MVP & Cy Young Profile: Sandy Koufax, 1963

Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Age:  27

8^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Right, Throws – Left

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1963:

A native of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Koufax (who was originally named Sanford Braun until he took his stepfather’s name), excelled at basketball in high school and played sandlot baseball where his pitching talent was first exhibited. Following high school he attended the Univ. of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship. He performed well at basketball in college but caught the interest of major league baseball scouts by posting a 3-1 record with 51 strikeouts in 30 innings, with blazing speed, although having difficulty with his control he walked 30 batters as well. While all three New York teams were interested (not least because his being Jewish would add to his fan appeal), and he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 for $6000 plus a $14,000 bonus. He transferred to Columbia University to continue his college education but dropped out due to the problem of having to fulfill his military obligation during the offseason. The bonus rules of the time required him to play for the major league club rather than spend time in the minors. Following an ankle injury that put him on the disabled list early during the 1955 season, the 19-year-old Koufax saw his first action as a reliever in June. His first start was derailed by wildness but he struck out 14 batters in a later game against Cincinnati. In his first two seasons he made 28 appearances (15 of them starts) and went 4-6 with 60 strikeouts and 57 walks in 100.1 innings pitched. He saw no World Series action in either 1955 or ’56. Playing winter ball in Puerto Rico helped in his development. He saw more action in 1957, the last year for the Dodgers in Brooklyn, going 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA and 122 strikeouts with 51 walks while pitching 104.1 innings. Moving with the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958, he started 26 of 40 games and compiled an 11-11 tally with a 4.48 ERA and 131 strikeouts with 105 walks in 158.2 innings pitched. He got off to a poor start in 1959 until he strung together three straight complete game wins in June and had an 18-strikeout performance against the Giants at the end of August on his way to an 8-6 mark with a 4.05 ERA and 173 strikeouts with 92 walks over the course of 153.1 innings. The Dodgers won the NL pennant and Koufax saw his first World Series action against the Chicago White Sox, appearing in two games, losing a 1-0 decision in Game 5 in which he pitched 7 innings and surrendered just five hits while striking out 6 batters before a crowd of 92,706 at the LA Coliseum. 1960 was a more disappointing season in which he pitched 175 innings and went 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA and 197 strikeouts while issuing 100 walks. Frustrated with his career thus far, Koufax worked to improve his delivery, mechanics, and control. Strong, with long arms and fingers, he refined his rising fastball and developed an excellent overhand curve. The result in 1961 was an 18-13 record with a 3.52 ERA, 15 complete games, and a league-leading 269 strikeouts. He also was an All-Star for the first time. The move by the Dodgers from the LA Coliseum to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium in 1962 also proved beneficial. Off to a strong start in 1962, Koufax suffered a career-threatening circulatory problem with his index finger which went numb as a result. He still managed his first career no-hitter against the expansion New York Mets shortly before being shelved until September at the cost of his endurance and effectiveness. The Dodgers faded down the stretch and ended up tied for first with the Giants, necessitating a season-extending playoff, won by San Francisco. In his abbreviated season, Koufax went 14-7 with a league-leading 2.54 ERA while striking out 216 batters in 184.1 innings pitched. Entering 1963 there were concerns about Koufax’s condition, although he had finally developed into an outstanding pitcher.

1963 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 40

Games Started – 40 [3, tied with Juan Marichal]

Complete Games – 20 [2]

Wins – 25 [1, tied with Juan Marichal]

Losses – 5

PCT - .833 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 11 [1]

Innings Pitched – 311 [3]

Hits – 214 [13]

Runs – 68

Earned Runs – 65

Home Runs – 18 [19, tied with Art Mahaffey]

Bases on Balls – 58

Strikeouts – 306 [1]

ERA – 1.88 [1]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 6

League-leading win percentage was +.066 ahead of runners-up Warren Spahn & Jim Maloney

League-leading shutouts were +4 ahead of runner-up Warren Spahn

League-leading strikeouts were +41 ahead of runner-up Jim Maloney

League-leading ERA was -0.23 lower than runner-up Dick Ellsworth

Midseason Snapshot: 14-3, ERA - 1.73, SO - 150 in 156.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 9 IP) vs. Houston 4/19

