He quit after six years, just prior to the start of the 1973 season. [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. And breathtaking. Johnny Logan, the first batter Koufax faced, hit a bloop single. I have to be careful how I word things because I say I hit against Sandy Koufax, but I have to take that back because I only faced Sandy Koufax, said former Dodgers manager Joe Torre. [15] In his only season, Koufax went 31 with a 2.81 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 32 innings. Koufax has served as a mentor for Kershaw. But thank you to all the fans who treated me so well, and tell them how lucky they are to have had competitive teams to root for, for so many years. In 1966, his final season, he went 27-9 with a 1.73 ERA and 27 complete games.\n\nIn the postseason, Koufax also shined, winning two World Series MVP Awards.\n\nI have to be careful how I word things because I say I hit against Sandy Koufax, but I have to take that back because I only faced Sandy Koufax, said former Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "His selection is a tribute to the esteem with which he is held by everyone associated with this league", said former New York Met Art Shamsky, who managed the Miracle. [46], A day later, Koufax was pitching for the "B team" in Orlando. Education Team Israel is playing in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 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. He also became the second pitcher in baseball He struck out the last six consecutive batters. Obama continued: "He can't pitch on Yom Kippur. Despite injuries ending his career prematurely, Koufax established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers of all time. Theyre both left-handed pitchers and both dominated their eras unlike any other pitcher. But the injury made him realize that greatness can be fleeting. Historical Events. Like |. To make room for him, the Dodgers optioned their future Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda, to the Montreal Royals of the International League. Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers, Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, Columbia University School of General Studies, Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career WHIP leaders, List of Major League Baseball perfect games, List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise, List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball, "Sandy Koufax's refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur still resonates", "Sandy Koufax's season with UC Bearcats remembered", "Koufax Recalls His Wild Start At Forbes Field", Autographed 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers Spring Training Roster Program - Army Reserves - 1957 Meal Card, Drysdale and Koufax on active duty training, How Sandy Koufaxs Motel Helped Lead to Baseballs Big-Money Era, Don Drysdale Collection at SCP - Part II - In the Army Now, Lot #23: DON DRYSDALE'S 1957-58 U.S. ARMY WORN FIELD JACKET (DRYSDALE COLLECTION), "Midsummer Classics: Celebrating MLB's All-Star Game", "Major League Baseball Players of the Month", "The Strike Zone: A Chronological Examination of the Official Rules by Baseball Almanac", "1962 National League Team Statistics and Standings", "1963 National League Team Statistics and Standings", "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Shutouts", "1963 National League Statistics and Awards", "Joe Sobran My Other Sandy (ASCII version)", "1963 World Series box scores and play by play", "On this day 49 years ago, Sandy Koufax threw a perfect game in one hour and 43 minutes", "Domination in the Dome: Nolan Ryan Throws His Fifth No-Hitter", "Sandy Koufax turns 80: The 8 most memorable performances of his HOF career", "Every perfect game in Major League history, ranked", "Macon's Bob Hendley made history with Koufax", "Sandy Koufax Responded to a Higher Calling on Yom Kippur in 1965", "1965 World Series box scores and play by play", "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Games Started", "Baltimore makes it two straight as Dodgers defense comes apart", "Elbow too much Sandy Koufax quitting baseball", "Progressive Leaders for Hits Allowed/9IP", "Career Leaders & Records for Earned Run Average", "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Wins", "The Incomparable Career of Sandy Koufax", "ESPN Classic Koufax's dominance was short but sweet", "ESPN Classic Koufax dominating in '65 Series", "Dodgers to be joined by Koufax at Spring Training", "Los Angeles Dodgers unveil Sandy Koufax statue outside stadium", "The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players", "Koufax makes appearance at World Series", "Baseball Toaster: Humbug Journal: He'll be working on 14,875 days rest", "Koufax Drafted By Israeli Baseball Team", "Koufax, Mays, Aaron, Bench voted by fans as four greatest living players", "Obama Honors Jewish Americans at White House Reception, May 27, 2010", "Remarks by the President at Reception in Honor of Jewish American Heritage Month", "Myth and fact part of legacy from Sandy Koufax's Yom Kippur choice", "Jewish pitcher Sandy Koufax did more than miss one game", "Sandy Koufax's wife Jane Purucker Clarke (Bio, Wiki)", "B.A.T. Laurie recognized that Koufax might be able to pitch, and recruited the 17-year-old to pitch for the Coney Island Sports League's Parkviews. Dec 30, 2021 11:27 AM EST CINCINNATI A Bearcats legend is celebrating their 86th birthday today. Jackie Robinson, in his final season, clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage. [10] Shortly after his mother's remarriage, the family moved to the Long Island suburb of Rockville Centre. 