[118] In 2022, a statue of Koufax was unveiled at Dodger Stadium. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. vs. MLN 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: I started running more. [30][31] Koufax threw 41+23 innings in 12 appearances that season, striking out 30 batters and walking 28. Sandy Koufax, a former professional baseball player, began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. "[85] Drysdale responded that Bavasi had done the same thing with him, in reverse. Do you have a sports website? Award by a unanimous vote . He was just 30 years old. In 1965, Koufax was 26-8, with a 2.04 ERA, the only season in this four-year stretch that his ERA finished above 2.00 -- by a tick. He started out as a left-handed catcher before moving to first base. 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. 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. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and his records include six All-Star Appearances four World Series titles, three Cy Young Awards, and two no-hitters. However, the morning after his 19th win, a shutout in which he struck out 13 batters, he could not straighten his arm. "It's been 41 years between starts for him. leader four times, setting a single-season mark with 382 in 1965, and had the most wins three times, with totals [117] On June 4 of that year, Koufax's uniform number 32 was retired alongside those of Dodger greats Roy Campanella (39) and Jackie Robinson (42). We strive for accuracy and fairness. Sandy Koufax pitched the game of his life in his final regular-season performance. "When he (Koufax) first came up, he couldn't throw a ball inside the batting cage," said Hall of Fame teammate Duke Snider. first pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame (1972) who had more strikeouts than innings pitched . [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. He was a left-handed pitcher. Koufax briefly held the Dodgers records for career strikeouts and shutouts until longtime teammate Don Drysdale passed him in 1968. He was the strikeouts Besides, he was also the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of fame when he was 36 years old. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 01:19. [46], A day later, Koufax was pitching for the "B team" in Orlando. In April 1966, Kerlan told Koufax it was time to retire and that his arm could not take another season. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax returned to the Dodgers in January 2013 to serve as Special Advisor to Dodgers' Chairman Mark Walter . [6] Drysdale pitched the opener, but was hit hard by the Minnesota Twins. By JOE REEDY June 18, 2022. Ruttman, "Sandy Koufax: Pitcher Nonpareil and Perfect Gentleman". In 1954, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers that contained a bonus which required at the time for Koufax to report to the major league team for two years. Koufax also made headlines for adhering to his faith. [62] He threw 11 shutouts, eclipsing Carl Hubbell's 30-year post-1900 mark for a left-handed pitcher of 10 and setting a record that stands to this day. [58] Compared to the previous season, walks in the NL fell 13 percent, strikeouts increased 6 percent, the league batting average fell from .261 to .245, and runs scored declined 15 percent. Allen, who was thrown out trying to steal second, was the only Phillie to reach base that day. 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. Born: The real name of this Former baseball player is Sanford Braun. Traumatic arthritis in his elbow ended Koufaxs career early due to a threat of permanent disability. On Sept. 25, 1966, at Wrigley Field, Sandy Koufax, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar who soon would retire, faced off against Ken Holtzman, the promising 20-year-old rookie for the Chicago Cubs.. In 1958, he began 73, but sprained his ankle in a collision at first base, finishing the season at 1111 and leading the NL in wild pitches. Sandy Koufax 1955 Topps. Koufax ended up getting $125,000 and Drysdale $110,000 (equivalent to $0.92million in 2021). [99], Due to a lack of run support, Koufax's postseason won-lost record over four World Series is an unimpressive 43, but his historic 0.95 ERA and two World Series MVPs testify to how well he actually pitched. Finally, on his way out the door in 1966, Koufax finished 27-9, the most victories in any of his 12 seasons. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy 6,337 ratings, 4.06 average rating, 276 reviews Open Preview Sandy Koufax Quotes Showing 1-6 of 6 "In the immortal words of Willie Stargell, trying to hit Koufax was like "trying to drink coffee with a fork." Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy 3 likes Like "[104], Koufax threw with a pronounced straight-over-the-top arm action. Despite the constant pain in his pitching elbow, he pitched a major league-leading 335+23 innings and led the Dodgers to another pennant. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, "In April of 1966 Koufax was told that he couldn't go another season, but he did just that - winning a career-high 27 games with a career-best 1.73 ERA.". With a limited baseball background, Koufax struggled with control at first, but used his raw talent to begin regularly throwing for the Dodgers in 1958, when the team moved to Los Angeles. He led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and won another championship with Cleveland in 2016, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. After joining the major leagues at age 19, having never pitched a game in the minor . (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), One of the most dominant left-handed pitchers of his time, Sandy Koufax captured the earned-run title five years in a row (1962-1966). In 1965 he set a major league record with 382 strikeouts; it was broken in 1973 by Nolan Ryan, but remains the top mark for NL pitchers and left-handers. He struck out 14 batters in the 10 win, at the time the most recorded in a perfect game (tied by Matt Cain in 2012). On May 15, the restriction on sending Koufax down to the minors was lifted. