Lefty Grove is the only other pitcher to have done the latter, in 1935-1939. By 1965, he had almost unmatched cachet throughout the game. Sandy Koufax at White House reception with the President & First Lady, 2010. Koufaxalso talked about his responsibility to pitch well enough during pennant races to help the Dodgers get into and win the World Series, thereby helping his teammates boost and even double their incomes by adding World Series bonus money. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ashburn struckout 11 times against Koufax. Ford set the Dodgers down in order in the first inning, but got into trouble in the second inning. Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax: A Leftys Legacy, New York: Harper-Collins, 2002. Frankie Frisch, Jim Gilliam, John Podres, and Sandy Koufax with 4 World Series wins each.Frisch won the World Series with the 1921 and 1922 New York Giants Ever so slightly flawed by Johnson' flare, the Hendley-Koufax game need not be bronzed. "Early in the game, I didn't have great stuff," Koufax said afterward. Daily Mirror/LATimes blog says this 1966 photo by Art Rodgers shows Sandy Koufax wincing in pain, but wining his 4th consecutive game, and seven for eight, May 23, 1966. Only perfection beat him. Jack Doyle, Pitcher Perfect, 1963-1966, He needed only to tidy up on his control that summer night in Chavez Ravine. The Yankees batted just .171 and scored only four runs in the Series, with Koufax being a primary factor, receiving the World Series MVP award. View Sandy Koufax's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Sandy Koufax with Ed Linn, Sandy Koufax, New York: Viking Press, August 30, 1966, 299 pp. Hendley beat him three times and lost but once. Pitcher Carl Erskine is shown in his Brooklyn uniform. Video: 2015 ASG: MLB's 'Greatest Living Players' announced. Aces were on the mound again in a game 1 rematch between Whitey Ford and Sandy Koufax. That brought to the plate James, a right-handed batter with a .277 average. KOUFAX, SANDY ( Sanford Braun ; 1935 ), U.S. baseball player, one of the greatest pitchers in its history, and with Hank *Greenberg one of only two Jewish Your fans will never forget. Turning away sharply from a pitch, his spikes caught in the ground and he toppled over in pain, The Sporting News reported. make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. Koufax also struck out three pinch-hitters, including Harry Bright to end the game. A 1955 Sandy Koufax rookie year card by the Topps card company, said to be a desirable card among collectors. Frank Finch, Koufax Notches 12th Win as Dodgers Top Reds, 4-1, Los Angeles Times, June 26, 1963, p. C-1. He had started once in two months, on Sept. 2, before opposing Koufax in a ballpark where he had been mostly unsuccessful. Since then, no left-hander has had more wins in a season nor a lower ERA (Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton had 27 wins in 1972). Bavasi began by meeting separately with each man. His column ended thusly: "Today he turns 75. Sandy Koufax Man of the Year for Sport magazine, February 1964. He was a good- size kid,standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing about 200-pounds. Like Koufax, Hendley was betrayed by his pitching elbow and forced to retire earlier than planned. Koufax Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Even today, baseball has but one Sandy, as it has one Babe. The game proved to be something of a pitchers duel, as both Koufax and the Cubs pitcher, Bob Hendley, had no-hitters going until the seventh inning. Dusty Baker on the unsettling rash of baseball injuries: "First Ken Griffey, then Matt Williams, the two guys who were going after Roger Maris last year. Koufax played his entire career with the Dodgers organization, from Brooklyn, New York through Los Angeles, California,1955 to1966. Phone: 602.496.1460 Tom Verducci,The Left Arm Of God, Sports Illustrated, July 12, 1999. Koufax "To be beaten by class, beaten by the guy who is one of the best, if not the best ever. 2 How fast did Sandy Koufax throw a baseball? "To be beaten by class, beaten by the guy who is one of the best, if not the best ever. The Dodgers scored first in the bottom of the fifth on a monumental Frank Howard home run into the second (Loge) level at Dodger Stadium. But for Sandy Koufax, the mid-1960s were the awesome years. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Sandy Koufax Out Longer Than ExpectedFour to Six Weeks, Los Angeles Times, July 20, 1962, p. B-1. