His spontaneous account of the game was comparable to what he had witnessed. However, during this time, the commissioner of the MLB, Bowie Kuhn, and Aaron began to butt heads. WebBoth Ford and Koufax pitched scoreless first innings. Top 10 Vin Scully calls of all time - MLB It became the gold standard the instant Koufax struck out Harvey Kuenn for the the 27th out. He lasted just 4 innings. Koufax was named Sportsman of the Year for 1965 by Sports Illustrated. Just packed up and left in the middle of a game. His strikeouts were an otherworldly 306, L.A. rightfully claimed him as its own. But now the great Mantle had come to town, and he had homered off Koufax, and our lives were eminently richer. Sandy Koufax in the 1960s no doubt, thinking about a strikeout. There were 21 guys who did this in 2022, setting a new MLB record. Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax: A Leftys Legacy, New York: Harper-Collins, 2002. In 114 career at-bats against him, Aaron hit .368, with an on-base percentage of .433. Is that coincidence, or are we being punished (after the strike) for doing the wrong thing?". The quirky Royals reliever often noted that fair territory was 90 degrees of a circle, and foul territory occupied 270 degrees. In fact, Sandy Koufax hit 2 home runs during his career, 0 while playing at home, and 2 while on the road. Ever so slightly flawed by Johnson' flare, the Hendley-Koufax game need not be bronzed. Lefty Grove is the only other pitcher to have done the latter, in 1935-1939. ", "Hitting would be a lot more rewarding," Quiz reasoned, "if you could hit the ball in any direction. There was no success to be had on Sept. 9 that year, despite his brilliant pitching; strange because the Cubs pitcher often prospered when he opposed Koufax. On September 29, 1966, near the end of the regular season, Koufax threw a four-hitter to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1, achieving a third 300-strikeout season, the first major league pitcher to do so since Amos Rusie did it in 1890-92. Burdette, who was the winning pitcher, allowed 12 hits in his complete game victory, though. BY PETER MOORE 2023-05-01T07:00:00.0000000Z Harvey Haddix and Lew Burdette pitched dual shutouts into the 13th inning. The next delivery was high Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. And Sandy needed to be perfect to gain that one victory. Later, another Dodger scout, Al Campanis heard about Koufax from a local sporting goods store owner, and after seeing the kid pitch locally invited him to Ebbets Field to tryout with the Dodgers. 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. Video: 2015 ASG: MLB's 'Greatest Living Players' announced. Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax: Grand game for Charlie James Hendley, left-handed and born in Macon, Ga., pitched in the big leagues for seven seasons, three with the Milwaukee Braves, 1 1/2 with the Giants and two-plus with the Cubs before ending his career with the Mets in 1967. 3. Mays' home run came on Spahn's 201st pitch. But each was a far cry from the Koufax-Hendley confrontation. It was, and still is, the best piece of baseball writing Ive ever seen. Data Provided By The game still holds the record for fewest base runners. Jack Doyle, Pitcher Perfect, 1963-1966, They shouldn't bother. However, that day happened to be Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in the Jewish religion. Koufax, however, kept Kerlans advice to himself and went out every fourth day to pitch. 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. "I was just getting people out. Even Wilt, Whitey and Yogi seldom were identified in their city's newspaper reports in such an informal manner. Koufax-Drysdale Spokesman Says Next Move Up to Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, March 3, 1966, p. B-6. Yogi Berra Finally Gets the Credit He Deserves - MSN 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). By the way, Hendley allowed just one walk. The incident garnered national attention as an example of conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs. In this game, Mantle would hit a homer off Koufax in the 7th inning ( Mantles 15th in World Series play) which tied the game temporarily at 1-1. He was also the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters which were also in consecutive seasons. Koufax would finish a very close second to Pittsburgh hitter, Roberto Clemente, in the National League voting that year for the regular season Most Valuable Player. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Joe Jares, Sandy Makes A Pitch For Posterity, Sports Illustrated, August 2, 1965. And that loss was in his only career one-hitter. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Haddix carried a perfect game into the 13th against a most formidable Braves lineup. Particularly in the last few innings, you knew that he knew he had the perfect game. 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. In the decades that have passed, the legend of that game has grown. "To be beaten by class, beaten by the guy who is one of the best, if not the best ever. The other Sandys -- Amoros, Valdespino, Alomar and Alomar Jr., Leon, Martinez, Alderson, Johnson and Consuegra -- are relegated to identification by surname. But two Dodgers managed to reach base, and one scored. 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. At Lafayette High, he became team captain and ranked second in division scoring. Ford set the Dodgers down in order in the first inning, but got into trouble in the second inning. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. . Only perfection beat him. Change). Tony Kubek had two of the Yankees' three hits, but none of the hits were extra-base hits. Triple Crowns in pitching have been reached more recently in 2006 by Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins in the American League, and in 2007 by Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres of the National League. Article Citation: Particularly in the last few innings, you knew that he knew he had the perfect game. Find out more. background-image:unset; 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. His one-word identity spread over all of baseball. Sandy Koufax Stats by Baseball Almanac. Koufax started 41 games that year as he did the previous year. It had tension, rising and falling drama, great turns of phrase. "I knew it was going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to beat him. To date, this is the only time the Dodgers have won the deciding game of a World Series at home. And Drysdale, so mean, so precise, pitched a three- hit shutout. "What a nice man! His column ended thusly: "Today he turns 75. Southern California felt a warm and close relationship with No. By May 11th, 1963, Koufax was is very good form. Sandy was family in L.A. And one game for the ages, albeit a loss. In the American League, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox won the hitting Triple Crown twice, in 1942 and 1947; Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees did it in 1956; To be the one best player in all three categories in a single season, whether hit- ter or pitcher, is a rare and distinctive honor, marking accomplished play.Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles in 1966; and Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox was the last hitter to do so in 1967. I was at Koufax's perfect game in '65, and Cubs pitcher Bob Hendley nearly pitched a no-hitter himself that night, but the magnitude of the World Series turned Drysdale-Bouton into legend. The big league game has given us 22 other perfectos, 15 since Koufax produced his. BRUCE JENKINS -- Mantle vs. Koufax: A Homer to Remember, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis. By 1958,meanwhile, the Dodgerss organization leftBrooklyn for the promised land of Los Angeles, breaking the hearts ofmillions of New Yorkers as they went. We both retired early [Hendley at 28, Koufax at 30], we both had elbow problems." And Sandy needed to be perfect to gain that one victory. 3) Richie Ashburn - went 11 for 51 against Koufax for a .216 batting average with 0 HRs and 0 RBIs. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. He was born Sanford Braun, but took the name of his stepfather after his parents divorced and his mother remarried. And the run he surrendered, in the fifth inning, was unearned. The results clearly suggested that. Among Hendley's victories was a four-hitter, a 2-1 Cubs victory at Wrigley Field, against the Dodgers -- and Koufax -- six days after the perfect game. "Sandy always has been gracious toward me," he said. Like Koufax, Hendley was betrayed by his pitching elbow and forced to retire earlier than planned. 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. 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. No-Hitters, .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. Edward Gruver, Koufax, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2000. 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. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. background-color:#ba3434; 1966 book Koufax by Sandy Koufax with Ed Linn. Koufax, meanwhile, was perfect no runs, no hits, no walks. vs. PHI 9.0 IP, 7 H, 10 SO, 1 BB, 2 ER, W. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1972. He needed only to tidy up on his control that summer night in Chavez Ravine. And that loss was in his only career one-hitter. This year's awards dinner, to be hosted by Gary Radnich, will be June 29 at the Nikko Hotel in S.F. Trouble was, said Brock, with Koufax on the mound, nobody got on base too often., To find more sports stories at this website, please visit the Annals of Sport category page, or Baseball Stories, a topics page with thumbnail sketches and links to 14 other baseball stories. And in the post-WWII period the more modern era of baseball Koufax would be the only guy to win three Triple Crowns for pitching (see Triple Crown sidebar below). Current Greats: 2023 MLB Batting, 2023 MLB Pitching, Career WAR Leaders, Single-Season Home Run Leaders, Active Strikeout Leaders, Upcoming Player Milestones, MLB Scores. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The Drysdale-Jim Bouton duel in Game 3 (a 1-0 final) was the greatest single day of pitching I've ever seen. Koufax, on two days rest, pitched a complete game, with the Dodgers winning 6-3 to clinch the NL pennant. Boxscore. Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax (cover story), Sporting News, July 17, 1965. But each was a far cry from the Koufax-Hendley confrontation. Sandy Koufax, the L.A. Dodgers star pitcher, soaking his arm in a whirlpool after a game in April 1964. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. "We both gave up two runs, we both allowed five hits. 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. 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. He walked With the count 2-and-2, Koufax was a strike away from getting out of the jam. Koufax Cites Pressures on Pro Athletes, Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1969, p. E-12. And he remains as splendid a human being as any who has graced the planet -- courteous, caring, generous and unassuming. ", 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. 196 against him with three home runs, nine RBI, 16 walks and 30 strikeouts (in 33 games). 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. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Clemente struckout 20 times against Koufax. However, the scouts glowing report on the young pitcher was reportedly lost in the Dodger front-office. "And I came out a loser. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to say it was easily over 500 feet, and may have approached 600 feet. His elbow was shot full of cortisone several times a season. His stomach was always queasy from the cocktail of anti-inflammatories he swallowed before and after games, which he once said made him half-high on the mound. He soaked his elbow in an ice bath for 30 minutes after each game, his arm encased in an inner tube to protect against frostbite. But Koufax shut down the Yanks after that as the Dodgers won 2-1, completing a surprising four-game sweep of Frank Howard homered into the second deck down the left-field line, a feat that went unmatched at Dodger Stadium for years. What was the score of the Sandy Koufax game? We tuned in the other night and heard Greenwald and Mike Krukow chastising Barry Bonds for his blatant judgment errors -- in this case, standing at home plate to watch his line drive hit the base of the wall. 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. In a 12-year big-league career, Koufax yielded 204 home runs, including six grand slams. Koufax homered off 2 different pitchers during his career, To be the one best player in all three categories in a single season, whether hit- ter or pitcher, is a rare and distinctive honor, marking accomplished play. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. But even the extraordinary Pirates-Braves game of May 26, 1959, paled in comparison with the Koufax-Hendley game. The big league game has given us 22 other perfectos, 15 since Koufax produced his. The Dodgers signed Koufax for a total salary and bonus package of $20,000 or roughly $170,000 in todays money. But Koufax shut down the Yanks after that as the Dodgers won 2-1, completing a surprising four-game sweep of New York to win the Series. Mantle wasnt alone; Koufax struck out 15 Yankees as the Dodgers won, 5-2. . 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. Koufax and Scully, of course, have a long-standing Dodger Blue relationship. 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. More remarkable was that Koufax was the losing pitcher in each of the other instances. Koufaxs nearly perfect in no-hitter vs. Giants Edward Gruvers April 2000 book, Koufax, 288pp. Gibson fractured a bone above his right ankle and his leg was placed in a cast. Sandy Koufax Greatest Baseball Pitcher Ever And A Late Don Zimmer just staged the greatest retirement in memory. He also used Empirin with codeine for pain, which he took every night and sometimes during the fifth inning to make it through a game. Frank Finch, Koufax Blanks Giants on 4 Hits, 2-0, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1963, p. C-1. Frank Finch, Koufax, Drysdale Spurn Record Offer by Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1966, p. B-1. Video: Doddgers Retired Number: No. More remarkable was that Koufax was the losing pitcher in each of the other instances. Not only did Koufax, 28, toss his third no-hitter in three years Explore Which team has won the most World Series since 2000? Jon Weisman, Brothers in Arms: Koufax, Kershaw, and the Dodgers Extraordinary Pitching Tradition (2018), Triumph Books, 384pp. You could tell how much he wanted it. I can still see Bouton throwing incredible heat, just firing for all he was worth, his hat flying off on the really big pitches. ", Hendley's loss seemed quite unfair. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Sandy Koufax went on to hold the Yankees for the final two innings for a 21 victory and the Dodgers' third world championship. No speeches, no press conferences, no tears, no tributes. Bruce Jenkins has written for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1973 and has been a sports columnist since 1989. In early 1960, Koufax asked the Dodgers to trade him because he wasnt getting enough playing time. 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. 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. 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. His column ended thusly: "Today he turns 75. ", Video: 2015 ASG: Koufax throws out first pitch to Bench. According to base-stealing threat Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals, Koufax couldnt field bunts well or hold runners on base too well. You never told us who you were. Hendley was a spot starter in 1965. Even for a pitcher, Koufax was a weak hitter, batting just . Second baseman Dick Tracewski's single preceded a three-run home run by catcher John Roseboro to give the Dodgers a 40 lead. On bad days hed have to bend his neck to get his face closer to his left hand so that he could shave. . He needed L.A. rightfully claimed him as its own. What I dont understand is how he lost five.. I'm 46, and I just barely qualify. Even Wilt, Whitey and Yogi seldom were identified in their city's newspaper reports in such an informal manner. 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. Do you have a blog? He was also named the National Leagues Most Valuable Player. Advertisement (Original Caption) Sandy Koufax of the At the University of Cincinnati he became a walk-on freshman basketball player. ), The World Series Most Valuable Player Award went to Sandy Koufax, who started two of the four games and had two complete game victories. Did Dick Groat, eight-time MLB All-Star and two-sport hall of famer in He had thrown a no-hitter in each of the preceding three seasons. Writing for CBSSports.com, Doyel blew Hendley's cover in a column on April 30, 2015, the coach's 75th birthday. The 60th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion and two-time defending World Series champion New York Yankees against the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers; the Dodgers swept the Series in four games to secure their second championship title in five years, and their third in franchise history. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. . Who was Sandy Koufax for the Brooklyn Dodgers? On the Dodgers, along with Koufax, were other notables, not the least of whom was Don Drysdale, the other Dodger power pitcher from the mid-1960s. Sandy Koufax baseball stats, biographical data, history, trivia, and research by Baseball Almanac. But the Dodgers swept the three games from the Cardinals to move four games ahead with nine to play; a 41 win over the Mets clinched the pennant in the season's 158th game. On that day he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants, a team then powered by a bevy of capable hitters including future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda. In a six-year big-league career, James hit 29 home runs. Sandy Koufax, delivering his magic from the pitching mound during the mid-1960s. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Other pitching performance have dazzled us over the years. 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. . Why did Sandy Koufax change his name? 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.. Use of his left arm was severely limited when he wasnt pitching. ", Hendley's loss seemed quite unfair. make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. They created an enduring memory that night. Out of those two transitionary years, 1961-62, Sandy Koufax the master-of-all-time, baseballs Leonardo, arrived. Frank Finch, Koufax, Drysdale Eye $1 Million Pact, Los Angeles Times, February 23, 1966, p. B-1. [7]. Koufax pitched four no-hitters, won three Cy Young Awards -- each unanimously -- struck out all comers and routinely shrunk the biggest and baddest hitters to Eddie Gaedel proportions and turned their wooden bats into paper-mache replicas. This was a ritual for Billy -- go to Texas, see Mickey -- and the reminiscing must have been awfully good that day. WebSandy Koufax Edition - Baseball Roundtable Braves right-handed pitcher (and 1957 World Series hero, Lew Burdette hit as many home runs and drove in as many runs off Sandy Koufax had pitched in Brooklyn, but he never performed in the borough where he'd been raised as he did in Los Angeles. WebThe youngest man ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandy Koufax, was no different. "I was standing on the top step of the dugout, at the end. Sandy Koufax started it off with a record 15-strikeout performance in Game 1 to outduel the Yankees' ace left-hander Whitey Ford. Johnson, Washington Senators, won 3 Triple Crowns: 1913, 1918 & 1924. Koufax won the first of his three Triple Crowns that year, leading the league with 25 wins, 306 strikeouts, and a 1.88 ERA. Keith Thursby, Sandy Koufax on Pitching and Pain, April 10, 1969, LATimes.com, (Daily Mirror Blog), April 10, 2009. The day Hendley allowed just one hit, Koufax was perfect Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run? Wise-Answer 555 N. Central Ave. #416 Join our linker program. It was the first time since 1924 that both leagues had pitching Triple Crown winners in the same season. amzn_assoc_asins = "0061779008,147677630X,0316067156,0735215723"; Jack Olsen interview, Koufax On Koufax, Sports Illustrated, December 20, 1965. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 3 What was the crowd at Sandy Koufaxs first no hitter? Koufax also set a new standard with 382 strikeouts in 1965. Did Sandy Koufax ever hit a home run? WisdomAnswer Willie Mays faced Bob Gibson 108 times (92 at bats) over his career and hit just . How fast was sandy koufax fastball? (2023) 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. Sandy Koufax after pitching his 4th career no-hitter, also a perfect game, Sept 9th, 1965. James Lincoln Ray, Important Facts About Sandy Koufax: Dodgers Ace May Have Been Baseballs Best Lefthanded Pitcher, Suite 101.com., June 12, 2008. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Charles Maher, LAffaire Drysdale-Koufax: Villains or Heroes?, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1966, p. G-1. Bad news for Chris Morrow and other replacement players doing well in the Giants' system: You aren't welcome on the big club. And what a great lesson that is. RHP Tom Seaver. He couldnt go on like this, not when his doctors could not rule out the possibility that he was risking permanent damage to his arm. And the run he surrendered, in the fifth inning, was unearned. 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. He still held his fork in his left hand, but sometimes he had to bend closer to the plate to get the food into his mouth. Pitcher Carl Erskine is shown in his Brooklyn uniform. WebAces were on the mound again in a game 1 rematch between Whitey Ford and Sandy Koufax. Hendley finally allowed one-hit the only hit in the game for either side. 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. . How could Billy have been so late? The Untold Truth Of Hank Aaron ever Runnels the Slugger 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. But in the final game of the regular season, the Dodgers had to beat the Phillies to win the pennant. And Koufax admitted in one interview to having a good bit of trouble with Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially in 1963. Grover Cleveland Alexander had 3 Triple Crowns, 1915, 1916 & 1920. ", Video: 2015 ASG: Koufax throws out first pitch to Bench. }, Cronkite School at ASU Your fans will never forget. His career resum includes a 48-52 record, 3.97 ERA, 25 complete games, six shutouts. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. "He was great," Hendley said. 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. . Roscoe McGowen, Brooklyn-Bred Bonus Baby Is Coming of Age; Koufax 2-Hitter in 2d Start Is Sign of Maturity; Dodgers Are Getting Return on Money Paid to Hurler, New York Times, August 29, 1955. 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. WebHow fast did Sandy Koufax throw? He received more than the normal number of birthday cards, including one from Sandy Koufax. ". All rights reserved. ", Hendley has regained a small measure of celebrity. Don Drysdale pitched a masterful three-hitter at Dodger Stadium in his complete-game win.