PITCHERS from the PAST

SANDY KOUFAX, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Born:                                   December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York

Died:                           Still living.

Threw:                         Left                        Batted:                       Right

College: Attended the University of Cincinnati; walking on to the freshman basketball team. He later earned a partial scholarship. In the spring of 1954, he made the college baseball varsity team. That season he was 3-1 with 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 31 innings. After trying out with the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before the Pirates could sign him to a contract, Koufax committed to the Dodgers.

MLB CAREER:

Major League Debut:    June 24, 1955 with the Brooklyn Dodgers

Last Appearance:           October 2, 1966 with the Los Angeles Dodgers

MLB Statistics:            Win-Loss Record: 165 – 87 (.654 winning percentage)

Earned Run Average:    2.76

Strikeouts:                  2,396

Sandy Koufax’s career peaked with a run of six outstanding years from 1961 to 1966, before arthritis in his left elbow ended his career at the age of 30. Koufax became the youngest player ever to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at age 36. He was an All-Star for six seasons and was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1963. He won three Cy Young Awards in 1963, 1965, and 1966, by unanimous votes, making him the first three-time Cy Young winner in baseball history and the only one to win three times when one overall award was given for “all of” Major League Baseball instead of one award for each league. Koufax also won the NL Triple Crown for pitchers those same three years by leading the NL in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average.

THE PITCHER: Koufax was the first major league pitcher to pitch four no-hitters and the eighth pitcher to pitch a perfect game in baseball history. Despite his comparatively short career, Koufax’s 2,396 career strikeouts ranked 7th in history as of his retirement, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers. Koufax, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Nolan Ryan are the only four pitchers elected to the Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

RECORDS: 7 time All-Star (1961-62, 1963-66)

4 time World Series Champion ( 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965)

2 time World Series MVP (1963, 1965)

3 time Cy Young Award (1963, 1965, 1966)

NL MVP (1963)

3 time Triple Crown (1963, 1965, 1966)

3 time MLB wins leader (1963, 1965, 1966)

5 time ML ERA leader (1962-1966)

4 time MLB strikeout leader (1961, 1963, 1965, 1966)

Pitched four no-hitters

Pitched perfect game on September 9, 1965

MLB All-Century and MLB All-Time Teams

Los Angeles Dodgers retired his uniform #32

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972