Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. He died of ALS in 1941. Doyel: Sandy Koufax made the Hall of Fame, but not this semi-pro team in Oldenburg, Indiana. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Willie Mays said, "I knew every pitch he was going to throw fastball, breaking ball or whatever. For Sandy Koufax, his faith came before his career. 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. Third Party Auction sites are flooded with fake and unlicensed items. His overhand curveball, spun with the middle finger, dropped vertically 12 to 24inches due to his arm action. He was the first pitcher in history to average more than one strikeout per inning, and the first to allow fewer than seven hits per nine innings pitched. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. He pitched 12 seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1955 to 1966. Despite the blazing speed of his fastball, Koufax continued to struggle with his control. In 1963, Sandy Koufax led the National League in wins (25), strikeouts (306) ERA (1.88), and threw eleven shutouts, setting a new record for shutouts by a left-handed pitcher that is still in the Shutouts Record Book (the previous record was held by Carl Hubbell who had ten shutouts in 1933). [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. and to strike out more than nine batters (9 .28) per nine innings . When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture. "[109][110], In 1967, Koufax signed a 10-year contract with NBC for US$1million (equivalent to $8.1million in 2021) to be a broadcaster on the Saturday Game of the Week. [25] Koufax planned to use the money as tuition to finish his university education, if his baseball career failed. And you still couldn't hit it. Sandy Koufax retired at 30-years-old because of chronic arthritis in his throwing elbow. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Sandy Koufax - Baseball Hall of Fame Biographies, Vin Scully call of final three outs of Sandy Koufax's perfect game, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main Street,Cooperstown, NY 13326Phone: 1-888-HALL-OF-FAME | 607-547-7200 | Fax: 607-547-0398, "I can see how he won 25 games. 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. 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. What I don't understand is how he lost five, said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in 1963. Over the next three seasons, Koufax was in and out of the starting rotation due to injuries. In a Reserve Price Auction, the seller has set a Reserve Price, which is a price below which the listing . [60], On May 11 Koufax no-hit the Giants 80, besting Marichalhimself a no-hit pitcher on June 15. In a start in Cincinnati his finger split open after one inning. One of the greatest baseball players in history, Willie Mays thrilled fans over a 22-year big league career with his powerful bat and astonishing defensive skills. Sandy Koufax. From 1962 to 1966, he recorded 111 wins against only 34 losses, led the National League in ERA five times, set a single-season record with 382 strikeouts, and won three Cy Young Awards and one Most Valuable Player trophy. Sandy Koufax is a former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played his entire career (12 seasons) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 1996. In August of 1972 Cooperstown welcomed a star-studded group of inductees for the Class of 1972. by Jane Leavy. Instead, Koufax made a living on a baseball diamond, becoming one of the most dominating left-handers of all time. Sandy Koufax 1955 Topps. With Game 1 of the 1965 World Series slated to fall on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Koufax famously sat out the game in observance. Despite displaying tantalizing abilityhe struck out 14 batters in his second major league startthe left-hander was too wild to remain a regular in the rotation. A trailblazing player in the Negro Leagues, baseball pitcher Satchel Paige also became the oldest rookie in Major League history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. After seeing Koufax's Game 1 performance, Yankee Yogi Berra said, "I can see how he won 25 games. I can't pitch. Pitching is the art of instilling fear. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Allen, who was thrown out trying to steal second, was the only Phillie to reach base that day. 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. Actually, he would let you look at it. [61] From July 3 to July 16, he pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings, pitching three shutouts to lower his ERA to 1.65. Koufax also made headlines for adhering to his faith. He also became the second pitcher in baseball 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. He was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to future Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Jim Davenport. [15] In his only season, Koufax went 31 with a 2.81 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 32 innings. After the last game of the season, he threw his gloves and spikes into the trash. Sandy Koufax Baseball Cards In Review Sandy Koufax was the first major league pitcher to pitch four no-hitters and only the eighth pitcher at the time to pitch a perfect game in baseball history. Look at the box score of that game today. Do you have a blog? The game has a cleanness. Koufax gets Dodger Stadium statue next to Jackie Robinson. Major Leaguer to pitch four no-hitters, including a perfect game . 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. Koufax was born Sanford Braun on December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York. The Koufax years of 1963 to 1966 are the finest four-year stretch of pitching. 