[46], A day later, Koufax was pitching for the "B team" in Orlando. A recording of the final inning made its way around the internet, as baseball fans celebrated the soft-voiced broadcasting icon for his poetic knack for bringing fans into the game. This Date in Baseball: Sandy Koufax Throws Perfect Game AP 0:00 0:44 Sept. 9 1914 George Davis of the Boston Braves pitched a 7-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second. When Koufax allowed baserunners, he was rarely permitted to finish the inning. But thank you to all the fans who treated me so well, and tell them how lucky they are to have had competitive teams to root for, for so many years. [11] Koufax attended Brooklyn's Lafayette High School, where he was better known for basketball than for baseball. In typical Koufax fashion, he centered his speech by thanking everyone that helped him get to this moment. [130], Koufax married Anne Widmark, the daughter of actor Richard Widmark, in 1969; they divorced in 1982. Though, he is 6 1 in feet and inches and 188 cm in Centimetres tall, he weighs about 210 lbs in Pound and 95kg in Kilograms. [122] He was the final player chosen in the inaugural Israel Baseball League draft in April 2007, picked, at 71 years old, by the Modi'in Miracle. And a crowd of 29,139 just sitting in to see the only pitcher in baseball history [at the time] to hurl four no-hit, no-run games. Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1972, becoming at age 36 the youngest player ever elected. He walked Ed Bailey on a 3-and-2 pitch in the eighth, and pinch-hitter McCovey on four pitches in the ninth, before closing out the game. [81] Both pitchers had no-hitters intact until the seventh inning. So when he wrote his name in capital letters in the record books, that 'K' stands out even more than the O-U-F-A-X.. Koufax returned to Los Angeles to consult with Kerlan, who advised him that he would be lucky to be able to pitch once a week. Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax pitched for UC in the 1950s and also played on the. He was the youngest player ever elected, five months younger than Lou Gehrig upon his special election in December 1939 (which waived what was then a one-year waiting period before enshrinement). In 1963, Koufax was 25-5, with a 1.88 ERA. He also became the second pitcher in baseball In spring 1954, he made the college baseball varsity team, which was coached by Jucker at that time. League seasons, he had a career record of 165-87, a 2 .76 ERA, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games and 40 But the injury made him realize that greatness can be fleeting. LOS ANGELES -- Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax has played an enormous role in Dodgers history. It would be easy to argue that hes the best pitcher to ever wear Dodger Blue. "[126][127] Obama directly acknowledged the high esteem in which Koufax is held: "This is a pretty distinguished group," he said of the invited guests, which included members of the House and Senate, two justices of the Supreme Court, Olympic athletes, entrepreneurs, rabbinical scholars, "and Sandy Koufax." [61] From July 3 to July 16, he pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings, pitching three shutouts to lower his ERA to 1.65. He won 25 or more games in three of the four seasons, winning the Cy Young Award in each of those three seasons. One of the rarest Koufax cards can be found in a set made by Topps for the Venezuelan market in 1967. Sorry Bill Plaschke. He chuckled and said, We had an understanding. [10] Shortly after his mother's remarriage, the family moved to the Long Island suburb of Rockville Centre. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF SANDY KOUFAX About Us Welcome sports fans and collectors to SandyKoufax.com, the first and only authorized and approved website by Sandy Koufax. Today's Paper Then there's today, Dec. 30, the birthday of three American athletes of whom you may have heard: Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Sandy Koufax. Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, as well as the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. On May 23, he pitched a 1-0, one-hit shutout in Pittsburgh, allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher Bennie Daniels. This area is served by the El Paso Independent attendance zone. Over the next three seasons, Koufax was in and out of the starting rotation due to injuries. Despite the constant pain in his pitching elbow, he pitched a major league-leading 335+23 innings and led the Dodgers to another pennant. Koufax ended up getting $125,000 and Drysdale $110,000 (equivalent to $0.92million in 2021). Most of his velocity came from his strong legs and back, combined with a high leg kick during his wind-up and long forward extension on his release point toward home plate. If he's rested and ready to take the mound again, we want him on our team." Koufax pitched four no-hitters in his career, including a perfect game against the Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965. He had special praise for his broadcaster. 