Former Dodger/Tiger Passes on

Attached article from the Detroit Free Press:

DODGER GREAT PODRES DIES: Legendary pitcher was a Tiger in his later years
January 15, 2008
FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Former Tiger Johnny Podres, who pitched the Brooklyn Dodgers to their only World Series title in 1955, died Sunday at age 75.
A spokesman for Glens Falls Hospital confirmed Podres' death but said he didn't know any details.
AdvertisementPodres' career spanned 15 years with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, the Tigers -- he pitched for them in 1966 and '67 -- and San Diego Padres. He retired in 1969 at age 36 with a lifetime record of 148-116.
Podres, a left-hander, was picked for four All-Star Games and was the first most valuable player in World Series history. He became a hero to every baseball fan in Brooklyn when the Dodgers ended decades of frustration by beating the Yankees to win the World Series.
The Dodgers lost the first two games of the '55 Series at Yankee Stadium, then won the third, 8-3, at Ebbets Field. Podres, going the distance on his 23rd birthday, scattered seven hits.
In the seventh game at Yankee Stadium, Podres shut out New York, 2-0, on eight hits, relying on his fastball and a deceptive change-up.
As the story goes, Podres told his teammates to get him just one run and the Dodgers would win Game 7. Years later, he was uncertain he made such a brash statement.
"I don't know if I said it or not. That's what they said I said," a grinning Podres recalled in 2005.
Podres later served as a pitching coach, helping develop Frank Viola with the Minnesota