They created an enduring memory that night. 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. In a six-year big-league career, James hit 29 home runs. Koufaxs seasonal W-L record during that period was 25-5, 19-5, 26-8, and 27-9. Marichal had thrown 227. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Koufax homered off 2 different pitchers during his career, Gibson was replaced by Curt Simmons, a left-hander who had made one start since late August. At one point in that visit, Campanis assumed the hitters stance in the batters box with Koufax on the mound. But even the extraordinary Pirates-Braves game of May 26, 1959, paled in comparison with the Koufax-Hendley game. Advertisement (Original Caption) Sandy Koufax of the The Drysdale-Jim Bouton duel in Game 3 (a 1-0 final) was the greatest single day of pitching I've ever seen. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The other Sandys -- Amoros, Valdespino, Alomar and Alomar Jr., Leon, Martinez, Alderson, Johnson and Consuegra -- are relegated to identification by surname. Their pitching was anchored by Whitey Ford (24 wins, 2.74 ERA) and Jim Bouton (21 wins, 2.53 ERA). 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. Bad news for Chris Morrow and other replacement players doing well in the Giants' system: You aren't welcome on the big club. Current Greats: 2023 MLB Batting, 2023 MLB Pitching, Career WAR Leaders, Single-Season Home Run Leaders, Active Strikeout Leaders, Upcoming Player Milestones, MLB Scores. Frank Finch, Koufax Blanks Giants on 4 Hits, 2-0, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1963, p. C-1. Koufax was named Sportsman of the Year for 1965 by Sports Illustrated. With the count 2-and-2, Koufax was a strike away from getting out of the jam. His column ended thusly: "Today he turns 75. Sandy Koufax, 1st Cy Young, Detroit Free Press, October 25, 1963. Frank Finch, Sandy Koufax Hurls No-Hit, 5-0 Win, Los Angeles Times, July 1, 1962, p E-1. Koufax wasnt as sharp as he would be in later no-hitters, walking five and narrowly escaping trouble several times. 1 hero and its most attractive bachelor.In one photo he was shown in a swimming pool with a girlfriend; in another, signing autographs at a department store. us, High School: Lafayette HS (Brooklyn, NY), Schools: Columbia University (New York, NY), University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), Last Game: He was also the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters which were also in consecutive seasons. "This game is the most recognizable thing I've ever done in baseball," Hendley said after the game. It was, and still is, the best piece of baseball writing Ive ever seen. . He had thrown a no-hitter in each of the preceding three seasons. Sandy Koufax baseball stats, biographical data, history, trivia, and research by Baseball Almanac. 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. . But for Sandy Koufax, the mid-1960s were the awesome years. Now 76 and 15 years into his retirement from teaching, Hendley still lives in the Macon area, where he coached high school baseball, with his wife Runette. 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. - AP photo. Sandy was family in L.A. No-Hitters, .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ More remarkable was that Koufax was the losing pitcher in each of the other instances. The final out came on Joe Pepitone's drive that backed Dodger right fielder Ron Fairly up against the bullpen gate to make the catch of a ball that would have been a home run in Yankee Stadium. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Koufax Sandy Koufax after pitching his 4th career no-hitter, also a perfect game, Sept 9th, 1965. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". It was a record setting, perfect bame masterpiece in a game that ranks as one of the greatest pitching duels in The end can come any day or 10 years from now. Since 1933, it has been the summer showcase for the greatest athletes to ever play the game. 54-56. The event they created, known as nothing more than "CHI at LA" before it began, stands among the most astonishing games ever played at any point of any baseball season. Koufax, on two days rest, pitched a complete game, with the Dodgers winning 6-3 to clinch the NL pennant. SF tourists go in droves to In-N-Out. WebHow fast did Sandy Koufax throw? December 20, 1965 Sports Illustrated cover honoring Sandy Koufax. 32 -- like Joe D. in New York and Johnny U. in Baltimore. He was a good- size kid,standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing about 200-pounds. It was the first time since 1924 that both leagues had pitching Triple Crown winners in the same season. Frank Finch; Koufax Wins, Shelved by Injury,Los Angeles Times, Jul 13, 1962, p. C-1. Up 4-0, Koufax picked up where he left off, striking out Mantle and Maris, then getting Elston Howard on a foul pop up. . Hendley never had told his players of his baseball past. PopHistoryDig.com, July 10, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; After going 8-13 that year, Koufax thought about quitting. Others also saw a few weaknesses in Koufax. And the Angels still were barely beyond the toddler stage in 1965. Paul Richards, who managed ball clubs in both leagues, said of