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. ) He started out as a left-handed catcher before moving to first base. When throwing a fastball with baserunners, his hand position in the stretch would be higher than when he threw a curveball. He was selected as an All-Star for six consecutive seasons[1] and made seven out of eight possible All-Star Game appearances those seasons (he was not on the roster for the second All-Star Game in 1962). In 1959, the Dodgers won a close pennant race against the Braves and the Giants, then beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Koufax was the first major league pitcher to hurl four no-hitters, and in 1965 became the eighth pitcher and the first left-hander since 1880 to pitch a perfect game. Sandy Koufax made 40 starts in 1963, only one short of his career-high. Palmer was the winning pitcher in a 6-0 Orioles victory. 2. Koufax's pitching prowess aside, Passan praised the principled stance the former Dodger took all those years ago. Koufax's most memorable moments It was a six-year run that took him straight to Cooperstown. Sanford Koufax (/kofks/; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. I started running more. Award by a unanimous vote . [79][114] The Dodgers again hired Koufax in 2013 as a special advisor to team chairman Mark Walter to work with the pitchers during spring training and consult during the season. He won an ERA title in 1962 when he only pitched half a season due to injury and led the league in strikeouts in 1961 with 269. . He was the strikeouts was a member of Dodgers' world championship teams in 1955, '59, '63 and '65, earning MVP honors in 1963 and Koufax's role includes attending a [76][77] The game was Koufax's fourth no-hitter,[77] setting a major league record (subsequently broken by Ryan in 1981),[78] and the first by a left-hander since 1880. [65][66] It was not only the first of three times he would be a unanimous selection, it was the only Cy Young Award given out for both leagues during his career; separate awards for each league were presented starting in 1967. strikeouts . On Nov. 18, 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax announced his retirement from baseball despite being just 30 years old. At that time, sharing this space with him would have been absolutely unimaginable. During welcome remarks in a reminiscence of Koufax's decision not to play on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, President Barack Obama said that the two had "something in common." Jane Purucker Clarke. The reason for his enshrinement at such a young age was due to his early retirement due to an arthritic condition in his elbow. 1965 Topps Sandy Koufax #300 (2.50) 1966 Topps Sandy Koufax #100 (3.00) Take a look at each of these cards in the PSA Set Registry. LOS ANGELES Sandy Koufax was 19 years old when he stepped into the home clubhouse of the team he'd grown up in Brooklyn watching, the one that by the time Koufax turned 22 would move to Los. In June, the Dodgers honored the 86-year-old Koufax with a statue outside Dodger Stadium. Why didnt his obituaries say so? Koufax was a two-time World Series MVP with the Dodgers. Sandy Koufax Autographed Authentic Mitchell & Ness 1963 Replica Jersey - Grey. (Jon SooHoo / Los Angeles Dodgers) "Our all-switch-hitting infield, Jim Lefebvre, Wes Parker, Jim Gilliam, Maury. 11 y/o me started collecting him as soon as he got drafted. Nicknamed The Left Arm of God, Sandy Koufax is a four-time World Series champion (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965) and in 1972 he became the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. On March 31, the morning after pitching a complete spring training game, Koufax awoke to find that his entire left arm was black and blue from hemorrhaging. His second marriage, to personal trainer Kimberly Francis, lasted from 1985 to 1998. Historical Events. In the pantheon of beloved sports broadcasters, Vin Scully stands alone. ft. home is a 3 bed, 2.0 bath property. [115], Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1972, just weeks after his 36th birthday. With the Dodgers out of the pennant race he did not pitch again, ending the season with a 195 record[73] and leading the NL with a 1.74 ERA. From 1962-66, Koufax led the National League in earned run average and shutouts . Allen, who was thrown out trying to steal second, was the only Phillie to reach base that day. [49] Selected as an All-Star for the first time, he appeared in both All-Star Games that year (two All-Star games were held for the years from 1959 to 1962). While batting in April, he had been jammed by a pitch from Earl Francis. On Saturday, Koufax and his famous leg kick were forever immortalized at Dodger Stadium as he became the second player to get a statue in the center-field plaza. "[24] The Dodgers signed Koufax for a $6,000 ($61,000 today) salary, with a $14,000 ($141,000 today) signing bonus. [125], Koufax was included among a group of prominent Jewish Americans honored at a May 27, 2010, White House reception for Jewish American Heritage Month. 