Sandy Koufax is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher. [15] In his only season, Koufax went 31 with a 2.81 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 32 innings. Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family and was raised in Borough Park. He ended up with a third pitcher's Triple Crown, pitching 323 innings, posting a 279 record, and recording a 1.73 ERA. Sandy Koufax has a net worth of $10 million and earns $167,000 per year, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. [57], In 1963 Major League Baseball expanded the strike zone. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Jackie Robinson, in his final season, clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage. Rookie Status: In April 1966, Kerlan told Koufax it was time to retire and that his arm could not take another season. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). 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 . Former. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Though most saw him as too raw and out of control. He is married to Jane Purucker Clarke. What I don't understand is how he lost five, said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in 1963. $44.99 $ 44. [14], Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati and was a walk-on on the freshman basketball team, a complete unknown to assistant coach Ed Jucker. shutouts . Koufax pitched two perfect relief innings in the Series opener, though they came after the Dodgers were already behind 110. "[68] In Game 4, Koufax completed the Dodgers' series sweep with a 21 victory over Ford, clinching the Series MVP Award for his performance. Koufax carried a perfect game into the eighth inning against the powerful Giants lineup, including Mays and fellow future Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda. Koufax agreed not to throw at all between gamesa resolution that lasted only one start. Catcher Norm Sherry advised him to throw slightly less hard in order to improve his control. (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. [123][124], Before the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati, Koufax was introduced as one of the four best living players (as selected by fans), along with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. ( 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. Koufax had 11-game winning streaks in both 1964 and 1965. 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. Sandy Koufax. [105] His four-seam fastball gave batters the impression of rising as it approached them, due to backspin. But he could also throw a baseball really, really hard. Major Leaguer to pitch four no-hitters, including a perfect game . [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. (Voted by BBWAA on 344/396 ballots) Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. What is a Reserve Price auction? 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. Doyel: Sandy Koufax made the Hall of Fame, but not this semi-pro team in Oldenburg, Indiana. He was the youngest player (age 36) and the [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. Meanwhile, the Dodgers waged a public relations battle against them. After joining the major leagues at age 19, having never pitched a game in the minor . Sabermetrician Rob Neyer called it the best curve of all time. [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]. By the end of the year, after going 813, Koufax was thinking about quitting baseball to devote himself to an electronics business in which he had invested. 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. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. [111][112], The Dodgers hired Koufax to be a minor league pitching coach in 1979. Eddie Mathews bunted, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. by Jane Leavy. He is married to Jane Purucker Clarke. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. He threw the ceremonial first pitch to Bench from in front of the base of the mound. 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. He was a left-handed pitcher. "When he (Koufax) first came up, he couldn't throw a ball inside the batting cage," said Hall of Fame teammate Duke Snider. [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. Special Advisor to Dodgers' Chairman Mark Walter . With his third no-hitter in three years Koufax tied Feller as the only modern-era pitchers to hurl three no-hitters.[72]. In. 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. For the first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation, but only for two weeks. [23] After seeing Koufax pitch for Lafayette, Campanis invited him to an Ebbets Field tryout. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. [125], Koufax was included among a group of prominent Jewish Americans honored at a May 27, 2010, White House reception for Jewish American Heritage Month. Koufax also made headlines for adhering to his faith. What I don't understand is how he lost five,"[67] to which Dodger shortstop Maury Wills responded, "He didn't. [10] He later earned a partial scholarship. On June 30 against the expansion New York Mets, he threw his first no-hitter. Koufax kept Kerlan's advice to himself and went out every fourth day to pitch. Sandy Koufax was the first pitcher in major league baseball to earn multiple Cy Young Awards. Koufax was the supreme pitcher of his generation and the greatest Jewish hurler ever, and his taking a stand occurred at baseball's centerpiece event. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! [49] Selected as an All-Star for the first time, he appeared in both All-Star Games that year (two All-Star games were held for the years from 1959 to 1962). Drysdale's wife Ginger suggested that they negotiate together to get what they wanted. You don't have to ask anyone or play politics. He held batters to 5.79 hits per nine innings, and allowed the fewest baserunners per nine innings in any season ever: 7.83, breaking his own record (set two years earlier) of 7.96. In the first inning of that game he struck out all three batters on nine total pitches to become the sixth recorded National League pitcher and the 11th recorded pitcher in major league history to accomplish an immaculate inning. Koufax is the stepfather of Clarke's daughter from her prior marriage to artist John Clem Clarke. portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and consulting with the team There were thirty-three bidders that were interested enough to pay top dollar for this card, but . 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. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. He dazzled in the national spotlight when he set a World Series single-game record with 15 strikeouts in 1963, and again when he threw a perfect game to wrap up a record fourth no-hitter in 1965. Koufax walked Hank Aaron on four pitches to load the bases, then struck out Bobby Thomson on a full count. His overhand curveball, spun with the middle finger, dropped vertically 12 to 24inches due to his arm action. June 19, 2022 4 AM PT. [6] Drysdale pitched the opener, but was hit hard by the Minnesota Twins. [122] He was the final player chosen in the inaugural Israel Baseball League draft in April 2007, picked, at 71 years old, by the Modi'in Miracle. On May 11, 1963, Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitched his second career no-hitter. Less than six weeks after the series, on Friday, November 18,[96][97] Koufax announced his retirement due to an arthritic elbow. 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. 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. [119], In 1999, The Sporting News placed Koufax at number 26 on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". He had six exemplary seasons in the 1960s. Sandy Koufax was born on December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. [112] Neither marriage produced children. 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. [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. [113] Koufax returned to the Dodger organization in 2004 when the Dodgers were sold to Frank McCourt. The Dodgers won the 1955 World Series for the first title in franchise history, but Koufax did not appear in the series. 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. 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). In his last 10 seasons, batters hit .203 against him with a .271 on-base percentage and a .315 slugging "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. His decision garnered national headlines, raising the conflict between professional pressures and personal religious beliefs to front-page news. in Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania (Graduated 2020) 1 y The only time anyone ever tried to measure how fast Sandy Koufax could throw was during spring training of 1960 as part of a test set up by This Week magazine. [130], Koufax married Anne Widmark, the daughter of actor Richard Widmark, in 1969; they divorced in 1982. After the last game of the season, he threw his gloves and spikes into the trash. [106] It not only appeared to move very late but also might move on multiple planes. in Brooklyn, NY He posted an 1813 record and led the league with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267. Signed items will be very limited, and many items will not be restocked once they are sold out.