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). On Saturday, Koufax and his famous leg kick were forever immortalized at Dodger Stadium as he became the second player to get a statue in the center-field plaza. [88], Koufax and Drysdale did not report to spring training in February. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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 walked Ed Bailey on a 3-and-2 pitch in the eighth, and pinch-hitter McCovey on four pitches in the ninth, before closing out the game. Off in a corner at Dodgertown, standing together behind a pitcher's mound and wearing Dodger uniforms,. [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. While batting in April, he had been jammed by a pitch from Earl Francis. Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully wasnt in attendance, but Koufax made sure to include during his speech that Scully is the greatest of all time.. Matthew Moreno. [86][87] At the time, Willie Mays was the highest paid player in the major leagues at $125,000 (equivalent to $1.04million in 2021) per year, and multi-year contracts were extremely unusual. 6/18/2022 at 7:21 PM 6/18/2022 at 7:21 PM 'One of a kind' Koufax immortalized with Dodger Stadium statue. [108] Late in his career, his tendency to tip pitches became even more pronounced. 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. [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. Koufax recovered fully, and in 1963 he had the first of possibly the four greatest consecutive seasons any pitcher ever produced. "[104], Koufax threw with a pronounced straight-over-the-top arm action. [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. "[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. At that time, sharing this space with him would have been absolutely unimaginable. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. See. Top left: Sandy Koufax's number 32 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1972. He was the youngest player (age 36) and the On June 4, 1972, Koufax's uniform No . 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. . Koufax played for the Dodgers first in Brooklyn and then Los Angles, from 1955-1966, putting together a breathtaking resume that included four World Series championships, three Cy Young Award. [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. The home is located in the Hidden Harbour community, and has three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Now, his legacy will be front and center every time fans visit Dodger Stadium. award was presented to one pitcher, rather than one in each league . [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. and to strike out more than nine batters (9 .28) per nine innings . [23] After seeing Koufax pitch for Lafayette, Campanis invited him to an Ebbets Field tryout. Finally, on his way out the door in 1966, Koufax finished 27-9, the most victories in any of his 12 seasons. On two days rest, Koufax pitched a 6-3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant. He had special praise for his broadcaster. Special Advisor to Dodgers' Chairman Mark Walter . In the years and generations to come, I hope a kid sees this statue and asks his mom or dad about Sandy Koufax, and I hope that they tell him, He was a great pitcher, but more than that, he was a great man who represented the Dodgers with humility, kindness, passion and class. And for every rookie who sees this statue for the first time and asks, Was he any good? I hope the veterans tell him simply that he was the best to ever do it.. [20] During his Pirates tryout, his fastball broke the thumb of Sam Narron, the team's bullpen coach. Nicknamed The Left Arm of God, Sandy Koufax is a four-time World Series champion (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965) and in 1972 he became the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sandy Koufax Hall-of-Fame Teammates Quiz - By adubbdubb. Awesome once. On Saturday, Kershaw was one of the people selected to give a speech during Koufaxs ceremony. The Dodgers won the pennant, and Koufax won the first of three pitchers' Triple Crowns, leading the league in wins (25), strikeouts (306) and ERA (1.88). Before tenth grade, Koufax's family moved back to the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Koufax only struck him out 12 times and walked him 14 times. 39. If you order today, this is the estimated delivery date and is based on the seller's processing time and location, carrier transit time, and your inferred shipping address. Sandy Koufax. 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. Koufax allowed only one run in seven innings, but lost the 10 game when Nellie Fox scored on a double play. Koufax was a two-time World Series MVP with the Dodgers. May 6, 2022 3:38 PM PT. [131], Koufax serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping former major league, minor league, and Negro league players through financial and medical difficulties.[132]. In the final game of the regular season, the Dodgers had to beat the Phillies to win the pennant. Koufax also won the Hickok Belt a second time, the first time anyone had won the belt more than once. Home is located close to parks, schools, shopping, freeway access & Fort Bliss. From 1962-66, Koufax led the National League in earned run average and shutouts . Keep in mind: shipping carrier delays or placing an order on a weekend or holiday . Sandy Koufax Height and Weight Koufax stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and Weighs 210 lbs (95 kg). Out of his 41 starts, 27 of them were complete games. And Sandy Koufax, whose name will always remind you of strikeouts, did it with a flurry. [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. [55], Koufax had a strong season despite an injured pitching hand. 32 pic.twitter.com/DeDYaRAYY5, Living legends. His postseason record was 4-3 with a 0 .95 ERA . I decided I was really going to find out how good I can be. 