32 was one of the first retired by the organization, along with Jackie Robinsons No. Even as Koufax pitched during the time of Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn and Jim Palmer, with a pretty good kid in New York named Tom Seaver about to make his big league debut (Koufax retired after the 1966 season; Seavers rookie year was 67), Koufax managed to stand taller than all of them, in exactly the way Scully described. pic.twitter.com/udkMRcWR29, The legendary life and career of Sandy Koufax. He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician Robert Kerlan with traumatic arthritis. Answer (1 of 15): I think he'd be a top-tier pitcher today. [27] Koufax made his major league debut on June 24, 1955, against the Milwaukee Braves, with the Dodgers trailing 71 in the fifth inning. I decided I was really going to find out how good I can be. And here is the transcript of that call. 1 / 2. We lost them for him. Sabermetrician Rob Neyer called it the best curve of all time. Theyre both left-handed pitchers and both dominated their eras unlike any other pitcher. First published August 30, 1966. But those final four years were wonder years. Heres what to watch for. [23] After seeing Koufax pitch for Lafayette, Campanis invited him to an Ebbets Field tryout. As noted, Mrs. Clarke is Koufax's wife number 3; back on January 1st, 1969, Sandy, known as the Left Hand of God . Koufax briefly held the Dodgers records for career strikeouts and shutouts until longtime teammate Don Drysdale passed him in 1968. Koufax finished with a 14-7 slate, and led the NL in ERA (2.54) for the first of five consecutive seasons. In the first inning of that game he struck out all three batters on nine total pitches to become the sixth recorded National League pitcher and the 11th recorded pitcher in major league history to accomplish an immaculate inning. 1953-12-14 Brooklyn Dodgers sign pitcher Sandy Koufax; 1955-06-08 L.A. Dodgers option pitcher (and future Baseball Hall of Fame manager) Tommy Lasorda to make room on roster for future Hall of Famer, pitcher Sandy Koufax; 1955-08-27 Sandy Koufax fans 14 Reds, both teams combine for record 23 strikeouts; 1959-06-22 Most Phillies strike out in a game (16 by Sandy Koufax) [82], The winning run was unearned, scored without a hit when the Dodger's Lou Johnson walked, reached second on a sacrifice, stole third, and scored on a throwing error by Chicago catcher Chris Krug. Koufax played his entire MLB career with the Dodgers. [52] On April 24, he tied his own record with 18 strikeouts in a 10-2 road win over the Cubs. The performance earned him his second World Series MVP award, making him the first player to win the award twice. 39 ratings4 reviews. Sandy Koufax Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Left 6-2 , 210lb (188cm, 95kg) Born: December 30, 1935 (Age: 87-060d) in Brooklyn, NY us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame MVP 3x Cy Young 3x Triple Crown 7x All-Star 4x World Series 2x WS MVP 5x ERA Title 2x ML PoY 32 32 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Sandy Koufax's home in Vero Beach, Florida. Meanwhile, the Dodgers waged a public relations battle against them. If you order today, this is the estimated delivery date and is based on the seller's processing time and location, carrier transit time, and your inferred shipping address. Genres BaseballSports. To make room for him, the Dodgers optioned their future Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda, to the Montreal Royals of the International League. He also took Butazolidin for inflammation, applied capsaicin-based Capsolin ointment (also sold by the brand name "Atomic Balm") before each game, and soaked his arm in a tub of ice afterwards. The greatest of all time, Sandy Koufax. Willie Mays said, "I knew every pitch he was going to throw fastball, breaking ball or whatever. He made 43 appearances, had 27 complete games (eight shutouts) and 382 strikeouts in 335 2/3 innings. On Saturday, Koufax and his famous leg kick were forever immortalized at Dodger Stadium as he became the second player to get a statue in the center-field plaza. Less than six weeks after the series, on Friday, November 18,[96][97] Koufax announced his retirement due to an arthritic elbow. [88], Koufax and Drysdale did not report to spring training in February. I asked the great broadcaster Vin Scully, who had a ringside seat to all of