"Sandy always has been gracious toward me," he said. By 1958,meanwhile, the Dodgerss organization leftBrooklyn for the promised land of Los Angeles, breaking the hearts ofmillions of New Yorkers as they went. Koufax compiled a 25-and-5 win-loss record in 1963 as the Dodgers won the NL pennant and he became the first-ever unanimous selection for the Cy Young award for best pitcher. His work ("Oh, brother!") Roscoe McGowen, Dodgers Top Pirates, 4-0; Koufax Blanks Pittsburgh; Brooks Need 7 for Pennant, New York Times, September 4, 1955. But he still no-hit the Giants, as the Dodgers won, 8-0. ", Hendley has regained a small measure of celebrity. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. With the count 2-and-2, Koufax was a strike away from getting out of the jam. A young Sandy Koufax in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform.Brooklyn Born. from the SABR BioProject, More Sandy Koufax Pages at Baseball Reference, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:21AM. Grover Cleveland Alexander had 3 Triple Crowns, 1915, 1916 & 1920. The next delivery was high And seven of the 22, including Koufax's, have been decided by 1-0 scores. In a single game Mantle hit two homers that were longer than most major league players hit in a career! After blowing a four-game lead with seven to play in 1962, the Dodgers again built a lead in 1963. It shows Mantle homering off Sandy Koufax, and in these difficult times for the Yankee great, it's the one I'd prefer to keep. Thanks for visiting and if you like what you find here, please make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. Koufax's ERA in those games was 3.65. 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. Ironically, slightly more than seven weeks earlier, Bo Belinsky of the Los Angeles Angels had hurled the citys first major league no-hitter in the very same stadium. Happy birthday, coach Hendley. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Edward Gruver, Koufax, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2000. Their pitching was anchored by Whitey Ford (24 wins, 2.74 ERA) and Jim Bouton (21 wins, 2.53 ERA). Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. WebOf his four no-hitters, Sandy Koufax saved his finest for last. "Early in the game, I didn't have great stuff," Koufax said afterward. 3. Sandy Koufax started it off with a record 15-strikeout performance in Game 1 to outduel the Yankees' ace left-hander Whitey Ford. Brian M. Endsley, Koufax Throws a Curve: The Los Angeles Dodgers at the End of an Era, 1964-1966 (2018), McFarland, 215pp. In a six-year big-league career, James hit 29 home runs. The Koufax perfect game against the Cubs was also noted for the play-by-play call by broadcaster Vin Scully, the venerable voice of the Dodgers for more than 50 years. Even today, baseball has but one Sandy, as it has one Babe. 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 Frank Finch, Its a No-Hitter for Sandy And 9 Whiffs, Too!, Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1966, p. G-1. Koufax was named Sportsman of the Year for 1965 by Sports Illustrated. It was a record setting, perfect bame masterpiece in a game that ranks as one of the greatest pitching duels in Many thanks to him. After that, who knows? Brooklyn had dibs on Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and the other Boys of Summer. It does not store any personal data. Larry Schwartz, Koufaxs Dominance Was Short But Sweet, ESPN.com. "He was great," Hendley said. 2 How fast did Sandy Koufax throw a baseball? And that's as far as it went. In order to harness his immense talent, Koufax had to learn to trust and tame PopHistoryDig.com, July 10, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; ", 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. ", Hendley added to his description of the game last winter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1987: Year of the Smiths, Ozzie and J.T., forCardinals, Harry Parker: Best selection of Cardinals firstdraft. Yogi Berra, the famous Yankee catcher known for his quips and his play, remarked of Koufax after watching his Game 1 performance: I can see how he won 25 games. Sandy Koufax at White House reception with the President & First Lady, 2010. 60th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, "Stanley Cup Final: Kings vs. Rangers in L.A.-New York Championship Duel", "1963 World Series Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees", "1963 World Series Game 2 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees", "1963 World Series Game 3 New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers", "1963 World Series Game 4 New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers", "1963 World Series Game 1, Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees, October 2, 1963", "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares", "JOEY BISHOP SHOW with "The L.A. Dodgers" NBC sitcom", "World Series came out big winner over NFL", Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Orel Hershiser's scoreless innings streak, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series home run, Carlton Fisk's 1975 World Series home run, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1963_World_Series&oldid=1139597287, October 1963 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Game 4 was the highest-rated sports broadcast of 1963, per, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 23:04. . Koufax had pitched in Brooklyn, but he never performed in the borough where he'd been raised as he did in Los Angeles. 