Koufax then walked Hank Aaron, “the smartest thing I did all year.” Somehow, however, he managed to strikeout the Dodger-killer Bobby Thomson. They then faced the defending World Champion New York Yankees in the World Series. Those are his losses. The decision would become the stuff of American Jewish legend. Koufax wrangled $125,000 for the year, barely enough to pay a top pitcher today for two innings of one game.). Well the numbers were unprecedented. The only pitchers that could match Sandy at his top level for consecutive years are Kid Nichols, Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and Lefty Grove. Koufax declined an interview for this story. Thank you, sir. Koufax was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family and was raised in Borough Park. 1965: At the start of the season the Dodgers considered starting Koufax every seventh game to protect his left elbow. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I did, and that was his perfect game. 09/09/2020, 1:37 PM. By then the Dodgers had a 1-0 lead, scoring in the fifth when Johnson walked – the only walk all day – took second on a sacrifice, stole third and scored when catcher Chris Krug threw it past third baseman Ron Santo. Rope A Dope: Loma/Lopez Predictions! The only hit of the game is struck so poorly, first baseman Ernie Banks chases it down in shallow right field. He let me stay in Macon, living alone in a furnished apartment for my senior year – read this sentence again – with the Stratford baseball team my anchor. Laurie was one of Koufax’s sandlot coaches. Koufax’ last start was August 18th due to an elbow injury caused by diving into second base. Some sportswriters will not vote for a pitcher for MVP out of principal. 55 years ago today, Sandy Koufax tossed an absolute gem. You hate to lose, but we didn’t disgrace ourselves. Don't Miss Any of the Latest Dodgers News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! Batters who hit Koufax’s first pitch batted a whopping .349. After that, boom! Get all the Best Dodgers stories straight to your Inbox! Sandy’s won 4 of his last five starts, going 4-0 with one a no decision. By then he’d had two elbow surgeries – a third forced him to retire in 1967 with a 48-52 record and 3.97 era – and was a spot starter on Lou Klein’s Cubs staff. Where is Coach Hendley, anyway? But Rickey’s son had seen Koufax get clobbered during a key sandlot game in the Ice Cream League and telephoned his father to advise against it. People are taking their shirts off, throwing up all over the place. Bubber and Coach Hendley’s volunteer assistant, M.L. A fourth key lesson was tossed out by the Dodgers outfielder Wally Moon. W00T W00T! All these years later, Coach Hendley’s firing me up. Just note that at the time Major League Baseball only gave out one award per year. He was nearly unhittable. In November, when the news of Koufax’s retirement broke, most of the Dodgers, playing overseas in Japan, were flabbergasted when asked for comment by the press. Reward and punishment? “I am with the team but not of it,” Koufax wrote in his 1966 autobiography, Koufax, about this early period. Johnny Podres and Don Drysdale shut down New York in Games two and three. What Koufax had set out to do in life was on the surface unremarkable. He won an ERA title in 1962 when he only pitched half a season due to injury and led the league in strikeouts in 1961 with 269. He was given only one run to work with in more starts than any other total. I had the sports version – it came in a green box, as I recall – and before bed I’d pull out a card and try to answer all six categories. #DODGERSWIN Ferrara told no one, wondering if he had heard right. Lived on the same street. But Koufax contributed little to that achievement. When Koufax realized his injured arm couldn’t take any more, he quietly withdrew from baseball. And because Koufax was a secular Jew, his commitment to observing the Jewish Day of Atonement amounted to a public testament that the day’s restrictions did not belong to the Orthodox alone. Mr Scully, of course, shared a story for the occasion… go ahead and pull up a chair. But for the big boys like Hank Aaron (who had a lifetime batting overage of .358 versus Koufax), Vada Pinson, and Roberto Clemente—all with lightning wrists—the solution was more specific: a first pitch strike. This was the hardest lesson for Koufax, because when in doubt, the only thing he felt separated him from everyone else was his blinding speed, and here Sherry was telling him to lose his advantage. This is what he’s telling me now, about a game 55 years ago: “He is class,” he says of Sandy Koufax, “and he was the best.”. When he was on the Cardinals, Moon said it was common knowledge that Koufax tipped his pitches with a man on base. Required fields are marked *. Knowing him, active as ever – he’s 81, and still pitches for both sides in our annual high school alumni game in Macon, Georgia – he’s probably outside doing yardwork. Koufax would be named the series’ most valuable player. According to Bill James’ Game Score (GS), it was the highest scored 9 inning performance ever. Clint Pasillas Grand Tour Nation Events Today, 55 years later, Scully recalls the historic night in Los Angeles. How long have they been together, exactly?

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