimmy's getting [ticked]. You better start throwing it over the plate."

"He was a great pitching coach, got his points across with no pressure," said Larry Bowa, who also was on Fregosi's staff. "I know I learned a lot from him. He never talked a lot about his career but when you look at the numbers, he was special. Johnny had the knack of being dead serious about baseball and a minute later, having everyone laughing. He was a very funny man."

Mr. Podres was born in the Adirondack Mountains town of Witherbee, N.Y., where his father was an iron-ore miner. He signed with the Dodgers out of high school and made his big-league debut in 1953.

Mr. Podres was just 9-10 as a 22-year-old on that 1955 Boys of Summer team that included Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges.

But in the World Series, he beat Bob Turley with a complete game in Game 3, on his 23d birthday. Then, using the signature circle change-up and a fastball that darted in and out of Yankee Stadium's afternoon shadows, he shut out the Yankees in Game 7.

"When I heard of Johnny's passing, my mind went back to Yankee Stadium, 1955, the seventh game of the World Series," former teammate Don Newcombe said. "I thank God for Johnny Podres, as I do all the time. I remember how confident he was in the clubhouse before Game 7. [Manager] Walter Alston called a meeting and Johnny said, 'Just give me one run.' Well they gave him two, and we were champs. He was a man of his word, he lived up to his word, and I appreciate it."

Podres was traded to Detroit in 1966 and finished his playing career with the San Diego Padres.

"I loved the guy," Phillies chairman Bill Giles said. "He was a true character and great fun to be around. He was a great example of why working in baseball is so enjoyable. He was a great pitching coach and was able to instill confidence in the pitchers he worked with. I don't believe the Phillies would have won the 1993 pennant without Johnny."

In addition to his wife, Mr. Podres is survived by sons John Jr. of Queensbury, and Joseph of Fort Myers, Fla.; and brothers Thomas of Watervliet, N.Y., and Walter of California.

Funeral arrangements were pending.