it with Koufax, from the time the left-hander was a struggling kid with the Brooklyn Dodgers, if it was even possible for him to describe what he saw from Koufax in those days. Kershaw is not the greatest Dodgers pitcher of all time, Sandy Koufax is. [35], To prepare for the 1957 season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Koufaxs four-year run from 1963-66 is one of the best ever. Koufax, though, dominated pretty much everybody else in his time. [69][70], Koufax's 1964 season started with great expectations. outside Dodger Stadium. [14], Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati and was a walk-on on the freshman basketball team, a complete unknown to assistant coach Ed Jucker. And I got him sometimes. In truth, Aaron did a little better than that. [48], 1961 was Koufax's breakout season. Koufax later said, "I had nothing at all." Join. Lasorda would later joke that it took Koufax to keep him off the Dodger pitching staff. [29] He lasted only .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}4+23 innings, giving up eight walks. He has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. He was selected to seven Autobiography of the great Dodgers pitcher, assisted by a noted sportswriter. He was the first pitcher to record 300 strikeouts three times, and set a record with 97 games of at least 10 strikeouts, also later broken by Ryan; he twice tied a modern record by striking out 18 batters in a game. Countries of the World. Thank you very much. He was named the World Series MVP in both 1963 and 1965, earning two wins in each Series and striking out 52 batters to lead the team to another pair of titles. He is also the only pitcher to win three Cy Young Awards in the era in which the first pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame (1972) who had more strikeouts than innings pitched . A numbness developed in the index finger on his left hand, and the finger became cold and white. [98] He also became the second pitcher in baseball history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and the first to have eight games with 15 or more strikeouts. [93] Alston lifted Koufax at the end of the sixth inning,[93][94] with the idea of getting him extra rest before a potential fifth game. He then walked Hank Aaron on four pitches to load the bases, but struck out Bobby Thomson on a 32 fastballan outcome Koufax later came to view as "probably the worst thing that could have happened to me," leading, as it did, to five seasons spent "trying to get out of trouble by throwing harder and harder and harder. Popular Quizzes Today. The Dodgers went on to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, and Game 2 marked Koufax's third start in eight days. He held batters to 5.79 hits per nine innings, and allowed the fewest baserunners per nine innings in any season ever: 7.83, breaking his own record (set two years earlier) of 7.96. Today's equivalent is Ibuprofen. 6/18/2022 at 7:21 PM 6/18/2022 at 7:21 PM 'One of a kind' Koufax immortalized with Dodger Stadium statue. "It's been 41 years between starts for him. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He had two wins in 1955, which were both shutouts. His best was better than everybody elses best. pic.twitter.com/JgMKllrYBN. On July 20 he hit the second and last home run of his career, coincidentally again in Milwaukee, a three-run shot to propel the team to a 5-4 win; it was his only game with three runs batted in. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. Sandy Koufax Height and Weight Koufax stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and Weighs 210 lbs (95 kg). On September 29, he became the last man to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles, throwing an inning of relief in the final game of the season. I thought it was so cool they referenced the famous video of him and his dad. I think we were friends, but I think in some ways we were competitors, Koufax said. The new park had a large foul territory and a comparatively poor hitting background. The Dodgers won the pennant, and Koufax won the first of three pitchers' Triple Crowns, leading the league in wins (25), strikeouts (306) and ERA (1.88). His decision garnered national headlines, raising the conflict between professional pressures and personal religious beliefs to front-page news. View More Videos. Manager Dave Roberts, third-base coach Dino Ebel, owner Mark Walter and countless others were present for Koufaxs moment. Because the standard was set of excellence that I tried to live up to. Finally, on his way out the door in 1966, Koufax finished 27-9, the most victories in any of his 12 seasons. Since then, no left-hander has had more wins, nor a lower ERA; only Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton matched the 27-win mark, in 1972. Now, 57 years after the Hall of Fame pitcher sat out a World Series. Pietrusza, David; Silverman, Matthew & Gershman, Michael, ed. [60], On May 11 Koufax no-hit the Giants 80, besting Marichalhimself a no-hit pitcher on June 15. Los Angeles Dodgers unveil the Sandy Koufax statue in the Centerfield Plaza to honor the Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award winner prior to a MLB baseball game between the Cleveland . [56], The night before the playoffs began, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the next day. Come view this home today as it is ready for immediate move in! . Front & back yards are professionally landscaped. 