Number Retired on June 4, 1972
Among the most dominating pitchers in the game's history, the left-hander won 165 games and compiled 2,396 strikeouts in 2,324.1 innings with 40 shutouts in his 12-year Dodger career (1955-66). A three-time Cy Young Award winner and National League MVP in 1963, Koufax was also World Series MVP in both 1963 and 1965, when he hurled a pair of shutouts. He led the NL in ERA five straight seasons from 1962-66, was the strikeouts leader four times and was tops in wins on three occasions with totals of 27, 26 and 25, In addition, Koufax pitched an NL-record four no-hitters, including a perfect game in 1965, and set the National League single-season mark with 382 strikeouts in 1965. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Pitcher
June 4, 1972
During his 12-year Dodger career, Sandy Koufax won 165 games with 40 shutouts. A three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 1963 National League MVP, Koufax was also World Series MVP in both 1963 and 1965. Koufax pitched an NL-record four no-hitters, including a perfect game in 1965.
Sandy was born on December 30th, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, to Evelyn and Jack Braun. After his parents divorce, his mother remarried nine years later and Sandy chose to take his stepfather's Irving's last name of Koufax.
An early love of playing basketball at Lafayette High School landed him a basketball scholarship to the University Of Cincinnati. While pitching on the baseball team Sandy had try outs with both the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates before Al Campanis of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him for $6000.00 plus a $14,000 dollar signing bonus.
Sandy's debut in the show, wearing the number 32, was on June 24th, 1955 in a 5th inning game vs. The Milwaukee Braves. After some early inning trouble he struck out Bobby Thomson, the first of his 2,396 career 'K's.
He got his first win on August 27th, 1955, striking out 14 in a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Playing from 1955 to 1966 for both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers until arthritis ended his pitching career, Sandy compiled a trove of baseball accomplishments. Four World Series Championships ('55, '59, 68, and 65), 165 - 87 record, 40 shutouts and 137 complete games. He won three Cy Young Awards by unanimous vote and had 3 no hitters, including one perfect game on September 9th, 1965 against the Chicago Cubs.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame at the age of 36 years and 20 days, becoming the youngest ballplayer to ever be given that distinction. A statue of the famous lefthander has been erected in Dodger Stadium, beside that of Jackie Robinson, for future generations to see and understand his contributions to the team and the game of baseball.
Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers
Among the most dominating pitchers in the game's history, left-hander sandy Koufax won 165 games and compiled 2,396 strikeouts in 2,324.1 innings with 40 shutouts in his 12 year Dodger career (1955-66). In 1966, Koufax earned his third Cy Young Award, becoming the first three time winner in an era when the honor was given to just one MLB pitcher per season. Koufax led the National League in ERA five straight seasons from 1962-66, was the strikeouts leader four times and was tops in wins on three occasions with totals of 27, 26, and 25. In addition, he pitched a National League record four no hitters, including a perfect game in 1965, and set the National League single season mark with 382 strikeouts in 1965. He is one of very few pitchers to have more strikeouts than career innings pitched.
- Cy Young Awards 1963 1965 1966
Sanford Koufax (born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966.Sandy Koufax:
- 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 36–40 with a 4.10 earned run average; 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.
- After making adjustments prior to the 1961 season, and benefiting 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.
- Koufax was an All-Star in each of his last six seasons, 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.
- After setting a modern NL record in 1961 with 269 strikeouts, in 1963 he became the first pitcher in 17 years and the first left-hander since 1904 to strike out 300 batters.
- 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 was the first pitcher to record 300 strikeouts three times, and set a record with 97 games of at least 10 strikeouts, also later broken by Ryan; he twice tied a modern record by striking out 18 batters in a game.
- Koufax won the Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965 and 1966 by unanimous votes, winning the Triple Crown and leading the Dodgers to a pennant each year; he was the first three-time winner of the award, and the only pitcher to do so when a single award was given instead of one for each league.
- He was named the NL Most Valuable Player in 1963, and was runner-up for the award the other two years.
- Koufax was the first major league pitcher to hurl four no-hitters, and in 1965 became the eighth pitcher and the first left-hander since 1880 to pitch a perfect game.
- He was named the World Series MVP in both 1963 and 1965, earning two wins in each Series and striking out 52 batters to lead the team to another pair of titles.
Sandy KoufaxHe is 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.
- 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.
- Despite his comparatively short career, his 2,396 career strikeouts ranked seventh in major league history, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers; his 40 shutouts were tied for ninth in modern NL history.
- He was the first pitcher in history to average more than one strikeout per inning, and the first to allow fewer than seven hits per nine innings pitched.
- Koufax briefly held the Dodgers records for career strikeouts and shutouts until longtime teammate Don Drysdale passed him in 1968. [https://www.eatlife.net/dodger-stadium/don-drysdale.php]
Sandy KoufaxHe has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.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. He has since worked for the Dodgers organization in a variety of capacities.
