[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. Born on Dec. 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Koufax impressed a scout who saw him throw for his college baseball team. Sandy Koufax pitched the game of his life in his final regular-season performance. He had two wins in 1955, which were both shutouts. 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). In 12 Major [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. [121], In 1990 Koufax was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Baltimore's 20-year-old future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer pitched a four-hitter, and the Orioles won 60. Years later he recalled, "That winter was when I really started working out. [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. View Sandy Koufax's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). 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. Koufax was the MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 1963 and also won Cy Young Awards in 1965 and '66 . 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. history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and the first to have eight games with 15 or more 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. He When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture. But this past summer, almost 60 years after the Hall of Fame pitcher sat out a World Series game to observe . He has since worked for the Dodgers organization in a variety of capacities. 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. Despite his string of amazing performances, Koufax pitched in pain throughout the 1965-1966 campaigns due to arthritis in his left elbow. He has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. [22] Dodgers scout Al Campanis heard about Koufax from Jimmy Murphy, a part-time scout. In the second game, he pitched two scoreless innings. We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. 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. Born: They rejoined the team in the last week of spring training. percentage . Few individuals knew it at the time, but on Oct. 6, 1966, Sandy Koufax started the final game of his career. vs. PHI 9.0 IP, 7 H, 10 SO, 1 BB, 2 ER, W. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1972. Bid on Sandy Koufax Autographed Baseball at MLB Auctions. 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. 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. LeBron James became an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Koufax struck out 13 while pitching his first complete game in almost two years. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. 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. After the last game of the season, he threw his gloves and spikes into the trash. The problem is to figure out why he was Sandy Koufax the stuff of myth, the Achilles of Dodger Stadium, the pitcher who from 1963 to 1966 redefined baseball, the Jewish Phenomenon, the most . [11], Koufax attended Brooklyn's Lafayette High School, where he was better known for basketball than for baseball. [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. Koufax was a notable player for the Dodgers together with Don Drysdale, and the two of . (Age 30-276d) [128] In addition, there were other Jewish holidays where he said he would not pitch, including Seder night of Passover and 3 times on Rosh Hashanah, one of which was Game 4 of the 1959 World Series. Sandy Koufax 24 X 18 X 1.5 Inch Premium Canvas Framed Art Print Artwork Signed By Artist To Stars, WINFORD WRealArt (243) $199.95 1955 SANDY KOUFAX Topps #23 Rookie Card print - Vintage Baseball Poster, Rare Baseball Card, Baseball Card Collector, Baseball Card Art DingerStudios (864) $26.00 FREE shipping 1961 Topps Sandy Koufax VG-EX portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and consulting with the team "[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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. What I don't understand is how he lost five,"[67] to which Dodger shortstop Maury Wills responded, "He didn't. In the final game of the regular season, the Dodgers had to beat the Phillies to win the pennant. If you do a good job, the numbers say so. 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. For the first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation, but only for two weeks. Why Sandy Koufax is an important figure in baseball history. "[68] In Game 4, Koufax completed the Dodgers' series sweep with a 21 victory over Ford, clinching the Series MVP Award for his performance. There were thirty-three bidders that were interested enough to pay top dollar for this card, but . 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. 5. He pitched 12 seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1955 to 1966. [88], Koufax and Drysdale did not report to spring training in February. [34] He saw little work, pitching only 58+23 innings with a 4.91 ERA, 29 walks and 30 strikeouts. However, the morning after his 19th win, a shutout in which he struck out 13 batters, he could not straighten his arm. Sandy Koufax Career Stats Leagues Statistics including batting, fielding, prospect rankings and more on Baseball-Reference.com Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Koufax was an All-Star in each of his last six seasons,[1] leading the National League (NL) in ERA each of his last five years, in strikeouts four times, in wins and shutouts three times each, and in winning percentage, innings pitched and complete games twice each; he was the first NL pitcher in 20 years to post an ERA below 2.00, doing so three times. Topps Sandy Koufax 1961 Season Baseball Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, Topps Sandy Koufax Baseball Cards 1942-1980, Topps Sandy Koufax Ungraded Baseball Sports Trading Cards, Topps Sandy Koufax Baseball Sports Trading Card Singles, Topps Sandy Koufax Baseball Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, Sandy Koufax Baseball Trading Cards, [115], Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1972, just weeks after his 36th birthday. [111][112], The Dodgers hired Koufax to be a minor league pitching coach in 1979. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Allen, who was thrown out trying to steal second, was the only Phillie to reach base that day. 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. Koufax also made headlines for adhering to his faith. Starting Game 7 on just two days of rest, Koufax pitched through fatigue and arthritic pain. 