With Podres on Mound, Yankees Finally Go Down

It seemed it would go on forever.

The New York Yankees’ World Series domination of the Brooklyn Dodgers began in 1941 with a five-game Yankee triumph.

It continued in 1947 when Brooklyn’s Series heroes were Cookie Lavagetto and Al Gionfriddo but the Yankees won Game 7, 5-2.

It went on with another five-game Yankee triumph in 1949, followed by Yankee victories in 1952 and ’53.

So how could 1955 be any different?

It was different because of a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher named Johnny Podres.

Forty-four years ago today, the Dodgers enjoyed their finest hour.

Podres gave up eight hits, but with men on base the stocky Podres was brilliant, turning back Yankee batters all afternoon, earning a 2-0 victory in Game 7.

Fittingly, the final out was recorded by the captain, Pee Wee Reese. He had been through every World Series loss to the Yankees, dating to 1941.

With two outs in the ninth, he fielded an Elston Howard ground ball and threw to Gil Hodges at first. The hex was dead.

Hodges drove in both Dodger runs. In the fourth inning, he knocked in National League MVP Roy Campanella--who had doubled--with a single. In the sixth, with bases loaded, he hit a long sacrifice fly to center that scored Reese.

Podres is a Brooklyn hero to this day, but another savior was an obscure reserve outfielder named Sandy Amoros.

In the sixth inning Amoros made a spectacular running catch in left of Yogi Berra’s fly ball with two on and nobody out that resulted in a double play to preserve Podres’ shutout.

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Also on this date: In 1948, the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox, 8-3, in a one-game playoff for the American League pennant. . . . In 1969, the first year of divisional baseball playoffs, the Mets beat the Braves, 9-5, and the Orioles beat the Twins, 4-3, in the first two playoff games.