Koufax's ERA in those games was 3.65. His column ended thusly: "Today he turns 75. The St. Louis Cardinals took the pennant and beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. All rights reserved. He was the first iconic sports figure to emerge in Southern California after Major League Baseball arrived on the West Coast. The quirky Royals reliever often noted that fair territory was 90 degrees of a circle, and foul territory occupied 270 degrees. Larry Schwartz, Total Domination, ESPN.com. Other pitching performance have dazzled us over the years. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Because Koufax's signing bonus was greater than $4,000 ($40,000 today), he was known as a bonus baby. BY PETER MOORE 2023-05-01T07:00:00.0000000Z The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. This year's awards dinner, to be hosted by Gary Radnich, will be June 29 at the Nikko Hotel in S.F. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He had thrown a no-hitter in each of the preceding three seasons. Mays or Koufax?, Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1966, p. C-3. - AP photo. The Drysdale-Jim Bouton duel in Game 3 (a 1-0 final) was the greatest single day of pitching I've ever seen. Change). Gibson broke his leg before the game and Koufax was knocked out without completing an inning. Click for card. Sandy was family in L.A. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Thus began, in June of 1955,theprofessional baseball career of Sandy Koufax with the Brooklyn Dodgers. L.A. rightfully claimed him as its own. Sandy was family in L.A. "This game is the most recognizable thing I've ever done in baseball," Hendley said after the game. Trouble occurred before the game started. This series was also the first meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship. WebIn this game, Mantle would hit a homer off Koufax in the 7th inning ( Mantles 15th in World Series play) which tied the game temporarily at 1-1. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. According to base-stealing threat Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals, Koufax couldnt field bunts well or hold runners on base too well. Associated Press, Koufax, Dodger Pitching Star, Retires Because of Ailing Arm; Fearing a Permanent Injury to Elbow, Hurler, 30, Stops at Peak of His Career,New York Times, Saturday, November 19, 1966, p. 1. Legendary Dodgers lefty Sandy Koufax chose not to start Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar -- and he became an even greater hero to fans. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? "And I came out a loser. 097 in his career. He told Life reporter Tommy Thompson: I want to enjoy all this while it lasts. Frank Finch, Sandys Finger, Arm Okand How! Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. won't be missed at all. No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to say it was easily over 500 feet, and may have approached 600 feet. For Martin, it nearly became more important than the ballgame. ", The loss was readily rationalized by the Cubs pitcher: "If you have to lose a game, he was the guy you were proud to lose to," Hendley said. Born: Koufax only missed a perfect game that day by walkingtwo batters: Ed Bailey in the eighth inning, and an intentional walk to Willie McCovey in the ninth. The other Sandys -- Amoros, Valdespino, Alomar and Alomar Jr., Leon, Martinez, Alderson, Johnson and Consuegra -- are relegated to identification by surname. My friends and I were drenched in the glory of Mays, Aaron, Clemente and Robinson; we'd watched them consistently for years. Sandy Koufax hit 1 solo homers, 0 with a single runner on base, 1 with two men on base, and 0 grand slams. The momentum he created for himself brought out the best in Scully and a powerful sense of resignation for Hendley. Web> Sandy Koufax. Happy birthday, coach Hendley. On that night, Sept. 9, 1965, with both pitchers and Scully at their bests, Hendley was nearly the equal of Koufax. ), The World Series Most Valuable Player Award went to Sandy Koufax, who started two of the four games and had two complete game victories. Those were the years when a number of great players roamed the fields of big league parks. He never once fumbles for a word, makes a false start or trips over himself. At the University of Cincinnati he became a walk-on freshman basketball player. Everyone knew he was pitching with traumatic arthritis in his left elbow, but how bad could it be when he pitched like that? Roscoe McGowen, Dodgers Win; Koufax Is Victor Dodger Allows 2 Hits, Fans 14 in Beating Redlegs, 7 to 0, New York Times, August 28, 1955. Certainly it was a historic game because in no other game did two teams combine for so few hits. They had Harvey Kuenn hit for me [with two out in the ninth inning]. KOUFAX, SANDY ( Sanford Braun ; 1935 ), U.S. baseball player, one of the greatest pitchers in its history, and with Hank *Greenberg one of only two Jewish He retired 27 consecutive batters without allowing any to reach base. It had tension, rising and falling drama, great turns of phrase. Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax: Grand game for Charlie James And seven of the 22, including Koufax's, have been decided by 1-0 scores. But this pinnacle performance of pitching wouldn't be a prominent part of our past if this oft-times pedestrian pitcher had permitted one more hit in his extraordinary eight innings. Even for a pitcher, Koufax was a weak hitter, batting just . Video: Doddgers Retired Number: No. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; His strikeouts were an otherworldly 306, A tremendous blast by any standards. Sandy Koufax in what appears to be an impromptu locker room press conference following his no-hitter against the New York Mets of June 30, 1962. "We both gave up two runs, we both allowed five hits. Gary Kaufman, Vin Scully, Salon.com, Tuesday, October 12, 1999. Frank Finch, Koufax Notches 12th Win as Dodgers Top Reds, 4-1, Los Angeles Times, June 26, 1963, p. C-1. "In the latter part of the game, [Sandy] was awesome," Hendley said. Sandy Koufax, Sports Illustrated cover, March 4, 1963. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. With the count 2-and-2, Koufax was a strike away from getting out of the jam. Sandy Koufax I was merely trying to meet the ball and was astonished to see it land on the roof in right field, James said. 196 against him with three home runs, nine RBI, 16 walks and 30 strikeouts (in 33 games). ", Hendley's loss seemed quite unfair. Trouble was, said Brock, with Koufax on the mound, nobody got on base too often., To find more sports stories at this website, please visit the Annals of Sport category page, or Baseball Stories, a topics page with thumbnail sketches and links to 14 other baseball stories. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, 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, http://sabr.org/sites/default/files/images/Koufax-Sandy-NBHOF.jpg, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, his perfect game at Dodger Stadium on September 9, 1965, old.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/kessler200604032246.asp. On that day he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants, a team then powered by a bevy of capable hitters including future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda. "This game is the most recognizable thing I've ever done in baseball," Hendley said after the game. . Sandy Koufax Greatest Baseball Pitcher Ever And But now the great Mantle had come to town, and he had homered off Koufax, and our lives were eminently richer. He still held his fork in his left hand, but sometimes he had to bend closer to the plate to get the food into his mouth. We tuned in the other night and heard Greenwald and Mike Krukow chastising Barry Bonds for his blatant judgment errors -- in this case, standing at home plate to watch his line drive hit the base of the wall. At one point in that visit, Campanis assumed the hitters stance in the batters box with Koufax on the mound. In fact, things are going so right for Koufax that last Saturday in Milwaukee, one of the rare occasions when he did not pitch well, he hit a three-run homer to prevent defeat. Frank Finch, Sandy Koufax Hurls No-Hit, 5-0 Win, Los Angeles Times, July 1, 1962, p E-1. American League winners of the pitching Crown in more recent years have been Roger Clemens of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and 1998, and Pedro Martinez of he Boston Red Sox in 1999. Switch teams or you have no chance. The 1963 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1963 season. Over the course of a 20-year career, Tom Seaver won three Cy Young Awards and finished in the top five in Cy Young balloting five other times. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; National League Most Valuable Player of the Year in 1963. Tommy Thompson, Good Life of Baseballs No. The hard-throwing left-hander was the most dominant pitcher in baseball until elbow arthritis forced an early retirement at age 30. Who has the highest batting average against Bob Gibson? Koufax was routinely identified in Los Angeles newspapers as Sandy, no surname necessary. 2) Roberto Clemente - went 33 for 111 against Koufax for a .297 batting average with 6 HRs and 16 RBIs. He received more than the normal number of birthday cards, including one from Sandy Koufax. did And Koufax admitted in one interview to having a good bit of trouble with Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially in 1963. SF tourists go in droves to In-N-Out. WebAces were on the mound again in a game 1 rematch between Whitey Ford and Sandy Koufax. Sabermetricians put little stock in pitchers' victories these days. On bad days hed have to bend his neck to get his face closer to his left hand so that he could shave. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a homerun? - ABTC The Yankees' four runs in the series was, at the time, the second-lowest total in a World Series, as the Philadelphia Athletics had scored only three runs in 1905. WebHow fast did Sandy Koufax throw? And what a great lesson that is. Viking; 1st edition; 299 pp. Michael Leahy, The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016), Harper, 496pp. Though, Leavy reported, the hand injury had bothered Koufax since April (by July, the tissue was close to gangrene, she wrote), he entered the September start against St. Louis with a 14-5 record and 2.15 ERA. us, High School: Lafayette HS (Brooklyn, NY), Schools: Columbia University (New York, NY), University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), Last Game: The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". But in the final game of the regular season, the Dodgers had to beat the Phillies to win the pennant. (Voted by BBWAA on 344/396 ballots) ", Video: 2015 ASG: Koufax throws out first pitch to Bench. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. After one more relief outing, Koufax got his first start, on July 6, 1955. Sandy Koufax in the 1960s no doubt, thinking about a strikeout. amzn_assoc_title = "Related Reading"; And Koufax did, initiating a 30-inning run during which he walked one batter. Consider that great fastball pitchers are tiny increments ahead of one another, and that the great Koufax was never timed faster than 93.2; the notion that Feller threw more than 7 mph faster than Ryan is dazzling. The Yankees batted just .171 and scored only four runs in the Series, with Koufax being a primary factor, receiving the World Series MVP award. WebSandy Koufax hit 2 home runs during his career, 0 while playing at home, 2 while on the road. Return to Top; Major League Players. Video: 9/9/65 [emailprotected]: Koufax fans 14 in perfect game. A crowd of 29,797 was on hand as Koufax took the mound. "He was great," Hendley said. Charles Maher, Frank Finch, Koufax, Drysdale Reject $210,000, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1966, p. B-1. Ashburn struckout 11 times against Koufax. Koufax attracted the notice of at least one scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers. . Gibson was 15-13 with a 2.85 ERA. Southern California felt a warm and close relationship with No. Even Wilt, Whitey and Yogi seldom were identified in their city's newspaper reports in such an informal manner. Koufax and Scully, of course, have a long-standing Dodger Blue relationship. Mays' home run came on Spahn's 201st pitch. Koufax pitched two relief innings in Game 1 of that series and started Game 5 at the Los Angeles Coliseum before more than 92,000 fans. He needed only to tidy up on his control that summer night in Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers had spotted Koufax a 4-0 lead in the first with the help of a triple by Willie Davis, singles by Tommy Davis and Frank Howard surrounding a walk, John Roseboros two-run double and a single by Larry Burright. Koufax was named Sportsman of the Year for 1965 by Sports Illustrated. His dad forgives him for that. The Yankees tied it on a Mickey Mantle home run in the top of the seventh. You could tell how much he wanted it. . This time, it was a pitcher's duel. He walked In one of the games we will get to in a minute, the two starting pitchers pitched 23+ innings, struck out 29 1963 World Series Yogi Berra, the famous Yankee catcher known for his quips and his play. He was also named the National Leagues Most Valuable Player. Since then, no left-hander has had more wins in a season nor a lower ERA (Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton had 27 wins in 1972). The Dodgers scored first in the bottom of the fifth on a monumental Frank Howard home run into the second (Loge) level at Dodger Stadium. Koufax left baseball with the highest regard of his fellow players, as he had been a model professional, not one to seek the spotlight or boast of his abilities, and often thinking and acting on behalf of the team rather than himself. The bounces that footballs take are far less fickle than the bounces and ricochets that allow the most challenged baseball teams to beat the best. How Many Batters Did Sandy Koufax Strikeout In His Career A number of his former players contacted him after Doyel's story appeared. He had also thought about going into the electronics business. Hendley, left-handed and born in Macon, Ga., pitched in the big leagues for seven seasons, three with the Milwaukee Braves, 1 1/2 with the Giants and two-plus with the Cubs before ending his career with the Mets in 1967. Later, another Dodger scout, Al Campanis heard about Koufax from a local sporting goods store owner, and after seeing the kid pitch locally invited him to Ebbets Field to tryout with the Dodgers.
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