10+ strikeout games – 11

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 0 (in 9 IP) vs. San Francisco 5/11 (No-hitter with 2 BB & 4 strikeouts. Dodgers won 8-0)

Batting

PA – 124, AB – 110, R – 3, H – 7, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 7, BB – 6, SO – 51, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .064, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances - 41

Put Outs – 4

Assists – 34

Errors – 3

DP – 1

Pct. - .927

Postseason Pitching: G – 2 (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 2, CG – 2, Record – 2-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 18, H – 12, R – 3, ER – 3, HR – 2, BB – 3, SO – 23, ERA – 1.50, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0  World Series MVP

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Cy Young Award: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Sandy Koufax, LAD.: 237 pts. – 14 of 20 first place votes, 85% share

Dick Groat, StL.: 190 pts. – 4 first place votes, 68% share

Hank Aaron, Mil.: 135 pts. – 1 first place vote, 48% share

Ron Perranoski, LAD: 130 pts. – 46% share

Willie Mays, SF: 102 pts. – 36% share

(1 first place vote cast for Jim Gilliam, LAD, who ranked sixth)

MLB Cy Young voting:

Sandy Koufax, LAD: 20 of 20 votes, 100% share

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Dodgers went 99-63 to win the NL pennant by 6 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.85), shutouts (24), strikeouts (1095), and fewest runs allowed (550). The Dodgers, benefiting from speed and defense in addition to excellent pitching led by Koufax, RHP Don Drysdale, and LHP Johnny Podres, moved into first place to stay in July and effectively ended the pennant race with a three-game sweep of the Cardinals at St. Louis in September. Won World Series over the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0, highlighted by Koufax’s record 15-strikeout performance in Game 1.

Aftermath of ‘63:

Already bothered by arthritis in his left arm that required special treatment, in 1964 Koufax remained extremely effective until a sore elbow finished him for the season in August. He still finished with a 19-5 record in just 28 starts and won his third straight National League ERA title with a 1.74 ERA while pitching 223 innings. He also pitched his third career no-hitter, this time against the Phillies, and struck out 223 batters while hurling seven shutouts and 15 complete games. The Dodgers dropped to sixth place but returned to the top of the NL in 1965. Utilizing ice baths to reduce swelling in his elbow, Koufax contributed a 26-8 record that included his then-record fourth no-hitter, a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. He also set a major league strikeout record with 382 while topping the NL for a fourth consecutive time with his 2.04 ERA and leading the league with 27 complete games and 335.2 innings pitched. In the midst of a hot pennant race against the Giants, he threw four complete game wins in his final five starts. In the World Series against Minnesota, Koufax refused to pitch on the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur but went on to post a 2-1 tally with a 0.38 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 24 innings as the Dodgers won in seven games. He was named the Series MVP and went on to receive his second Cy Young Award while placing second in league MVP voting. In 1966, he and star RHP Don Drysdale staged a spring joint contract holdout which resulted in a raise for Koufax from $110,000 to $130,000. That season he topped the NL in wins with his 27-9 mark, in ERA for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year (1.73), in complete games (27), shutouts (5), innings pitched (323), and strikeouts (317). LA won another pennant, although the Dodgers were swept by Baltimore in the World Series. “The Left Arm of God”, as he was sometimes referred to, won a third Cy Young Award and placed a close second in NL MVP balloting. Fearful that the arthritis would cripple him for life if he continued to pitch, Koufax retired at age 30 while still at the top of his game. Efforts by the Dodgers to lure him back failed, and the quiet and unassuming Koufax went on to a short broadcasting career. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Dodgers, he compiled a 165-87 record with a 2.76 ERA and 2396 strikeouts in 2324.1 innings pitched. He further pitched 137 complete games with 40 shutouts, including the four no-hitters. Concerned about causing serious injury, he avoided throwing knockdown pitches and hit only 18 batters during his career. In World Series action, he appeared in 8 games (7 of them starts) and produced a 4-3 record with a 0.95 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 57 innings, and he was a two-time World Series MVP. His Series record of 15 strikeouts in a game lasted until 1968. A seven-time All-Star, Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 at age 36, making him the youngest person to become a Hall of Famer. The Dodgers retired his #32. In retirement he spent time as a special pitching instructor for the Dodgers. He also maintained a low public profile.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

 

Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.