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. Koufax has always been known for living a very private life and that nature carried over into the hobby for a long time, leaving collectors without nearly enough autographs to meet the demand. [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. By JOE REEDY June 18, 2022. Arrives before Christmas Only 16 left in stock - order soon. If not, then nothing to worry about this. Although he rarely makes public appearances, he went to Turner Field in Atlanta for the introduction ceremony before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. If he's rested and ready to take the mound again, we want him on our team." Koufax won the Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965 and 1966 by unanimous votes, winning the Triple Crown[2][3][4][5] and leading the Dodgers to a pennant each year; he was the first three-time winner of the award, and the only pitcher to do so when a single award was given instead of one for each league. We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. On Sept. 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax tossed the eighth perfect game in MLB history, defeating the Cubs 1-0 at Dodger Stadium. This forced the Dodgers to keep him on the major league roster for at least two years before he could be sent to the minors. Or write about sports? Alston gave him the start in Game 5, at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of 92,706 fans. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. A numbness developed in the index finger on his left hand, and the finger became cold and white. Do you have a sports website? shutouts . The hard-throwing left-hander was the most dominant pitcher in baseball until elbow arthritis forced an early retirement at age 30. He was the first pitcher to average fewer than seven hits allowed per nine innings pitched in his career (6 .79) [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. Tired of constantly taking medication and concerned about his future health, Koufax stunned the baseball world by announcing his retirement on November 18, 1966. 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. That changed to some degree in recent years as the legendary lefty has signed a little more frequently in private settings in response to . The Dodgers went on to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, and Game 2 marked Koufax's third start in eight days. award was presented to one pitcher, rather than one in each league . He was the strikeouts He is also the first pitcher to win the award by a unanimous votea recognition which he accomplished twice more. You name a better left-hander in the history of baseball and Ill eat my hat, said Hall of Famer Harry Hooper. Baltimore's 20-year-old future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer pitched a four-hitter, and the Orioles won 60. OLDENBURG - Some of the people in this story, the strangest Sandy Koufax story ever told, are dead . [10] Shortly after his mother's remarriage, the family moved to the Long Island suburb of Rockville Centre. [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. Facing the Yankees in the 1963 World Series, Koufax beat Whitey Ford 52 in Game 1 and struck out the first five batters and 15 overall, breaking Carl Erskine's decade-old record of 14 (a record that would fall to Gibson's 17 in the 1968 World Series opener). Represent the all-time greats and know your purchase plays a part in preserving baseball history. On May 23, he pitched a 1-0, one-hit shutout in Pittsburgh, allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher Bennie Daniels. [30][31] Koufax threw 41+23 innings in 12 appearances that season, striking out 30 batters and walking 28. In that start, he struck out 11 in seven innings, but got no decision. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [6][7] Upon his retirement, Koufax's career ERA of 2.76 trailed only Whitey Ford among pitchers with at least 2,000 innings pitched since 1925; his .655 winning percentage ranked third among both left-handers and modern NL pitchers. To get himself through the games he pitched, Koufax resorted to Empirin with codeine for the pain, which he took every night and sometimes during the fifth inning. After four weeks, Koufax gave Drysdale the go-ahead to negotiate new deals for both of them. percentage . Nobe Kawano, the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax returned to play the following year. [2][66][84], Before the 1966 season began, Koufax and Drysdale met separately with general manager Buzzie Bavasi to negotiate their contracts for the upcoming year. [103], "I knew every pitch he was going to throw and still I couldn't hit him. [22] Dodgers scout Al Campanis heard about Koufax from Jimmy Murphy, a part-time scout. He was the greatest pitcher of his time in baseball, said writer Jimmy Cannon. Koufax obliged. After a slow start, his baseball career was cut short by problems with his pitching arm. He posted an 1813 record and led the league with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267. THE CARD; THE PLAYER; ARTICLES; In the case of Koufax, there is no doubting the fact that his 1955 Topps #123 rookie card stands above the rest as the clear card to own of the baseball icon. Branch Rickey, then the general manager of the Pirates, told his scout Clyde Sukeforth that Koufax had the "greatest arm [he had] ever seen". Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan established records with his 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters during his 27-year Major League Baseball career. But he could also throw a baseball really, really hard. Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Evelyn and Jack Braun. Instead, Koufax made a living on a baseball diamond, becoming one of the most dominating left-handers of all time. [8][9] His parents, Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, divorced when he was three years old. Many thanks to him. 