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The performance earned him his second World Series MVP award, making him the first player to win the award twice. On May 11, 1963, Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitched his second career no-hitter. However, due to changes in Hall practices, the 1972 induction ceremony was nearly eight months after the election, leaving Koufax slightly older than Gehrig, who had no formal induction ceremony, at the time of his induction. In 1959, Koufax struck out 18 Giants in nine innings and set a major league record for strikeouts in two games with 31. [95] In his three World Series losses, all starts, spread over three different Series, Koufax gave up a total of three earned runs; the Dodgers scored a total of one run in support in all three. This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. On June 30 against the expansion New York Mets, he threw his first no-hitter. [10] He later earned a partial scholarship. Why Sandy Koufax is an important figure in baseball history. (Voted by BBWAA on 344/396 ballots) He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician Robert Kerlan with traumatic arthritis. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. In his 12-season major league career, Koufax had a 16587 record with a 2.76 ERA, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 shutouts. [57], In 1963 Major League Baseball expanded the strike zone. This aided in his devastating curveball and may have increased his velocity, but reduced the lateral movement on his pitches, especially movement away from left-handed hitters. [74], On June 20, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets, Koufax pitched his second one-hitter, allowing only a fifth-inning home run by Jim Hickman before the Dodgers came back for a 2-1 win. 3 Sandy Koufax Quotes About Life "There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by a common goal. Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a perfect game in the National League against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, September 9, 1965. [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. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball. [86][87] At the time, Willie Mays was the highest paid player in the major leagues at $125,000 (equivalent to $1.04million in 2021) per year, and multi-year contracts were extremely unusual. Koufax had an older stepsister, Edith, who died in November 1997. [89] The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses, Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Jewish American baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax was a star player for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers before elbow arthritis forced him into early retirement. His no-hitter, along with a 42 record, 73 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA, earned him the Player of the Month Award for June. Actually, he would let you look at it. Koufax pitched two perfect relief innings in the Series opener, though they came after the Dodgers were already behind 110. Sandy Koufax Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Left 6-2 , 210lb (188cm, 95kg) Born: December 30, 1935 (Age: 87-003d) 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. [129], Author Larry Ruttman called Koufax "an icon" for Jewish people because of his pitching skill and what he called Koufax's "deep respect for his Judaism" as shown in 1965. They demanded $1 million (equivalent to $8.4million in 2021), divided equally over the next three years, or $167,000 (equivalent to $1.39million in 2021) each for each of the next three seasons. But he could also throw a baseball really, really hard. Along with Randy Johnson, Pedro Martnez, and Nolan Ryan, Koufax is one of only four pitchers elected to the Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts . (Age 30-276d) Family (1) Spouse Kimberly Francis (1985 - 9 December 1998) (divorced) In 12 Major After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. [105] His four-seam fastball gave batters the impression of rising as it approached them, due to backspin. Despite his string of amazing performances, Koufax pitched in pain throughout the 1965-1966 campaigns due to arthritis in his left elbow. Michael Jordan is a former American basketball player who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships and won the Most Valuable Player Award five times. [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). Koufax made his debut for the Dodgers in 1955. Throughout his career, Koufax relied heavily on two pitches. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente became the first Latin American player to collect 3,000 career hits before his death in a plane crash. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. He remains, over half a century later, on the very short list of pitchers who retired with more career strikeouts than innings pitched. Sandy Koufax was born as Sanford Braun on December 30, 1935. [119], In 1999, The Sporting News placed Koufax at number 26 on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. honors Steinbrenner, Clemens at 15th annual dinner", "Sandy Koufax: Pitcher Nonpareil and Perfect Gentleman", "Close-Up: Good Life of Baseball's Number 1 Hero", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sandy_Koufax&oldid=1132877459, October 2,1966,for theLos Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Koufax, byname of Sanford Koufax, original name Sanford Braun, (born Dec. 30, 1935, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.), American professional baseball player who, despite his early retirement due to arthritis, was ranked among the sport's greatest pitchers. [18], After trying out with the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds,[19] Koufax did the same for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. Koufax kept Kerlan's advice to himself and went out every fourth day to pitch. Privacy Statement/Your California Privacy Rights. [81] Both pitchers had no-hitters intact until the seventh inning. I can't pitch. percentage . In June 1959, Koufax set the record for a night game with 16 strikeouts. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. While playing first base for Lafayette's baseball team with his friend Fred Wilpon,[13] he was spotted by Milt Laurie, a baseball coach who was the father of two Lafayette players. Find out more. Obama continued: "He can't pitch on Yom Kippur. Sandy Koufax 24 X 18 X 1.5 Inch Premium Canvas Framed Art Print Artwork Signed By Artist To Stars, WINFORD WRealArt (280) $199.95 1965 SANDY KOUFAX No-Hitter #4 Photo Print - Vintage Baseball Poster, Rare Baseball Card, Baseball Card Collector, Baseball Card Art DingerStudios (979) $32.00 FREE shipping Though Koufax had a much shorter career than contemporary stars such as Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, he easily earned enough votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1972 to become the youngest player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Join our linker program. His overhand curveball, spun with the middle finger, dropped vertically 12 to 24inches due to his arm action. [32], During the fall, he enrolled in the Columbia University School of General Studies, which offered night classes in architecture. [34] He saw little work, pitching only 58+23 innings with a 4.91 ERA, 29 walks and 30 strikeouts. He pitched 12 seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1955 to 1966. Bid on Sandy Koufax Autographed Baseball at MLB Auctions. Now 67 years later, the two are immortalized in bronze at the entrance to Dodger Stadium. He was the first pitcher to average fewer than seven hits allowed per nine innings pitched (6.79) and to strike out more than nine batters (9.28) per nine innings pitched. 5. He had a 0.95 ERA in four career World Series as the Dodgers won titles in 1959, 1963 and 1965. The need to create the site and offer real products is long overdue. The hard-throwing left-hander was the most dominant pitcher in baseball until elbow arthritis forced an early retirement at age 30. MLB Debut Koufax made his major league debut on June 24 1955 against the Milwaukee Braves, with the Dodgers trailing 7-1 in the fifth inning.Johnny Logan, the first batter Koufax faced, hit a bloop single. The hard-throwing left-hander was baseball's most dominant pitcher until elbow arthritis forced him to retire at the age of 30. Instead, the Dodgers were swept in four games, not scoring a single run in the last three. Sandy Koufax. To make room for him, the Dodgers optioned their future Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda, to the Montreal Royals of the International League. We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. Despite giving up on his curveball early in the game after failing to throw strikes with it in the first two innings, and pitching the rest of the game relying almost entirely on fastballs, Koufax threw a three-hit shutout to clinch the Series. [50] He pitched six innings in four All-Star games,[100] including being the starting pitcher for three innings in the 1966 All-Star Game. What is a Reserve Price auction? In May 2010, he was invited to become a part of 'Jewish American Heritage Month' celebrations at 'The White House.' In 1969, Sandy Koufax married Anne Widmark, daughter of Hollywood actor Richard Widmark. For Sandy Koufax, his faith came before his career. [9][12] In 1951, at the age of 15, Koufax also joined a local youth baseball league known as the "Ice Cream League". What I don't understand is how he lost five,"[67] to which Dodger shortstop Maury Wills responded, "He didn't. 99. His reputation was marred, however, by the university's child abuse sex scandal in 2011, which resulted in his dismissal. He was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to future Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Jim Davenport. [131], Koufax serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping former major league, minor league, and Negro league players through financial and medical difficulties. He is also notable for being one of the outstanding Jewish athletes in U.S. sports; Koufax's decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur garnered national attention as a conflict between religious calling and society, and remains a notable event in U.S. Jewish history. Koufax was the MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 1963 and also won Cy Young Awards in 1965 and '66 . 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