Dodgers mourn Podres

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- As soon as he heard Johnny Podres had died, Don Newcombe recalled that famous moment more than a half-century ago.

"My mind went back to Yankee Stadium, 1955, the seventh game of the World Series," said Newcombe, also a member of that Brooklyn Dodgers championship team. "I thank God for Johnny Podres. I remember how confident he was in the clubhouse before Game 7.

"(Manager) Walter Alston called a meeting and Johnny said, 'Just give me 1 run.' Well, they gave him 2, and we were champs. He was a man of his word, he lived up to his word, and I appreciate it."

Podres, who became a storied figure in Dodgers lore for pitching Brooklyn to its only World Series title before the team moved West, died Sunday at Glens Falls Hospital. He was 75. His wife, Joan, said he was being treated for heart and kidney problems and a leg infection.

"I lost a dear friend and a former teammate who excelled in big games," said Dodgers Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider. "He was fun to play behind because he was always around the plate and he threw quality strikes when the game was on the line. He was a tremendous person, and I'm going to miss him quite a bit."

The portly left-hander was picked for four All-Star Games and was the first MVP in World Series history, becoming a hero to every baseball fan in Brooklyn when the Dodgers ended decades of frustration by beating the Yankees to win the 1955 World Series.

"He represented the Dodgers to the highest degree of class, dignity and character," said Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who roomed with Podres. "He was a great roomie, a great teammate, and a great friend."

"He was one in a million," said former Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi. "I've had many good pitchers on my teams during my career, including the best in the business in Sandy Koufax, and I am sure that all these pitchers will agree that if a club had to win one game, it would be Podres that would get the call."

Podres, also a part of championship teams in 1959, 1963 and 1965, pitched for 15 years with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. He retired in 1969 at 36 with a lifetime record of 148-116, an ERA of 3.68 and a 3-1 mark with a 2.11 ERA in 6 World Series starts.

As a coach, Podres helped develop current Red Sox star Curt Schilling when he was on the Philadelphia Phillies staff.

"No one ever cared about me more, or watched out for me as much as he did," Schilling said in a Phillies Magazine story last April. "There is no doubt in my mind that the career I've been blessed to enjoy is a direct result of this man's commitment to me and to my life."

Cardwell dies: Don Cardwell, who pitched a no-hitter and helped the New York Mets win the 1969 World Series, died Monday. He was 72. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Cardwell pitched for five major-league teams from 1957-70. He finished 102-138 with a 3.92 ERA and 1,211 strikeouts. He threw 17 shutouts, earned 7 saves -- and hit 15 home runs.

The right-hander was 8-10 with a 3.01 ERA for the Miracle Mets in '69. He pitched in 30 games, making 21 starts.

"I just remember him as one of the real tough guys who had a great second half in 1969," Mets teammate Ron Swoboda said. "Just old school, man. He was old school back then!"

After beginning his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cardwell was traded to the Cubs in May 1960. Two days after the deal, he tossed a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardwell's best season with the Cubs was 1961, when he went 15-14 with a 3.82 ERA and a career-high 156 strikeouts. He was traded to the Cardinals the following year but was dealt to Pittsburgh a month later without ever pitching for St. Louis.