Koufax, This man has a sense of responsibility beyond gain and glory. Once in1966 whena television network offered him $25,000 to allow their cameras to follow him around, Koufax agreedto do it for $35,000, and then only if the money was divided so that every Dodger player, coach, and trainer received $1,000. And you still couldnt hit it. Pete Rose, baseballs all-time hit leader, also had trouble hitting Koufax, batting an anemic .175 against him. Haddix carried a perfect game into the 13th against a most formidable Braves lineup. amzn_assoc_linkid = "8c083521b8631f9e22b58f0cb91ed1bc"; Sandy Koufax started it off with a record 15-strikeout performance in Game 1 to outduel the Yankees' ace left-hander Whitey Ford. Koufax also tied a World Series record when he fanned the first five Yankees he faced. October 2, 1966 He clinched the pennant for Los Angeles for the second straight year with a complete game on two days rest. That night in Los Angeles, hitting the ball in any direction and with any chance of success was another issue. . He retired 27 consecutive batters without allowing any to reach base. And one game for the ages, albeit a loss. The Los Angeles Dodgers would set a new low in 1966, two runs. Stats. ", Hendley added to his description of the game last winter. Their only six confrontations occurred in the first four seasons of a five-season sequence, 1962-66, when Koufax was at the peak of his career. Switch teams or you have no chance. How Many Batters Did Sandy Koufax Strikeout In His Career "I was average.". Kids Free All Summer, it says, with a phone number you can't read (seems the batter and umpire are in the way). Southern California felt a warm and close relationship with No. [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]. Sandy was family in L.A. Michael Leahy, The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016), Harper, 496pp. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Sandy Koufax on Friday avenged the previous Sundays loss in Houston by striking out 14 Colt .45s in a shutout win at Dodger Stadium. An old interview of Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax made the rounds on social media Friday. Sandy Koufax about to autograph a baseball for the late TV newsman, Tim Russert, at social gathering. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Hank Aaron, it seemed, was among the few hitters that had Koufaxs number. The Pirates traded Groat to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 1963 season, and he nearly won a second MVP trophy, finishing as the runner-up to Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax. A NEW Mickey Mantle memory kicked in this week, replacing its evil twin. Koufax left baseball with the highest regard of his fellow players, as he had been a model professional, not one to seek the spotlight or boast of his abilities, and often thinking and acting on behalf of the team rather than himself. The bounces that footballs take are far less fickle than the bounces and ricochets that allow the most challenged baseball teams to beat the best. Dodger team physician Robert Kerlan diagnosed him with traumatic arthritis. 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. There were 21 guys who did this in 2022, setting a new MLB record. 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. That night in Los Angeles, hitting the ball in any direction and with any chance of success was another issue. Sandy Koufax, spring training, Vero Beach, Florida, February 28, 1963. No one has won a Triple Crown in National League hitting since 1937 when Joe Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals last did it. Hendley never had told his players of his baseball past. Click for copy. 32, Sandy Koufax. Actually, he would let you look at it. A number of his former players contacted him after Doyel's story appeared. Because Koufax's signing bonus was greater than $4,000 ($40,000 today), he was known as a bonus baby. But the losing pitcher in each of the seven instances surrendered at least two more hits than Hendley. And the run he surrendered, in the fifth inning, was unearned. But the Yankees came to Dodger Stadium for the third and fourth games of the 1963 World Series, what would be the climax of an L.A. sweep. Not only did Koufax, 28, toss his third no-hitter in three years Ashburn struckout 11 times against Koufax. Phone: 602.496.1460 His one-word identity spread over all of baseball. 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. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; And he remains as splendid a human being as any who has graced the planet -- courteous, caring, generous and unassuming. Mantle wasnt alone; Koufax struck out 15 Yankees as the Dodgers won, 5-2. Born: Sandy Koufax Out Longer Than ExpectedFour to Six Weeks, Los Angeles Times, July 20, 1962, p. B-1. 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. Brent Jones has joined a distinguished group of Bay Area athletes to win the Lou Gehrig Iron Man Award. The momentum he created for himself brought out the best in Scully and a powerful sense of resignation for Hendley. We both retired early [Hendley at 28, Koufax at 30], we both had elbow problems." Bavasi began by meeting separately with each man. Sandy Koufax - Baseball-Reference.com "He actually sent me a card," Hendley said. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Sandy Koufax at work, Game 7, `65 World Series. Sabermetricians put little stock in pitchers' victories these days. Even Wilt, Whitey and Yogi seldom were identified in their city's newspaper reports in such an informal manner. The game is also featured in Jane Leavys 2002 biography of Koufax, Sandy Koufax: A Leftys Legacy. Frank Finch, Its a No-Hitter for Sandy And 9 Whiffs, Too!, Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1966, p. G-1. Bruce Jenkins has written for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1973 and has been a sports columnist since 1989. He told Life reporter Tommy Thompson: I want to enjoy all this while it lasts. The Yankees' four runs in the series was, at the time, the second-lowest total in a World Series, as the Philadelphia Athletics had scored only three runs in 1905. New York was held to a .171 team batting average, the lowest ever for the Yankees in the postseason. The results clearly suggested that. Koufax would hold that record until 1981 when Nolan Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter. Sandy Koufax, delivering his magic from the pitching mound during the mid-1960s. Frank Finch, Koufax Victor, Misses Shutout in Ninth, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1963, p. A-1. The Dodgers had spotted Koufax a 4-0 lead in the first with the help of a triple by Willie Davis, singles by Tommy Davis and Frank Howard surrounding a walk, John Roseboros two-run double and a single by Larry Burright. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run? 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. They expressed similar admiration for Aaron. He had started once in two months, on Sept. 2, before opposing Koufax in a ballpark where he had been mostly unsuccessful. This time, it was a pitcher's duel. He had allowed eight walks combined in his three, earlier no-hitters. One of his two sons, Bart, lives nearby, and he enjoys baseball and embraces the advanced metrics that have emerged in the past 15 years. Did Sandy Koufax Ever Hit A Home Run | StatMuse We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. With Koufax leading the way on the mound, the Dodgers went on to capture the National League pennant and sweep the New York Yankees in the World Series. vs. PHI 9.0 IP, 7 H, 10 SO, 1 BB, 2 ER, W. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1972. Only two left-handers in the ensuing years through 2000 started as many games in a season. Koufax-Drysdale Spokesman Says Next Move Up to Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, March 3, 1966, p. B-6. Photo, Ben Olender / L.A. Times. Turning away sharply from a pitch, his spikes caught in the ground and he toppled over in pain, The Sporting News reported. Koufax struck out the side. So the uniqueness of the game is derived from Hendley exclusively. Sandy Koufax . Click for photo plaque. Click for copy. . Manager Walter Alston called Drysdale's performance "one of the greatest pitched games I ever saw." Haddix carried a perfect game into the 13th against a most formidable Braves lineup. Mickey Mantle, who was called out on strikes taking a Koufax curveball, walked away muttering expletives, unhappy with his Koufax experience. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run? WisdomAnswer In consultation with the Dodgers team physician, Dr. Kerlan, he was told he would be lucky to pitch once a week and might eventually lose full use of his arm. Koufax, meanwhile, was perfect no runs, no hits, no walks. And he remains as splendid a human being as any who has graced the planet -- courteous, caring, generous and unassuming. Koufax struck out 14 of 27 batters; Hendley struck out three. 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. In the decades that have passed, the legend of that game has grown. A number of his former players contacted him after Doyel's story appeared. Legendary Dodgers lefty Sandy Koufax chose not to start Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar -- and he became an even greater hero to fans. For there was a time in his career, at one seasons end in 1960, when he threw his glove and spikes into the trash can, believing he was through with baseball. 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. This could be another tale of the astounding exploits of Sandy Koufax, one more of so many; and each one warranted. Martin showed up about 15 minutes before a game in Arlington, Texas, one night, a particularly embarrassing scene because the players were goofing around like kids with a substitute teacher, and coach Jackie Moore, fearing Billy might not make it at all, had assumed tenuous control of the club. Gilliam almost scored again in the eighth off Hal Reniff, but was caught in an attempt to steal third. He struck out his final six batters and eight of the final 10. The hard-throwing left-hander 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. Explore Which team has won the most World Series since 2000? In the top of the second, the Dodgers scored four runs, including a three-run home run by Roseboro. ", Hendley has regained a small measure of celebrity. But in the bottom of the inning, Gilliam hit a high hopper to Yankee third baseman Clete Boyer; Boyer leaped to make the grab, and fired an accurate throw to first base. . Why did Sandy Koufax change his name? Los Angeles Dodgers, Baseball Season Forecast, Sports Illustrated, April 13, 1964. Brian M. Endsley, Koufax Throws a Curve: The Los Angeles Dodgers at the End of an Era, 1964-1966 (2018), McFarland, 215pp. 