32 was retired alongside those of fellow Dodger greats Roy Campanella The legendary voice of the Dodgers, who died Tuesday at 94, helped generations of fans fall in love with baseball, from his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 to his final call in Los Angeles in 2016. "[28], Koufax's first start was on July 6. Koufax has served as a mentor for Kershaw. Major Leaguer to pitch four no-hitters, including a perfect game . Like |. 10929 Sandy Koufax Dr is a house located in El Paso County and the 79934 ZIP Code. Vin Scully is the greatest of all time, period. World Series Championship. Koufax's seasonal W-L record during that period was. He is also the first pitcher to win the award by a unanimous votea recognition which he accomplished twice more. Koufax carried a perfect game into the eighth inning against the powerful Giants lineup, including Mays and fellow future Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda. He struck out the last six consecutive batters. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. consecutive All-Star Games from 1961-66 . He pitched well enoughBaltimore first baseman Boog Powell told Koufax's biographer, Jane Leavy, "He might have been hurtin' but he was bringin'"but three errors by Dodger center fielder Willie Davis in the fifth inning produced three unearned runs. From 1962 to 1966, the Dodgers star had been an astonishing force in the sport, offering a five-year run . Considered not only one of the greatest Dodgers players ever, but one of the greatest players in baseball history, Koufax's legacy . Sandy Koufax is a famous American baseball player who played 12 seasons with LA Dodgers in MLB from the year 1955 to 1966. Koufax was pitching better than ever, however, so he ignored the problem, hoping that the condition would clear up. And today, it still is. shutouts . In the postseason, Koufax also shined, winning two World Series MVP Awards. [126], Koufax has been described by Sports Illustrated writer John Rosengren as a secular Jew. Nobe Kawano, the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax returned to play the following year. He won three Cy Young Awards, one MVP and three World Series titles with the Dodgers. The couple divorced in 1982 and never had children. His No. Koufax was 30 when he pitched his final game for the Dodgers, Game 2 of the 1966 World Series. Campanis later said, "There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the second time, I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball. It's on today's date in 1965 that Sandy Koufax capped an amazing World Series with a Game 7 pitching performance of such stylish fortitude that baseball fans who remember it are still in awe. The left-hander went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA over his Hall of Fame career. [121], In 1990 Koufax was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He started playing basketball for the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst local community center team. By the end of the year, after going 813, Koufax was thinking about quitting baseball to devote himself to an electronics business in which he had invested. F ifty years ago, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale tried one of the boldest maneuvers in baseball history. Not only was it Game One of the World Series, but it was also Yom Kippur. On April 18, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the third inning of a 30 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the only NL pitcher to have two "immaculate innings". (Harry How/Getty Images). One of the most dominating pitchers in the game's history, Koufax was the first Through Koufaxs dominant highs and his injury-induced lows, Scully was behind the microphone, narrating it all for fans on both coasts. (JTA) In the pantheon of beloved sports broadcasters, Vin Scully stands alone. He made 40 starts, half of which were complete games. Matthew Moreno. Robinson saw that Koufax was talented and had flashes of brilliance, and objected to him being benched for weeks at a time. After winning the second game of the series, the Dodgers blew a 42 lead in the ninth inning of the deciding third game, losing the pennant. He was just 30 at the time. He posted an 1813 