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Haddix carried a perfect game into the 13th against a most formidable Braves lineup. Sandy Koufax at work, Game 7, `65 World Series. The unlikelystandout that night: Cardinals right fielder Charlie James. Last Update:31 December 2020 These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. James told New York Times columnist Arthur Daley the grand slam gave me the most personal satisfaction and the most surprise of any home run he hit. According to base-stealing threat Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals, Koufax couldnt field bunts well or hold runners on base too well. Their 2020 title was won as the "home team" albeit as part of the neutral site World Series in Arlington, Texas. This series was also the first meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship. 32 -- like Joe D. in New York and Johnny U. in Baltimore. ", Hendley's loss seemed quite unfair. Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax: Grand game for Charlie James He has covered 27 World Series, 19 Wimbledons and many other major events, including the Super Bowl, World Cup soccer, NBA Finals, four major golf tournaments and U.S. Open tennis championships. Sandy Koufax Big D, Koufax Losing Support, Los Angeles Times, March 22, 1966, p. B-2. He received more than the normal number of birthday cards, including one from Sandy Koufax. over New York Yankees (A.L.). Koufax Peddles His Biography for Tidy Advance of $110,000, Los Angeles Times, March 19, 1966, p. A-1. As well as he was throwing and setting people down, there was very little chance of overcoming him. Sandy Koufax Career highlight stats. L.A. Dodgers Sandy Koufax and John Roseboro celebrate on the field in L.A. after beating the Yankees to clinch the World Series, October 6,1963. Paul Zimmerman, Koufax Best in Baseball, Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1962, p. B-2. Sabermetricians put little stock in pitchers' victories these days. Consider that great fastball pitchers are tiny increments ahead of one another, and that the great Koufax was never timed faster than 93.2; the notion that Feller threw more than 7 mph faster than Ryan is dazzling. Hendley beat him three times and lost but once. On October 6th, 1963, in Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, Koufax faced the Yankees a second time. After blowing a four-game lead with seven to play in 1962, the Dodgers again built a lead in 1963. Return to Top; Major League Players. Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn became Hall of Famers, and they already had developed uncommon prestige within the game by July 2, 1963, when their Giants and Braves opposed each other in San Francisco. By the spring of 1954 he was also pitching for the college baseball team, and doing quite well. Maybe Ill go back to where I came from and finish college.. In early 1960, Koufax asked the Dodgers to trade him because he wasnt getting enough playing time. Sandy Koufax, 1st Cy Young, Detroit Free Press, October 25, 1963. Koufax, however, kept Kerlans advice to himself and went out every fourth day to pitch. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Gibson fractured a bone above his right ankle and his leg was placed in a cast. But each was a far cry from the Koufax-Hendley confrontation. In the game we examine herein, the performance Hendley delivered indicates that a victory or non-victory doesn't begin to evaluate a pitcher's performance in a sensible, meaningful way. Dodger team physician Robert Kerlan diagnosed him with traumatic arthritis. Rookie Status: That's how close they came to a double no-hitter evening. "What a nice man! You could tell how much he wanted it. ", The loss was readily rationalized by the Cubs pitcher: "If you have to lose a game, he was the guy you were proud to lose to," Hendley said. He had to have a tailor shorten the left sleeve on all his coats. One to tie, two to win. Somehow, at Candlestick, we expected more. Tommy Thompson, Good Life of Baseballs No. Koufax walked the next batter, Gene Oliver, and was relieved by Ed Roebuck. ever A baseball day doesn't get a whole lot better than this one: a Hall of Famer who is included on any serious list of the top 10 pitchers of all time; an iconic announcer who tops almost every list of illustrious play-by-play men and, arguably, the best-pitched game -- both sides considered -- in the long history of the big leagues. In 1959, the Dodgers won the National League pennant race and beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Koufax sought to rest more and not throw as much between starts. Associated Press, Finally, Brilliance Succumbs to Pain, New York Times, November 18, 1966. Sandy Koufax - Baseball-Reference.com Koufax, meanwhile,was making his first appearance since a one-inning start July 17 at Cincinnati. Gilliam almost scored again in the eighth off Hal Reniff, but was caught in an attempt to steal third. "In the latter part of the game, [Sandy] was awesome," Hendley said. Who was Sandy Koufax for the Brooklyn Dodgers? We both retired early [Hendley at 28, Koufax at 30], we both had elbow problems." In fact, things are going so right for Koufax that last Saturday in Milwaukee, one of the rare occasions when he did not pitch well, he hit a three-run homer to prevent defeat. But baseball -- more than the other sports -- often is unfair. Koufax finished with just four strikeouts. ", Hendley has regained a small measure of celebrity. By 1958,meanwhile, the Dodgerss organization leftBrooklyn for the promised land of Los Angeles, breaking the hearts ofmillions of New Yorkers as they went. And that loss was in his only career one-hitter. But he still no-hit the Giants, as the Dodgers won, 8-0. We didn't get American League baseball until 1961 during my youth in Southern California, and even then, for most Dodger fans, the Angels were a joke. And what a great lesson that is. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Catcher Elston Howard (.287 BA, 28 HRs, 85 RBI) won the MVP Award, while Joe Pepitone, Roger Maris, and Tom Tresh also topped the 20 home run mark. The Dodgers' lone hit came two innings later when Lou Johnson's opposite-field bloop landed just beyond first base and rolled into foul ground for a double. Brian M. Endsley, Koufax Throws a Curve: The Los Angeles Dodgers at the End of an Era, 1964-1966 (2018), McFarland, 215pp. Considering the deadline pressure, SportsChannel is doing a nice job condensing the weekday Giants and A's games into one-hour packages ("SportsChannel Light"), an especially rewarding treat if you haven't heard the score. Over the course of a 20-year career, Tom Seaver won three Cy Young Awards and finished in the top five in Cy Young balloting five other times. The 5 Greatest Major League Pitchers of All-Time The Willie Mays faced Bob Gibson 108 times (92 at bats) over his career and hit just . That was the only way you could hit it.. He won 25 games three times and captured five straight ERA titles from 1962 through 1966. Sandy Koufax Greatest Baseball Pitcher Ever And A Late Sandy was family in L.A. In the top of the second, the Dodgers scored four runs, including a three-run home run by Roseboro. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. amzn_assoc_asins = "0061779008,147677630X,0316067156,0735215723"; Jack Olsen interview, Koufax On Koufax, Sports Illustrated, December 20, 1965. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 The Dodgers' lone hit came two innings later when Lou Johnson's opposite-field bloop landed just beyond first base and rolled into foul ground for a double. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. New York was held to a .171 team batting average, the lowest ever for the Yankees in the postseason. amzn_assoc_title = "Related Reading"; Indeed, Koufax's overall record, beginning with the 1962 season and running through 1965, was 84-25, three of the losses coming at the hands of Hendley (Curt Simmons beat Koufax three times as well). Or write about sports? Johnson, Washington Senators, won 3 Triple Crowns: 1913, 1918 & 1924. Koufax had pitched in Brooklyn, but he never performed in the borough where he'd been raised as he did in Los Angeles. The hard-throwing left-hander He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Why did Sandy WebSandy Koufax hit 2 home runs during his career, 0 while playing at home, 2 while on the road. Lasorda w Sandy Koufax in the 1960s no doubt, thinking about a strikeout. He walked two. There were 21 guys who did this in 2022, setting a new MLB record. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run The Dodgers signed Koufax for a total salary and bonus package of $20,000 or roughly $170,000 in todays money. I was at Koufax's perfect game in '65, and Cubs pitcher In late August 1964, the morning after winning his 19th game a shutout with 13 strikeouts he could not straighten his arm. Yogi Berra, the famous Yankee catcher known for his quips and his play. ", Video: 2015 ASG: Koufax throws out first pitch to Bench. Video: Doddgers Retired Number: No. (LogOut/ Heres one account from Sports Illustrated by Tom Verducci in 1999, describing what Koufax was going through: In the last 26 days of his career Koufax started seven times, threw five complete-game wins and had a 1.07 ERA. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run? Wise-Answer And Koufax did, initiating a 30-inning run during which he walked one batter. He retired 27 consecutive batters without allowing any to reach base. In the second game of a doubleheader, Koufax faced off against the Phillies ace, Jim Bunning in a first-ever match-up between perfect-game winners. In the 1965 World Series, the Dodgers faced the Minnesota Twins, and Koufax was the likely candidate to pitch Game 1 on October 6th, 1965. Hendley was a spot starter in 1965. James hadnt hit a home run or driven in a run all month. When they went to St. Louis for a three-game series on September 16, their lead was one game over the Cardinals, who had won 19 of 20 games. Koufax struck out the side.
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