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 Still, his accomplishments on the field led to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Clayton Kershaw and Joe Torre were the primary speakers ahead of the unveiling of a bronze statue of Hall of Famer Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax at the Centerfield Plaza at . If there was any magic formula, it was getting to pitch every fourth day. Exceeded rookie limits during 1956 season, View Player Bio Sandy Koufax pitched the game of his life in his final regular-season performance. strikeouts . [106] It not only appeared to move very late but also might move on multiple planes. Catcher Norm Sherry advised him to throw slightly less hard in order to improve his control. [50] In the first game he faced only one batter, giving up a hit to Al Kaline in the ninth inning. of 27, 26 and 25 . He threw the ceremonial first pitch to Bench from in front of the base of the mound. Classic SI Photos of Sandy Koufax From 1963 to '66, Sandy Koufax had averaged a 24-7 record, 307 strikeouts and a 1.86 ERA, winning three out of four Cy Young awards at a time before each. Laurie recognized that Koufax might be able to pitch, and recruited the 17-year-old to pitch for the Coney Island Sports League's Parkviews. As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football. Sandy Koufax, a former professional baseball player, began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. 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. The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher undoubtedly had a far higher net worth because players were not paid as richly as they are today. Koufax's role includes attending a portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and consulting with the team throughout the year . [115], Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1972, just weeks after his 36th birthday. He was just 30 years old. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax returned to the Dodgers in January 2013 to serve as Special Advisor to Dodgers' Chairman Mark Walter . 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. 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. The Dodgers unveiled a statue of Sandy Koufax on Saturday, the second such structure in the center field plaza at Dodger Stadium, a stone's throw away from the Jackie Robinson statue that was . 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.". Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 PSA Mint 9 ($204,000 USD) At $204,000 USD through Heritage Auctions this rookie Sandy Koufax card sold on March 23, 2017. Finally, on his way out the door in 1966, Koufax finished 27-9, the most victories in any of his 12 seasons. His reputation was marred, however, by the university's child abuse sex scandal in 2011, which resulted in his dismissal. [119], In 1999, The Sporting News placed Koufax at number 26 on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". [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. Koufax had an older stepsister, Edith, who died in November 1997. He won five straight NL ERA titles from 1962-66 and led the Dodgers to the NL pennant in 1963, 1965 and 1966, winning the World Series in 1963 and 1965. When he did play college baseball the scouts came in droves. Sandy Koufax Official 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. Koufax had to call it a career after the 1966 season as a result of worsening arthritis in his throwing arm. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Sandy Koufax, over the course of just five seasons, had five earned run average titles, three Cy Young Awards, and a Most Valuable Player Award.. Did you know that Sandy Koufax threw a perfect game, plus three no-hitters, over the course of a four consecutive year period (1962-1965)?. Buy a cookie, get a Koufax. Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, as well as the first pitcher to win a Cy Young was a member of Dodgers' world championship teams in 1955, '59, '63 and '65, earning MVP honors in 1963 and The majority of the proceeds from the sales off this site will go to charity. that Sandy Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship, playing freshman basketball (and baseball) under legendary hoops coach Ed Jucker? On May 11, 1963, Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitched his second career no-hitter. SPS INC., the longtime agency of Sandy Koufax will procure the items and oversee the site. Years later he recalled, "That winter was when I really started working out. The 1965 season brought more obstacles for Koufax. Signed items will be very limited, and many items will not be restocked once they are sold out. 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). Proud to support B-R.COM, and to sponsor the page of a tremendous athlete and person. from the SABR BioProject, More Sandy Koufax Pages at Baseball Reference. Koufax also won the Hickok Belt a second time, the first time anyone had won the belt more than once. 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). The hard-throwing left-hander was baseball's most dominant pitcher until elbow arthritis forced him to retire at the age of 30. Koufax declined the offer. June 19, 2022 4 AM PT. 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. Drysdale's wife Ginger suggested that they negotiate together to get what they wanted. "[104], Koufax threw with a pronounced straight-over-the-top arm action. It's become the stuff of legend in American. 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. Despite the constant pain in his pitching elbow, he pitched a major league-leading 335+23 innings and led the Dodgers to another pennant. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). 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