Johnny Podres was the Twins pitching coach from 1981 through 1985. He taught Frank Viola the changeup. He’s best remembered, of course, for pitching the Brooklyn Dodgers to their one and only World Series title, in 1955. Podres died Sunday at the age of 75.

For more on The Pod, here’s a 1993 Patrick Reusse column, which ran shortly after the deaths of Podres’ former Dodgers teammates, Roy Campanella and Don Drysdale. My favorite parts are italicized.

Most of the time, John Podres looks away when he is talking to you. He stares toward the floor and provides emphasis by gesturing with his ever-present Winston. When asked for a remembrance, Podres will look toward the ceiling and pat his stomach with his left hand.

“We had been trying to finish off Elston Howard with fastballs,” said Podres, looking upward and patting. “I could tell that Ellie was getting there on time, that he was on my fastball. It was the only pitch all day when I shook off Campy. He wanted another fastball, but I shook him off and we went with the changeup.”

The Yankees’ Howard rapped the changeup to shortstop. Pee Wee Reese fielded the ball and threw it across the diamond for the last out in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series. “I jumped in the air once,” Podres said. “I jumped again. When I came down the second time, it was in Campy’s arms. That’s the picture you always see . . . me in Campy’s bearhug.”

It was the first and only time the Dodgers from Brooklyn won a World Series. Roy Campanella and the other great Dodgers had tired of losing to the Yankees, and then Podres came along to change the outcome. Podres, just turned 23, beat the Yankees with two complete games in the ‘55 Series, allowing one run in 18 innings.

“I was a 20-year-old kid when I came to Brooklyn in ‘53, and Campy led me around,” Podres said. “Before he gave me the sign for the pitch, he would give me the location. All I did was try to get the pitch Campy wanted in the area he wanted it.”

Three years later, Podres was missing from the Dodgers’ pitching staff because of Navy duty. So Campanella was given another kid pitcher - 19-year-old Don Drysdale - to break into the big leagues.

“I didn’t meet Don Drysdale until the spring of 1957,” Podres said. “We had that one season when we both pitched to Campy in Brooklyn, and that was it.”

The Dodgers announced late in the ‘57 season they were moving to Los Angeles. Campanella never made it as a player. He was paralyzed in a car accident after the last season in Brooklyn.

On June 26, Campanella, 71, died of a heart attack. Podres was saddened by the loss of the man who taught him how to pitch to big league hitters. Five days later, Drysdale, 56, was found dead in a Montreal hotel room after an apparent heart attack. Podres was shocked by the death of one of his closest friends.

“Curt Schilling was in the clubhouse and he heard the announcer say that Don Drysdale had died,” Podres said. “He came down to the dugout and told us. It didn’t register with me. I said, `Oh, Don Drysdale,’ and then it hit me.”

Podres’ natural look is sad-eyed. There have been some tears in those eyes over the last couple of weeks, as tragedy has continued to follow the last group of Brooklyn Dodgers.

It started with Campanella’s car accident. Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges and Junior Gilliam all died early. Now Drysdale.

Friday, Podres was asked how long he had been back on the cigarettes. “I had the bypass surgery in ‘86,” he said. “I quit ‘em for a couple of years. I guess I missed the coughing.”

Podres spent five seasons - 1981 through 1985 - as the Twins’ pitching coach. He had health problems and gave up alcohol, which was quite an accomplishment for a guy who was working with pitchers such as Terry Felton, John Pacella and Pete Filson. Felton was 0-13 when Anthony Young still was in high school.

Podres made it back to the big leagues as a coach with Philadelphia in 1991. “Nick Leyva hired me, but I didn’t work for him too long,” Podres said. “He was fired after 13 games. Luckily for me, they brought in Jimmy Fregosi.”

Fregosi is an admirer of Podres’ ability to straighten out pitchers and, if necessary, teach them the famous Podres changeup.

Minnesotans can admire Podres’ work from a distance, simply from the results he has received with David West (2.85 ERA, .212 opponents batting average) as a setup man for closer Mitch Williams.

“The first time West pitched for us, Fregosi brought him in to face a couple of lefthanded hitters,” Podres said. “He was screwing around. I told him, `Let the ball go. Be aggressive. If you get lit up going after hitters, I’ll never get on you about it.’ Since then, Westie has been great. He doesn’t get the hitters out every time, but he goes after them.”

And Williams . . . the Wild Thing? “It’s out of my hands,” Podres said.

Johnny first became a pitching coach in 1969, when the San Diego Padres told him it was time to retire. He was sent to Walla Walla, Wash., to coach the rookie leaguers. His toughest decision would be sorting through 15 prospects and separating the starters and relievers.

This was the solution: Podres assembled the pitchers and said, “How many of you like to go out three nights out of four, have a few beers, stay up late and perhaps meet some young ladies?”

Several of the pitching prospects raised their hands. “OK, you guys are starters,” Podres said. “You milkshake drinkers are the relievers. You have to be ready to pitch every day. You need your sleep.”

No one ever accused Drysdale and Podres of being milkshake drinkers. “Yeah, we had some good times,” Johnny said, smiling.

It will be a sad time in Los Angeles on Monday, when a memorial service is held for Drysdale. The other Campy-trained kid from Brooklyn, Johnny Podres, will be there. “I’m leaving for L.A. Sunday night,” said Podres, his sad eyes looking sadder. “Big D. It’s hard to believe.”

This entry was posted on Monday, January 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Around MLB, Twins thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.