[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. June 19, 2022 4 AM PT. He is married to Jane Purucker Clarke. On November 18, 1966, Sandy Koufax, the ace pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, retires from baseball.He was just 30 years old, and he was retiring after a great season-he'd led the Dodgers . The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. His postseason record was 4-3 with a 0 .95 ERA . When Koufax allowed baserunners, he was rarely permitted to finish the inning. In his last ten seasons, from 1957 to 1966, batters hit .203 against him, with a .271 on-base percentage and a .315 slugging average. [22] Dodgers scout Al Campanis heard about Koufax from Jimmy Murphy, a part-time scout. [30][31] Koufax threw 41+23 innings in 12 appearances that season, striking out 30 batters and walking 28. 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. [15] In his only season, Koufax went 31 with a 2.81 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 32 innings. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. [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). He posted an 1813 record and led the league with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267. In June 1959, Koufax set the record for a night game with 16 strikeouts. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? He threw the ceremonial first pitch to Bench from in front of the base of the mound. Smilin' Sandy is back and better yet, they are very easy to pick up online for a pretty reasonable price. He was also named the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1963, and was runner-up for the award the other two years. [6] Drysdale pitched the opener, but was hit hard by the Minnesota Twins. The name of his home town is Brooklyn, New York. See. 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.". Koufax finally was able to pitch again in September, when the team was locked in a tight pennant race with the Giants. Ruttman, "Sandy Koufax: Pitcher Nonpareil and Perfect Gentleman". portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and consulting with the team Koufax won the NL MVP Award and the Hickok Belt, and was the first-ever unanimous selection for the Cy Young Award. that Sandy Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship, playing freshman basketball (and baseball) under legendary hoops coach Ed Jucker? [53][54] It would be the only time in his career he earned this distinction. He remains, over half a century later, on the very short list of pitchers who retired with more career strikeouts than innings pitched. 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). Rubber sleeve used by Sandy Koufax while icing down his chronically sore arm - B-59-67 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitching - BL-2568-68 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), Sandy Koufax went 27-9 during the regular season in 1966, but was defeated by Jim Palmer and the Orioles in his only start in that year's World Series. I can see how he won 25 games. (Age 30-276d) from the SABR BioProject, More Sandy Koufax Pages at Baseball Reference. [112] Neither marriage produced children. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Third Party Auction sites are flooded with fake and unlicensed items. 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. His overhand curveball, spun with the middle finger, dropped vertically 12 to 24inches due to his arm action. 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 holds a fantastic record. Before tenth grade, Koufax's family moved back to the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. 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." 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). [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. Famously private, he renounced his ties to the Dodgers when a New York Post article insinuated that he was gayNews Corporation owned both the Dodgers and the Post at the timebut he returned to the team as a spring training instructor in 2013 following a change in ownership. In his last 10 seasons, batters hit .203 against him with a .271 on-base percentage and a .315 slugging [118] In 2022, a statue of Koufax was unveiled at Dodger Stadium. [106] It not only appeared to move very late but also might move on multiple planes. 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. The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher undoubtedly had a far higher net worth because players were not paid as richly as they are today. [2][102] Koufax and Juan Marichal are the only two pitchers to have more than one 25-win season in the post-World War II era, with each man recording three. Sandy Koufax is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher. Buy a cookie, get a Koufax. of 27, 26 and 25 . His parents were Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, Sephardic Jews of Hungarian descent.6The family lived in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Koufax won . This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. [26], Because Koufax's signing bonus was greater than $4,000 ($40,000 today), he was known as a bonus baby. Obama continued: "He can't pitch on Yom Kippur. While not as difficult to locate in high grade as the Clemente rookie, this card remains one of the major keys to the set, a set . [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. We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. After setting a modern NL record in 1961 with 269 strikeouts, in 1963 he became the first pitcher in 17 years and the first left-hander since 1904 to strike out 300 batters. 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. In that start, he struck out 11 in seven innings, but got no decision. He was selected to seven 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. [59] Koufax, who had reduced his walks allowed per nine innings to 3.4 in 1961 and 2.8 in 1962, reduced his walk rate further to 1.7 in 1963, which ranked fifth in the league. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Claude Osteen (center) celebrates with Don Drysdale (right) and Sandy Koufax (left) after Sandy leads the Dodgers to a 7-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins in Game 5 of the 1965 World Series. Arrives before Christmas Only 16 left in stock - order soon. He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician Robert Kerlan with traumatic arthritis. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. 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. 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 died of ALS in 1941. Dodgers team physician, Dr. Robert Kerlan, said at the time, "Sandy pitches in extreme pain that can . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. [81] Both pitchers had no-hitters intact until the seventh inning. 2020 Topps Stadium Club #290 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Card. In the second game of a doubleheader, Koufax faced Jim Bunning for the second time that season,[90] in a match-up between perfect game winners. Koufax's numbers were that of a struggling lefty trying to find his way. [48], 1961 was Koufax's breakout season. By July, though, his entire hand was becoming numb and he was unable to complete some games. 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. [55], Koufax had a strong season despite an injured pitching hand. 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. Do you have a blog? [115], Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1972, just weeks after his 36th birthday. Koufax was a notable player for the Dodgers together with Don Drysdale, and the two of . Sandy Koufax retired at 30-years-old because of chronic arthritis in his throwing elbow. Years later he recalled, "That winter was when I really started working out. He is also the only pitcher to win three Cy Young Awards in the era in which the In a start in Cincinnati his finger split open after one inning. Actually, he would let you look at it. Sandy Koufax was born on December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was previously married to Kimberly Francis and Anne Heath Widmark. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. The future baseball great took on his more familiar surname at age 9 when his mother, Evelyn, remarried attorney Irving Koufax. When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture. [57], In 1963 Major League Baseball expanded the strike zone. He was a seven-time All-Star and four-time World Series champion. '65, when he pitched two shutouts . [47], In perhaps an early display of sabermetrics, Dodger statistician Allan Roth is credited with helping Koufax tweak his game in the early 1960s, particularly regarding the importance of first-pitch strikes and the benefits of off-speed pitches. Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s, setting the mark for consecutive games played. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. "[45] During spring training, Dodger scout Kenny Myers discovered a hitch in Koufax's windup, where he would rear back so far he would lose sight of the target. 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. Sanford "Sandy" Koufax, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, was referred to as the "man with the golden arm." He established one record after another as he went through an 11-year career as a pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Signed items will be very limited, and many items will not be restocked once they are sold out. 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. While batting in April, he had been jammed by a pitch from Earl Francis. Sabermetrician Rob Neyer called it the best curve of all time. Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Evelyn and Jack Braun. $44.99 $ 44. From 1962-66, Koufax led the National League in earned run average and shutouts . Sanford Koufax (born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former baseball player. He was the first pitcher to average fewer than seven hits allowed per nine innings pitched in his career (6 .79) If there was any magic formula, it was getting to pitch every fourth day. Koufax agreed not to throw at all between gamesa resolution that lasted only one start. $23.95. On June 13 in Milwaukee, Koufax hit the first home run of his career off Warren Spahn, providing the winning margin in a 2-1 victory in Milwaukee. by Jane Leavy. [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. Koufax made his debut for the Dodgers in 1955. 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. The Koufax years of 1963 to 1966 are the finest four-year stretch of pitching. The mention of his name brought the biggest cheer at the event. Sandy Koufax was born on 30 December 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. (2000). After joining the major leagues at age 19, having never pitched a game in the minor leagues, the first half of his career was unremarkable, posting a record of just 3640 with a 4.10 earned run average (ERA); he was a member of World Series champions in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles, though he did not appear in any of the team's Series wins. For the first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation, but only for two weeks. On May 11, 1963, Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitched his second career no-hitter. Instead, Koufax made a living on a baseball diamond, becoming one of the most dominating left-handers of all time. Instead, both signed to appear in the movie Warning Shot, starring David Janssen. 