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." Koufax's role includes attending a He had six exemplary seasons in the 1960s. Arrives before Christmas Only 16 left in stock - order soon. 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. Instead, the Dodgers were swept in four games, not scoring a single run in the last three. Sandy Koufax. With an overworked pitching staff there was no one else, as Drysdale and Johnny Podres had pitched the prior two days. 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. But after making adjustments prior to the 1961 season, and benefitting from the team's move into expansive Dodger Stadium a year later, Koufax quickly rose to become the most dominant pitcher in the major leagues before arthritis in his left elbow ended his playing days prematurely at age 30. [130], Koufax married Anne Widmark, the daughter of actor Richard Widmark, in 1969; they divorced in 1982. His decision garnered national headlines, raising the conflict between professional pressures and personal religious beliefs to front-page news. Sandy Koufax was born as Sanford Braun on December 30, 1935. As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football. [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. I can't pitch. [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). [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. [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. June 19, 2022 4 AM PT. $44.99 $ 44. If there was any magic formula, it was getting to pitch every fourth day. When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture. 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. I decided I was really going to find out how good I can be. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. He was a left-handed pitcher. In August of 1972 Cooperstown welcomed a star-studded group of inductees for the Class of 1972. $1,895.00. Nobe Kawano, the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax returned to play the following year. In spring 1954, he made the college baseball varsity team, which was coached by Jucker at that time. Instead, both signed to appear in the movie Warning Shot, starring David Janssen. 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. Sandy Koufax Autographed Authentic Mitchell & Ness 1963 Replica Jersey - Grey. Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. Despite his injury-shortened career, the pitcher retired at the height of his game and left a lasting mark. (39) and Jackie Robinson (42). Ruttman, "Sandy Koufax: Pitcher Nonpareil and Perfect Gentleman". Meanwhile, the Dodgers waged a public relations battle against them. 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. The Dodgers won the 1955 World Series for the first title in franchise history, but Koufax did not appear in the series. Koufax also won the Hickok Belt a second time, the first time anyone had won the belt more than once. He is three times the winner of the Cy Young Award and National League Triple Crown. 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). Obama continued: "He can't pitch on Yom Kippur. 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. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). He was 36-40 with a 4.10 ERA and allowed close to 13 base runners per nine innings, including over five walks per game. [107] He also occasionally threw a changeup and a forkball. [113] Koufax returned to the Dodger organization in 2004 when the Dodgers were sold to Frank McCourt. Koufax won the Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965 and 1966. He died of ALS in 1941. About Sandy Koufax. OLDENBURG - Some of the people in this story, the strangest Sandy Koufax story ever told, are dead . After joining the major leagues at age 19, having never pitched a game in the minor . The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher undoubtedly had a far higher net worth because players were not paid as richly as they are today. 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. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. The Dodgers fought back in Games 3 and 4, with wins by Claude Osteen and Drysdale. us, High School: Lafayette HS (Brooklyn, NY), Schools: Columbia University (New York, NY), University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), Debut: Sandy Koufax Many consider Sandy Koufax (born 1945) to be one of the best left-handed pitchers of all time. Koufax won his second pitchers' Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (26), ERA (2.04) and strikeouts (382, the highest modern-day total at the time, topped only by Nolan Ryan's 383 in 1973), and captured his second unanimous Cy Young Award. [108] Late in his career, his tendency to tip pitches became even more pronounced. Sanford Koufax (/ k o f k s /; 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. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. Branch Rickey, then the general manager of the Pirates, told his scout Clyde Sukeforth that Koufax had the "greatest arm [he had] ever seen". Every single product on this site has been approved and licensed by Sandy Koufax. Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, as well as the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Koufax agreed not to throw at all between gamesa resolution that lasted only one start. [8][9] His parents, Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, divorced when he was three years old. [132], Koufax with the Los Angeles Dodgers, c. 1965, 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. Smilin' Sandy is back and better yet, they are very easy to pick up online for a pretty reasonable price. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. 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. Despite the constant pain in his pitching elbow, he pitched a major league-leading 335+23 innings and led the Dodgers to another pennant. There will alsobe items offered where 100 percent of the sale goes to charity and those items will be clearly marked. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Relive your cherished baseball memories and favorite moments from your team with your personalized membership card. [16][17] Bill Zinser, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, sent the Dodgers front office a glowing report that apparently was filed and forgotten. [69][70], Koufax's 1964 season started with great expectations. Traumatic arthritis in his elbow ended Koufaxs career early due to a threat of permanent disability. 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