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. [35], To prepare for the 1957 season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He also known as Sandy Koufax. Sandy Koufax is a famous American baseball player who played 12 seasons with LA Dodgers in MLB from the year 1955 to 1966. Sandy Koufax's legacy as the greatest Jewish athlete ever has never been in question. Do you have a blog? 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. Despite his injury-shortened career, the pitcher retired at the height of his game and left a lasting mark. Let scroll the below table. Sandy Koufax was born on 30 December 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. [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. One of the most dominating pitchers in the game's history, Koufax was the first 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. Finally, on his way out the door in 1966, Koufax finished 27-9, the most victories in any of his 12 seasons. Drysdale was to play a TV commentator and Koufax a detective. [10] Shortly after his mother's remarriage, the family moved to the Long Island suburb of Rockville Centre. But he could also throw a baseball really, really hard. On June 4, 1972, Koufax's uniform No . 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. When throwing a fastball with baserunners, his hand position in the stretch would be higher than when he threw a curveball. [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 is the stepfather of Clarke's daughter from her prior marriage to artist John Clem Clarke. Sandy Koufax. Sanford Koufax (/kofks/; 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. The problem is not to figure out why Sandy Koufax was a great pitcher. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. [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. [55], Koufax had a strong season despite an injured pitching hand. (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. "Either he throws the fastest ball I've ever seen, or I'm going blind, said Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. [60], On May 11 Koufax no-hit the Giants 80, besting Marichalhimself a no-hit pitcher on June 15. He was previously married to Kimberly Francis and Anne Heath Widmark. The majority of the proceeds from the sales off this site will go to charity. Over the next three seasons, Koufax was in and out of the starting rotation due to injuries. After the final out of Game 7, Koufax drove to Columbia to attend class. [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. [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. While batting in April, he had been jammed by a pitch from Earl Francis. [1] Koufax, by retiring 27 consecutive batters without allowing any to reach base, became the sixth pitcher of the modern era, eighth overall, to throw a perfect game. 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. [107] He also occasionally threw a changeup and a forkball. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Sandy Koufax has a net worth of $10 million and earns $167,000 per year, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth. In a Reserve Price Auction, the seller has set a Reserve Price, which is a price below which the listing . He had six exemplary seasons in the 1960s. Family (1) Spouse Kimberly Francis (1985 - 9 December 1998) (divorced) 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.. By July, though, his entire hand was becoming numb and he was unable to complete some games. (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. About Sandy Koufax. LOS ANGELES (AP) When Sandy Koufax joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955, he was in awe of being on the same team with Jackie Robinson. After the last game of the season, he threw his gloves and spikes into the trash. [9][12] In 1951, at the age of 15, Koufax also joined a local youth baseball league known as the "Ice Cream League". Born: Sandy Koufax The famous, amazingly talented Sandy Koufax has led a life filled with hardships, swarmed his way up with his talent, and has faced heartbreaks too. The hard-throwing left-hander was the most dominant pitcher in baseball until elbow arthritis forced an early retirement at age 30. Catcher Norm Sherry advised him to throw slightly less hard in order to improve his control. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. What I don't understand is how he lost five. Koufax, at age 36 in 1972, became the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. [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]. Award by a unanimous vote . [44], Koufax tried one more year of baseball, showing up for the 1961 season in better condition than he ever had before. 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. In baseball history, he has been named as greatest pitchers. Sandy Koufax sport was basketball. [23] After seeing Koufax pitch for Lafayette, Campanis invited him to an Ebbets Field tryout. The name of his home town is Brooklyn, New York. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. 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. [30][31] Koufax threw 41+23 innings in 12 appearances that season, striking out 30 batters and walking 28. He is the inspiration for my site's whimsical "Sabbathmetrics" series (examining whether Jewish ballplayers do better or worse on the Sabbath). As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football. In spring 1954, he made the college baseball varsity team, which was coached by Jucker at that time. Besides, he was also the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of fame when he was 36 years old. Koufax won the NL MVP Award and the Hickok Belt, and was the first-ever unanimous selection for the Cy Young Award. If there was any magic formula, it was getting to pitch every fourth day. [57], In 1963 Major League Baseball expanded the strike zone. [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. Dodgers team physician, Dr. Robert Kerlan, said at the time, "Sandy pitches in extreme pain that can . Despite winning three of his next five with a 2.90 ERA, Koufax did not get another start for 45 days. B.A. [128] Regardless, his decision to not pitch on Yom Kippur in 1965 was highly significant for Jewish-Americans. Framed Sandy Koufax - Flying Pitch with Score Board Black and White - Autograph Replica Print. The Koufax years of 1963 to 1966 are the finest four-year stretch of pitching. View Sandy Koufax's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). You name a better left-hander in the history of baseball and Ill eat my hat, said Hall of Famer Harry Hooper. On May 23, he pitched a 1-0, one-hit shutout in Pittsburgh, allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher Bennie Daniels. 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. Save 15% on 2 select item(s) FREE delivery Dec 13 - 15 . Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family and was raised in Borough Park. The game has a cleanness. Instead, Koufax made a living on a baseball diamond, becoming one of the most dominating left-handers of all time. Sanford Braun Age and Birth Information You must have idea about Sanford Braun age! Sandy Koufax. Sandy Koufax was the first pitcher in major league baseball to earn multiple Cy Young Awards. Gilbert marveled at what his friend accomplished. He made 43 appearances, had 27 complete games (eight shutouts) and 382 strikeouts in 335 2/3 innings. Welcome sports fans and collectors toSandyKoufax.com, the first and only authorized and approved website by Sandy Koufax. ( Source : baseballhall) Considered one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, Koufax is the youngest player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the strikeouts Actually, he would let you look at it. from the SABR BioProject, More Sandy Koufax Pages at Baseball Reference. If you do a good job, the numbers say so. On April 18, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the third inning of a 30 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the only NL pitcher to have two "immaculate innings". 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 . Teammate Ed Palmquist missed the flight, so Koufax was told he would need to pitch at least seven innings. He was also named the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1963, and was runner-up for the award the other two years. Sandy Koufax is a legendary figure in baseball history He was a left-handed pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955-1966. [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. He has since worked for the Dodgers organization in a variety of capacities. Ruttman, "Sandy Koufax: Pitcher Nonpareil and Perfect Gentleman". See. This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and the first to have eight games with 15 or more Sandy Koufax is the youngest ever player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Once alerted, he made an effort to better disguise his deliveries. 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.". Instead, both signed to appear in the movie Warning Shot, starring David Janssen. 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). To win. Kerlan also told Koufax that he would eventually lose full use of his arm. When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Sabermetrician Rob Neyer called it the best curve of all time. Koufax ended up getting $125,000 and Drysdale $110,000 (equivalent to $0.92million in 2021). 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. He is married to Jane Purucker Clarke. Smilin' Sandy is back and better yet, they are very easy to pick up online for a pretty reasonable price. Every single product on this site has been approved and licensed by Sandy Koufax. [46], A day later, Koufax was pitching for the "B team" in Orlando. Despite his string of amazing performances, Koufax pitched in pain throughout the 1965-1966 campaigns due to arthritis in his left elbow. Robinson saw that Koufax was talented and had flashes of brilliance, and objected to him being benched for weeks at a time. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. With the Series tied at 22, Koufax pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 5 for a 32 Dodgers lead as the Series returned to Metropolitan Stadium for Game 6, which the Twins won to force a seventh game. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. He is an actor, known for 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Shotgun Slade (1959) and Michael Shayne (1960). [105], At the beginning of his career Koufax fought a tendency to "tip" pitches to the opposing team through variations in his wind-up, which included the position in which he held his hands at the top of the wind-up. Represent the all-time greats and know your purchase plays a part in preserving baseball history. 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. [2][75], On September 9, 1965, Koufax became the sixth pitcher of the modern era, and eighth overall, to throw a perfect game. 11,275th in major league history) Koufax allowed only one run in seven innings, but lost the 10 game when Nellie Fox scored on a double play. He had a 0.95 ERA in four career World Series as the Dodgers won titles in 1959, 1963 and 1965. Sandy Koufax Autographed Authentic Mitchell & Ness 1963 Replica Jersey - Grey. He died of ALS in 1941. Sandy Koufax. 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. 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. [105] His four-seam fastball gave batters the impression of rising as it approached them, due to backspin. He posted an 1813 record and led the league with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267. On May 15, the restriction on sending Koufax down to the minors was lifted. 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. 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. On August 31 against the Giants, he set the NL single-game record and tied Bob Feller's modern major league record of 18,[42] also scoring on Wally Moon's walk-off home run for a 5-2 win. Koufax was pitching better than ever, however, so he ignored the problem, hoping that the condition would clear up. [8][9] His parents, Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, divorced when he was three years old. In the first inning, Koufax walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. He was awarded Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award. (Age 30-276d) Traumatic arthritis in his elbow ended Koufaxs career early due to a threat of permanent disability. "[68] In Game 4, Koufax completed the Dodgers' series sweep with a 21 victory over Ford, clinching the Series MVP Award for his performance. In August of 1972 Cooperstown welcomed a star-studded group of inductees for the Class of 1972. SPS INC., the longtime agency of Sandy Koufax will procure the items and oversee the site. On June 30 against the expansion New York Mets, he threw his first no-hitter. His parents were Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, Sephardic Jews of Hungarian descent.6The family lived in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. [61] From July 3 to July 16, he pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings, pitching three shutouts to lower his ERA to 1.65. 32 was retired alongside those of fellow Dodger greats Roy Campanella Drysdale's wife Ginger suggested that they negotiate together to get what they wanted. Relive your cherished baseball memories and favorite moments from your team with your personalized membership card. 304 pp. Privacy Statement/Your California Privacy Rights. When Koufax allowed baserunners, he was rarely permitted to finish the inning. https://www.biography.com/athlete/sandy-koufax. Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. He holds a fantastic record. The man never refused to give up and is now living his last few days in privacy with his family, away from the cameras. Despite the blazing speed of his fastball, Koufax continued to struggle with his control. Tired of constantly taking medication and concerned about his future health, Koufax stunned the baseball world by announcing his retirement on November 18, 1966. 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. 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