Former Phillies pitching coach Johnny Podres died yesterday.
He was 75.
I never met Podres, but anytime anybody in the Phillies' organization mentioned his name it carried a certain magical quality to it. He certainly had a special knack with pitchers, and he certainly seemed to have a special way at getting his point across. I know a few years ago when everybody else had failed trying to turn around former Phillies prospect Gavin Floyd, the Phillies asked Podres to try to tutor him. They seemed to consider him their only hope.
*
Frank Fitzpatrick wrote about Podres in a June 27, 1995, story for The Inquirer.
*
Curt Schilling blogs about Podres.
*
Lefthander Matt Smith has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies with an invitation to major league spring training. Smith will be rehabbing from Tommy John surgery during the spring.
Comments (5)
I remembered Podres from his pitching days in LA, when the Dodgers became my second favorite team when I was still a kid (hey, in the '60s, a Phillies Phan had to have a backup team to root for that actually had a chance to win!). The Big Three on the Bums those years was an amazing sight to watch. I didn't know what kind of coach he'd be when he came to the Phils, but I figured he had to have a good chance to do well with his pitching pedigree. I'm very glad Philly can him as a part of their baseball history and lore. RIP.
Posted by Marty McPhillie | January 14, 2008 4:01 PM
Posted on January 14, 2008 16:01
I've followed the Phils since the mid 60's (okay, since 1964). Pods was one of the greatest, maybe the greatest Phillies pitching coach of that era. He is fondly remembered.
Thanks for the memories, Johnny!
Posted by jrquixote | January 14, 2008 5:52 PM
Posted on January 14, 2008 17:52
Man, could that guy pick the ponies. He was a fixture at Saratoga.
Posted by Bob | January 14, 2008 10:40 PM
Posted on January 14, 2008 22:40
GOOD-BYE JOHNNY. YOU WERE A CLASS ACT AND A CLASSY GUY. THANKS FOR THE GREAT MEMORY'S AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK. MAY GOD BLESS AND SPEED YOU ON YOUR WAY TO THE DIAMOND IN THE SKY !!
Posted by FRED | January 15, 2008 5:16 AM
Posted on January 15, 2008 05:16
RIP to the only person in 120+ years who could teach the Phillies to pitch...
Posted by PaulW | January 17, 2008 11:49 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 11:49