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. He was just 30 years old. (Age 19-176d, Koufax later said, "I had nothing at all." He was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to future Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Jim Davenport. Koufax walked Hank Aaron on four pitches to load the bases, then struck out Bobby Thomson on a full count. After a slow start, his baseball career was cut short by problems with his pitching arm. Koufax served as a minor league instructor for the Dodgers in the 1970s, but largely remained out of the baseball spotlight. He was the youngest player (age 36) and the He has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. He was awarded Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award. leader four times, setting a single-season mark with 382 in 1965, and had the most wins three times, with totals In 1959, Koufax struck out 18 Giants in nine innings and set a major league record for strikeouts in two games with 31. [107] He also occasionally threw a changeup and a forkball. Koufax became the youngest player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, and has since served as a pitching instructor for his former team. The game also set a record for the fewest hits ever in a major league contest,[79][80] thanks to a one-hitter thrown by the opposing pitcher, Bob Hendley of the Cubs, who only allowed only two batters to reach base. I started running more. https://www.biography.com/athlete/sandy-koufax. 304 pp. 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. [56], The night before the playoffs began, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the next day. An outstanding schoolboy athlete, Koufax starred at basketball and barely played baseball during his time at Lafayette High School. His second marriage, to personal trainer Kimberly Francis, lasted from 1985 to 1998. If you do a good job, the numbers say so. Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. Every single product on this site has been approved and licensed by Sandy Koufax. Framed Sandy Koufax - Flying Pitch with Score Board Black and White - Autograph Replica Print. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! [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 also known as Sandy Koufax. 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. The hard-throwing left-hander was the most dominant pitcher in baseball until elbow arthritis forced an early retirement at age 30. [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. consecutive All-Star Games from 1961-66 . 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. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. [16][17] Bill Zinser, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, sent the Dodgers front office a glowing report that apparently was filed and forgotten. His reputation was marred, however, by the university's child abuse sex scandal in 2011, which resulted in his dismissal. vs. MLN 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: If you're a baseball fan with a sense . 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. percentage . If not, then nothing to worry about this. [60], On May 11 Koufax no-hit the Giants 80, besting Marichalhimself a no-hit pitcher on June 15. Willie Mays said, "I knew every pitch he was going to throw fastball, breaking ball or whatever. LeBron James became an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Sandy Koufax. On Sept. 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax tossed the eighth perfect game in MLB history, defeating the Cubs 1-0 at Dodger Stadium. ". All rights reserved. [51], In 1962, the Dodgers moved from the Los Angeles Coliseum, which had a 250-foot (75m) left-field line an enormous disadvantage to lefthanded pitchers to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Teammate Joe Pignatano said that as soon as Koufax threw a couple of balls in a row, Alston would signal for a replacement to start warming up in the bullpen. 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 . Family (1) Spouse Kimberly Francis (1985 - 9 December 1998) (divorced) Jackie Robinson, in his final season, clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage. Exceeded rookie limits during 1956 season, View Player Bio 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. 32 was retired alongside those of fellow Dodger greats Roy Campanella It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. They rejoined the team in the last week of spring training. One of the most dominating pitchers in the game's history, Koufax was the first strikeouts . As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football. (Voted by BBWAA on 344/396 ballots) Koufax ended up getting $125,000 and Drysdale $110,000 (equivalent to $0.92million in 2021). At the age of thirty-six, he became the youngest player to get elected for Basketball hall of fame. Kershaw's 102 game score ranks as the third-highest in MLB history behind Kerry Wood (105, May 6, 1998, vs. Astros) and Max Scherzer (104, October 3, 2015, vs. Mets), and above Koufax's . [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]. He returned and lost the following day, but won Games 5 and 7 to clinch the championship for his team, further cementing his status as an icon to both his religious community and Dodgers fans. Doyel: Sandy Koufax made the Hall of Fame, but not this semi-pro team in Oldenburg, Indiana. Catcher Norm Sherry advised him to throw slightly less hard in order to improve his control. He pitched 12 seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1955 to 1966. Sandy Koufax. history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and the first to have eight games with 15 or more The new park had a large foul territory and a comparatively poor hitting background. 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)?. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do." Sandy Koufax I can't picture people talking about me 50 years from now. first pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame (1972) who had more strikeouts than innings pitched . Undoubtedly had a far higher net worth because players were not paid as richly as they are.! 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