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. More rookies than ever hit a home run for their first big league hit. Grover Cleveland Alexander had 3 Triple Crowns, 1915, 1916 & 1920. Hendley was a spot starter in 1965. I was at Koufax's perfect game in '65, and Cubs pitcher Frank Finch, Spencers Hit Ruins Koufax Sparkler, 1-0 , Los Angeles Times, June 2, 1963, p. J-1. Sandy Koufax Career highlight stats. And Sandy needed to be perfect to gain that one victory. Koufax was routinely identified in Los Angeles newspapers as Sandy, no surname necessary. Brian M. Endsley, Finding the Left Arm of God: Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1960-1963 (2015), McFarland, 296pp. He also threw 11 shutouts, a total that only Bob Gibson would later surpass. amzn_assoc_title = "Related Reading"; Hendley, pitching for the Cubs that night in Los Angeles, warrants none of the superlatives applied above. Sandy Koufax was born Sanford Braun in December 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, the child of Evelyn and Jack Braun, who divorced when Sandy was three. Join our linker program. And that loss was in his only career one-hitter. It takes a decidedly middle-aged person to call up the real Mantle, one of the three or four greatest all- around talents of all time. James hadnt hit a home run or driven in a run all month. Edward Gruvers April 2000 book, Koufax, 288pp. . Koufax started 41 games that year as he did the previous year. won't be missed at all. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". As well as he was throwing and setting people down, there was very little chance of overcoming him. Yet Koufax almost missed these magical years. Joe Jares, Sandy Makes A Pitch For Posterity, Sports Illustrated, August 2, 1965. RHP Tom Seaver. "He was with Mickey.". Hall of Famer Harry Hooper, a player from the same era as Koufax, had this to say about him: Koufax and Scully, of course, have a long-standing Dodger Blue relationship. Particularly in the last few innings, you knew that he knew he had the perfect game. In that game, Koufax struck out the first five Yankees he faced. The game is also featured in Jane Leavys 2002 biography of Koufax. At Lafayette High, he became team captain and ranked second in division scoring. Koufax also struck out three pinch-hitters, including Harry Bright to end the game. His dad forgives him for that. When did Mantle hit a world series home run off sandy koufax? Frank Finch, Big D, Sandy Give Bavasi News Today, Los Angeles Times, February 24, 1966, p. B-1. Seldom has a person & pitcher pairing produced such excellence on both sides of the ampersand. . Dodger manager Walt Alston went with #3 starter Johnny Podres over #2 starter Don Drysdale because he was left-handed and Yankee Stadium was favorable to left-handed pitchers. In fact, at that seasons end he threw his glove and spikes into the trash. "Sandy always has been gracious toward me," he said. They had Harvey Kuenn hit for me [with two out in the ninth inning]. Koufax was as magnificent a pitcher as any who ever has stood on a big league mound. Sanford Koufax, who was actually born Sanford Braun, was a Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955-1957) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1966). Frank Howard homered into the second deck down the left-field line, a feat that went unmatched at Dodger Stadium for years. ), Video: 50 Greatest Moments: #2 Koufax's perfect game, "We pitched against each other twice in six days," Hendley recalls. Willie Mays faced Bob Gibson 108 times (92 at bats) over his career and hit just . Sandy Koufax, the L.A. Dodgers star pitcher, soaking his arm in a whirlpool after a game in April 1964. Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax were scheduled to start against one another in a September 1962 showdown of two of the premier pitchers of the era. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer. What made the game such a seductive piece of history was, of course, Koufax's involvement. Though a perfect game is a rarity, that Koufax pitched one in 1965 hardly was startling. But baseball -- more than the other sports -- often is unfair. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. At the time, many thought that Sandy Koufax was the best pitcher of his era. In order to harness his immense talent, Koufax had to learn to trust and tame National League Most Valuable Player of the Year in 1963. 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. Campanislater remarked: There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.. It became the gold standard the instant Koufax struck out Harvey Kuenn for the the 27th out. I threw the ball pretty hard, Gibson said in the video, and if I threw the ball inside to him, I couldnt get it by him. Koufax added: For me, he was the toughest out. Lefty Grove is the only other pitcher to have done the latter, in 1935-1939.