record and led the league with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267. Koufax, who grew up in Brooklyn playing in the city's "Ice Cream League" before heading to the University of Cincinnati to play basketball, debuted with his hometown Dodgers in 1955 after signing as a "bonus baby" in 1954. Koufax recovered fully, and in 1963 he had the first of possibly the four greatest consecutive seasons any pitcher ever produced. Instead, both signed to appear in the movie Warning Shot, starring David Janssen. He went 25-5 that season, with the team going 34-6 in his starts. He had special praise for his broadcaster. Koufax with the Los Angeles Dodgers, c. 1965, Major League Baseball pitchers who have won the, Baseball Anecdotes by Daniel Okrent and Steve Wulf, Harper and Row Publishers, 1989, The play-by-play data from which these averages were calculated are only available starting in 1957. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. Koufax authorized the book but declined to be interviewed; thus, Leavy . [55], Koufax had a strong season despite an injured pitching hand. Koufax's lifetime ERA in the Fall Classic was 0.95. Ten days of experimental medicine successfully reopened the artery. Koufax was the MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 1963 and also won Cy Young Awards in 1965 and '66 . history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and the first to have eight games with 15 or more [120] He was also named that year as one of the 30 players on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. [30] He did not start again for almost two months, but on August 27, Koufax threw a two-hit, 70 complete game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds for his first major league win. The date, September the ninth, 1965, and Koufax working on veteran Harvey Kuenn.), reminding fans that they were witnessing history. Sandy Koufax, left, with sculptor Branly Cadet. Fifty years ago on October 6, at the tender age of 30, Sandy Koufax bowed out of baseball. And by the way, he and the Dodgers reached the World Series in all three of those award-winning seasons. [107] He also occasionally threw a changeup and a forkball. And you still couldn't hit it. Dodgers honored the 86-year-old Koufax with a statue. [101], Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, an especially impressive feat because it was during the era when only one was given out for both major leagues. landscaped. He especially showed appreciation for all of his Dodgers teammates from the late '50s and early '60s, especially Don Drysdale, who played 11 seasons with Koufax. '65, when he pitched two shutouts . Despite his comparatively short career, his 2,396 career strikeouts ranked seventh in major league history, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers; his 40 shutouts were tied for ninth in modern NL history. Not a day goes by without his name appearing on the World Wide Web.97 The year 2002 brought Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, by Jane Leavy. Koufax obliged. [36] Koufax and fellow Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale served six months in the United States Army Reserve at Fort Dix in New Jersey after the end of the 1957 season and before spring training in 1958.[37][38][39][40][41]. In the first inning, Koufax walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. Sandy Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 30, 1935. [2] The top pitchers of the era future Hall of Famers Drysdale, Juan Marichal, Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Warren Spahn - and above all Koufax significantly reduced the walks-given-up-to-batters-faced ratio for 1963 and subsequent years. Drysdale was to play a TV commentator and Koufax a detective. Awesome once. Posted by Ryan Gaeta. Scully's reply via text message was all in capital letters, appropriately enough: AWESOME. Explore Sandy Koufax's biography, wiki, net worth & salary in 2023. 4.15. [9][12] In 1951, at the age of 15, Koufax also joined a local youth baseball league known as the "Ice Cream League". Kimberly was a personal trainer. BREATHTAKING. Home is located close to parks, schools, shopping, freeway access & Fort Bliss. Koufax agreed not to throw at all between gamesa resolution that lasted only one start. Topps created three different sets to be distributed in Venezuela and, as Koufax had retired after the 1966 season, he was included in the 50-card set featuring former stars from the 20th century. His parents, Jack Braun and Evelyn, divorced when Sandy was three years old. Eventually, Lafayette had a basketball team; Koufax became team captain in his senior year, and ranked second in his division in scoring, with 165 points in 10 games. [83], In Game 2 Koufax pitched six innings, giving up two runs, and the Twins won 51 to take an early 20 lead in the series.