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. ) For the first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation, but only for two weeks. In the second game, he pitched two scoreless innings. Vin Scully is the greatest of all time, period. Today's Paper Teammate Ed Palmquist missed the flight, so Koufax was told he would need to pitch at least seven innings. Scully's reply via text message was all in capital letters, appropriately enough: AWESOME. [35], To prepare for the 1957 season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball. GOAT used to be a bad thing, now its the greatest of all time. Well, thats the end of the discussion. He has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. On Nov. 18, 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax announced his retirement from baseball despite being just 30 years old. Koufax was coming off the best season of his . The 1,776 sq. Returning to Chicago, the Dodgers won Game 6 and the Series. throughout the year . Koufax played his entire MLB career with the Dodgers. "[85] Drysdale responded that Bavasi had done the same thing with him, in reverse. 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. Drysdale was to play a TV commentator and Koufax a detective. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Koufaxs four-year run from 1963-66 is one of the best ever. This Date in Baseball: Sandy Koufax Throws Perfect Game AP 0:00 0:44 Sept. 9 1914 George Davis of the Boston Braves pitched a 7-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second. "[24] The Dodgers signed Koufax for a $6,000 ($61,000 today) salary, with a $14,000 ($141,000 today) signing bonus. Kimberly was a personal trainer. 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. And here is the transcript of that call. 4.15. His decision garnered national headlines, raising the conflict between professional pressures and personal religious beliefs to front-page news. (JTA) In the pantheon of beloved sports broadcasters, Vin Scully stands alone. He was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to future Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Jim Davenport. Koufax turns 86. He made 40 starts, half of which were complete games. Koufax, who grew up in Brooklyn playing in the city's "Ice Cream League" before heading to the University of Cincinnati to play basketball, debuted with his hometown Dodgers in 1955 after signing as a "bonus baby" in 1954. In baseball history, he has been named as greatest pitchers. Kerlan also told Koufax that he would eventually lose full use of his arm. Koufax is 84 years of age as of 2020, he was born on December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. [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. SUMMARY And today, it still is. Sandy Koufax's House Vero Beach, Florida (FL), US Like Tweet Share Pin Sandy Koufax is a retired American baseball player. The performance earned him his second World Series MVP award, making him the first player to win the award twice. [107] He also occasionally threw a changeup and a forkball. His No. After the last game of the season, he threw his gloves and spikes into the trash. [56], The night before the playoffs began, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the next day. [82], Koufax declined to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series in order to observe the Jewish religious holiday of Yom Kippur. We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. [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. [52] On April 24, he tied his own record with 18 strikeouts in a 10-2 road win over the Cubs. 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). The new park had a large foul territory and a comparatively poor hitting background. Sandy Koufax's home in Vero Beach, Florida. Not only was it Game One of the World Series, but it was also Yom Kippur. He was raised in Borough Park, in a Jewish family. He compiled 317 strikeouts in 323 innings. 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. Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1972, becoming at age 36 the youngest player ever elected. The left-hander went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA over his Hall of Fame career. On July 20 he hit the second and last home run of his career, coincidentally again in Milwaukee, a three-run shot to propel the team to a 5-4 win; it was his only game with three runs batted in. Meanwhile, the Dodgers waged a public relations battle against them. Below is the final inning of Koufaxs lone career perfect game, delivered by Vin Scully. Come view this home today as it is ready for immediate move in! 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 was also named the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1963, and was runner-up for the award the other two years. Throughout his career, Koufax relied heavily on two pitches. In 12 Major Here is the end of Vin Scullys call that night, one legend talking about another: On the scoreboard in right field, it is 9:46 p.m. in the City of the Angels, Los Angeles, California. Koufax with the Los Angeles Dodgers, c. 1965, Major League Baseball pitchers who have won the, 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. He celebrates his birthday on 30th Dec every year and his birth sign is Capricorn. VERO BEACH, Fla. For one brief, shining moment, it appeared to be another era, say 1959. [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. Scully was not Jewish. It would be easy to argue that hes the best pitcher to ever wear Dodger Blue. Sandy Koufax, left, with sculptor Branly Cadet. Koufax, though, dominated pretty much everybody else in his time. Koufax won the NL MVP Award and the Hickok Belt, and was the first-ever unanimous selection for the Cy Young Award. [106] It not only appeared to move very late but also might move on multiple planes. [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. [25] Koufax planned to use the money as tuition to finish his university education, if his baseball career failed. [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. 