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. he set records as one of the nicest people ever to play or manage the game, as well. Gibson fractured a bone above his right ankle and his leg was placed in a cast. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Koufax ended up pitching two complete game shutouts in Games 5 and 7 of that World Series, with the Dodgers taking the Series, four games to three. WebSandy Koufax Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Left 6-2 , 210lb (188cm, 95kg) Born: December 30, 1935 (Age: 87-112d) in Brooklyn, NY us More bio, uniform, draft, salary That brought to the plate James, a right-handed batter with a .277 average. In a 12-year big-league career, Koufax yielded 204 home runs, including six grand slams. In any case, he was put under the spotlight for refusing to pitch in such a high profile game, but was regarded proudly by Jews around the world for his decision. Sandy Koufax in what appears to be an impromptu locker room press conference following his no-hitter against the New York Mets of June 30, 1962. 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. (LogOut/ 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. You never told us who you were. And it came off the top of his head, at a moment when, like the man whose feat he was describing, he knew he had to be at the top of his game. But two Dodgers managed to reach base, and one scored. Moreover, Hendley's ERA in his six starts opposite Koufax was 2.98. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, 11 gadgets to boost your WFH productivity. Koufax, meanwhile, was perfect no runs, no hits, no walks. Sorry to see the Giants join the pitiful parade of teams befouling the home-plate backstop with advertising. Koufax Peddles His Biography for Tidy Advance of $110,000, Los Angeles Times, March 19, 1966, p. A-1. The quirky Royals reliever often noted that fair territory was 90 degrees of a circle, and foul territory occupied 270 degrees. Boxscore. Portion of a Topps baseball card from the 1960s featuring ERA leaders of the day. Brent Jones has joined a distinguished group of Bay Area athletes to win the Lou Gehrig Iron Man Award. He had thrown a no-hitter in each of the preceding three seasons. The momentum he created for himself brought out the best in Scully and a powerful sense of resignation for Hendley. "This game is the most recognizable thing I've ever done in baseball," Hendley said after the game. Mickey Mantle was still playing then, and there were a number of other names, some just getting started, others in their prime Carl Yastrzemski, Harmon Killebrew, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Whitey Ford, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and others. Sandy attended Brooklyns Lafayette High School, but sports were not played there for a few years due to a teachers dispute. For our purposes today, though, the dazzling Koufax is merely half the story. Frank Finch, Koufax Blanks Giants on 4 Hits, 2-0, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1963, p. C-1. "We both gave up two runs, we both allowed five hits. All rights reserved. I was merely trying to meet the ball and was astonished to see it land on the roof in right field, James said. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. He needed only to tidy up on his control that summer night in Chavez Ravine. When Stan Musial struck out looking and Ken Boyer flied out to left, it appeared Koufax had found his groove, but he walked Bill White, loading the bases. Viking; 1st edition; 299 pp. Seldom has a person & pitcher pairing produced such excellence on both sides of the ampersand. The Drysdale-Jim Bouton duel in Game 3 (a 1-0 final) was the greatest single day of pitching I've ever seen. More rookies than ever hit a home run for their first big league hit. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. Ford set the Dodgers down in order in the first inning, but got into trouble in the second inning. New York was held to a .171 team batting average, the lowest ever for the Yankees in the postseason. Even for a pitcher, Koufax was a weak hitter, batting just . [1][2] Seven more such meetings have followed with three more times each in the World Series and the NBA Finals, and the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.[2]. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". I'm 46, and I just barely qualify. Burdette, who was the winning pitcher, allowed 12 hits in his complete game victory, though. No speeches, no press conferences, no tears, no tributes. Everyone knew he was pitching with traumatic arthritis in his left elbow, but how bad could it be when he pitched like that? Rookie Status: 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. He needed . Koufax also set a new standard with 382 strikeouts in 1965. 196 against him with three home runs, nine RBI, 16 walks and 30 strikeouts (in 33 games). . . He was the first three-time Cy Young winner in baseball. 1957 Topps card, Sandy Koufax, Brooklyn Dodgers. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. With the count 2-and-2, Koufax was a strike away from getting out of the jam. Still, neither is a regular occurrence, attesting to the difficulty of each. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 The dominance of the Dodgers pitchers was so complete that at no point in any of the four games did the Yankees have the lead. Koufax only missed a perfect game that day by walkingtwo batters: Ed Bailey in the eighth inning, and an intentional walk to Willie McCovey in the ninth. Haddix carried a perfect game into the 13th against a most formidable Braves lineup. They had been at Mantle's house nearby, and knowing these two, they probably hoisted their first cocktails before noon. It prompted these words from Koufax that night: "It's a shame Hendley had to get beaten that way.". Sandy was throwing so hard, he was coming out from under his cap. We'll miss departed Warrior broadcaster Steve Albert as a person; he always seemed to have a kind word for everyone. Click for copy. In fact, Sandy Koufax hit 2 home runs during his career, 0 while playing at home, and 2 while on the road. Willie Davis doubled in two runs in the first inning, former Yankee Bill Skowron homered in the fourth, and Tommy Davis had two triples, including an RBI triple in the eighth to lead the Dodger offense. Burdette, who was the winning pitcher, allowed 12 hits in his complete game victory, though. Click for card. I was at Koufax's perfect game in '65, and Cubs pitcher But baseball -- more than the other sports -- often is unfair. Sandy Koufax Man of the Year for Sport magazine, February 1964. The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the first on a Jim Gilliam walk, a wild pitch and a single by Tommy Davis. A tremendous blast by any standards. After the World Series, in November, Sandy Koufax announced his retirement from baseball due to his arthritic condition. (LogOut/ If he had got out of that first inning, Dodgers manager Walter Alston said about Koufax, no telling how long he might have gone., Asked whether the left index finger still bothered him, Koufax replied, My finger doesnt feel 100 percent but it does feel as good as it did the two or three games before I went under the doctors care., Two years later, April 22, 1964, James hit another first-inning home run off Koufax, a three-run shot in a 7-6 Cardinals victory. But now the great Mantle had come to town, and he had homered off Koufax, and our lives were eminently richer. Baseballs overlooked superstar finally gets his due in a new documentary, It Aint Over. Mickey Mantle, Tom Tresh and Tony Kubek each struck out twice, and Bobby Richardson struck out three timeshis only three-strikeout game in 1448 regular season or World Series games. Yankee starter Al Downing, who would take the loss, went only five innings and charged with three runs. I would think the last two or three innings -- that's as well as I've pitched.". Frank Finch, Koufax Shuts Out Milwaukee, 7-0, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 1963, p. C-1. Koufax was as magnificent a pitcher as any who ever has stood on a big league mound. Of Vin Scullys historic broadcast of the game, one Salon.com writer, Gary Kaufman, offered this description: I found a transcript of Scullys call of the ninth inning of Sandy Koufaxs perfect game It read like a short story. He walked Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. But this pinnacle performance of pitching wouldn't be a prominent part of our past if this oft-times pedestrian pitcher had permitted one more hit in his extraordinary eight innings. This time, it was a pitcher's duel. Second baseman Dick Tracewski's single preceded a three-run home run by catcher John Roseboro to give the Dodgers a 40 lead. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Only perfection beat him. background-image:unset; Lefty Grove is the only other pitcher to have done the latter, in 1935-1939. Moreover, Hendley's ERA in his six starts opposite Koufax was 2.98. Southern California felt a warm and close relationship with No. WebThe youngest man ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandy Koufax, was no different. His mother later remarried when Sandy was nine, to Irving Koufax, who Sandy regarded as his father. Podres delivered a six-hitter through 8+13 innings; ace reliever Ron Perranoski, also a left-hander, got the last two outs and the save, and the Dodgers headed home with 20 Series lead. In one of the games we will get to in a minute, the two starting pitchers pitched 23+ innings, struck out 29 Charles Maher, LAffaire Drysdale-Koufax: Villains or Heroes?, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1966, p. G-1. The Yankees tied it on a Mickey Mantle home run in the top of the seventh. Over the years, Hendley's appreciation of Koufax has grown. Runnels the Slugger. RHP Tom Seaver. And he hit the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Sandy Koufax, May 1965 "Sport" magazine story about his "toughest batters." He and the city were connected like JFK and Hyannisport, like Elvis and Memphis. Dan Quisenberry was certain of the game's inequities, based on the layout of the field. Sandy Koufax, spring training, Vero Beach, Florida, February 28, 1963. Jim Bouton, making his first World Series start, dueled Drysdale throughout, permitting only four hits in seven innings for a losing cause. On bad days hed have to bend his neck to get his face closer to his left hand so that he could shave. Koufax was as magnificent a pitcher as any who ever has stood on a big league mound.
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