Johnny Podres

John Joseph Podres (September 30, 1932 – January 13, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1953 to 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Born in Witherbee, New York, and of Lithuanian–Polish descent, Podres was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before the 1951 season.

He began his professional career that year with the Hazard Bombers of the Mountain States League, posting a 21–9 record with a 1.67 earned run average and leading the league in both wins and ERA. After one more season in the minors in 1952, he made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1953, going 9–4 and helping Brooklyn win the National League championship. In the 1953 World Series he made one start, took the loss, and the Dodgers fell in the series. He followed with an 11–7 record in 1954.

Podres won four World Series titles with the Dodgers over the course of his career. He is best known for pitching a shutout in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series to give the Dodgers their first championship.