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 made 40 starts in 1963, only one short of his career-high. Koufax joined Robinson, who received the first statue in Dodger Stadium history back in 2015. Koufax had 11-game winning streaks in both 1964 and 1965. shutouts . Sandy Koufax was in the major league only twelve years, barely clearing the Hall of Fame minimum of ten. [58] Compared to the previous season, walks in the NL fell 13 percent, strikeouts increased 6 percent, the league batting average fell from .261 to .245, and runs scored declined 15 percent. A vascular specialist determined that Koufax had a crushed artery in his palm. The Dodgers went on to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, and Game 2 marked Koufax's third start in eight days. A recording of the final inning made its way around the internet, as baseball fans celebrated the soft-voiced broadcasting icon for his poetic knack for bringing fans into the game. 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. Start Your Set Today . Koufax kept Kerlan's advice to himself and went out every fourth day to pitch. 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. View More Videos. [10] He later earned a partial scholarship. 50. r/footballcards. 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. [16][17] Bill Zinser, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, sent the Dodgers front office a glowing report that apparently was filed and forgotten. It really is such an honor for me to get to speak today, Kershaw said. Catcher Norm Sherry advised him to throw slightly less hard in order to improve his control. [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. [113] Koufax returned to the Dodger organization in 2004 when the Dodgers were sold to Frank McCourt. 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. On May 23, he pitched a 1-0, one-hit shutout in Pittsburgh, allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher Bennie Daniels. After four weeks, Koufax gave Drysdale the go-ahead to negotiate new deals for both of them. (2000). [6] Drysdale pitched the opener, but was hit hard by the Minnesota Twins. On Saturday, Koufax and his famous leg kick were forever immortalized at Dodger Stadium as he became the second player to get a statue in the center-field plaza. 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. I thought it was so cool they referenced the famous video of him and his dad. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax returned to the Dodgers in January 2013 to serve as Now, 57 years after the Hall of Fame pitcher sat out a World Series. His no-hitter, along with a 42 record, 73 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA, earned him the Player of the Month Award for June. Fifty years ago on October 6, at the tender age of 30, Sandy Koufax bowed out of baseball. In typical Koufax fashion, he centered his speech by thanking everyone that helped him get to this moment. In the end, Aaron had 42 hits off Koufax, the most of anybody. With Dodgers manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson watching, Campanis assumed the hitter's stance while Koufax started throwing. 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. Koufaxs four-year run from 1963-66 is one of the best ever. [48], 1961 was Koufax's breakout season. [71], On June 4, playing at Connie Mack Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies, Koufax walked Richie Allen on a very close full-count pitch in the fourth inning. With an overworked pitching staff there was no one else, as Drysdale and Johnny Podres had pitched the prior two days. [60], On May 11 Koufax no-hit the Giants 80, besting Marichalhimself a no-hit pitcher on June 15. Koufax declined the offer. LOS ANGELES For Jewish sports fans around the world, Sandy Koufax has for decades occupied an unmatched legendary status. In June, the Dodgers honored the 86-year-old Koufax with a statue outside Dodger Stadium. 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. Sandy Koufax, also known as the Left Hand of God, wed Anne Koufax, formerly Anne H. Widmark, on January 1, 1969. On September 29, he became the last man to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles, throwing an inning of relief in the final game of the season. pic.twitter.com/Jq2MP88ZgL. It was a six-year run that took him straight to Cooperstown. 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. 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. 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". One of the rarest Koufax cards can be found in a set made by Topps for the Venezuelan market in 1967. [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. Nobe Kawano, the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax returned to play the following year. 1955 Topps Baseball Set, Dodgers, Koufax Rookie Cards, PSA, PSAcard, Rookie Cards, Sandy Koufax. Koufax was an immediate beneficiary of the change, lowering his ERA at home from 4.29 to 1.75. [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. 39 ratings4 reviews. [69][70], Koufax's 1964 season started with great expectations. Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley both passed away on Aug. 16. Another integral part of the audience was Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Only St. Louis Cardinal Bob Gibson, with 13 in his iconic 1968 season,[63] "the year of the pitcher", has thrown more.[64].