Vin Scully, on Shades and Changeups

Johnny Podres in 1955.

Vin Scully, from last night's telecast:

A curveball missing inside under the hands, and a three-and-two count to the Squire from Stillwater, Matt Holliday.

Three and two the count. Wolf from the middle of the rubber, and the left-hander ready.

His three-two changeup is swung on and missed, and Holliday with that good arm motion was way out in front of it, and down he goes. Second strikeout for Randy Wolf.

Boy, that is a great pitch. Fell in love with that pitch back in 1955, when Johnny Podres beat the New York Yankees in the World Series primarily throwing a changeup.

Carl Erskine, back in those days, had a dandy.

And now the batter is Jason Giambi, and the pitch a strike.

You know how the Dodgers used to teach their pitchers to throw the changeup? They used to tell them, "Make believe you're pulling down a shade."

Hard to do.

Here's the strike-one pitch on the way....

Podres: AP photo