Pitcher, Los
Angeles Dodgers
Age: 30
11th
season with Dodgers
Bats – Right,
Throws – Left
Height: 6’2” Weight: 210
Prior to 1966:
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. The
Dodgers won the pennant in ’63 and Koufax contributed a sterling 25-5 record,
again leading the league with a 1.88 ERA, as well as 11 shutouts and 306
strikeouts. Along the way he threw a no-hitter against the arch-rival Giants.
His performance earned him NL MVP recognition as well as the major league Cy
Young Award. In the four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees, Koufax was
MVP. His winning effort in Game 1 included 15 strikeouts, which set a World
Series record at the time. He also won the decisive Game 4, going the distance
in winning 2-1. 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 ended up 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. By this point, the star southpaw
was utilizing ice baths to reduce swelling in his elbow. The Dodgers dropped to
sixth place but returned to the top of the NL in 1965. 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, Koufax and
star RHP Don Drysdale staged a spring joint contract holdout which resulted in
a raise for Koufax from $110,000 to $130,000.
1966 Season Summary
Appeared in 41
games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 41
Games Started –
41 [1, tied with Jim Bunning]
Complete Games
– 27 [1]
Wins – 27 [1]
Losses – 9
PCT - .750 [2]
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 5 [1,
tied with five others]
Innings Pitched
– 323 [1]
Hits – 241 [8]
Runs – 74
Earned Runs – 62
Home Runs – 19
Bases on Balls
– 77 [7]
Strikeouts – 317
[1]
ERA – 1.73 [1]
Hit Batters – 0
Balks – 0
Wild Pitches – 7
[20, tied with four others]
League-leading
complete games were +2 ahead of runner-up Juan Marichal
League-leading
wins were +2 ahead of runner-up Juan Marichal
League-leading
innings pitched were +9 ahead of runner-up Jim Bunning
League-leading strikeouts
were +65 ahead of runner-up Jim Bunning
League-leading ERA was -0.49 lower than runner-up Mike Cuellar
Midseason
Snapshot: 15-4, ERA - 1.60, SO - 165 in 168.1 IP
---
Most
strikeouts, game – 16 (in 11 IP) vs. Philadelphia 7/27
10+ strikeout
games – 15
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. San Francisco 5/19, (in 9 IP) vs.
NY Mets 5/28
Batting
PA – 124, AB – 118,
R – 5, H – 9, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 5, BB – 5, SO – 57, SB – 0, CS – 0,
AVG - .076, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 1
Fielding
Chances – 38
Put Outs – 7
Assists – 30
Errors – 1
DP – 2
Pct. - .974
Postseason
Pitching: G – 1 (World Series vs. Baltimore)
GS – 1, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 6, H – 6, R – 4, ER – 1, HR – 0, BB – 2, SO – 2, ERA – 1.50, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0
Awards & Honors:
MLB Cy Young
Award: BBWAA
NL Pitcher of
the Year: Sporting News
All-Star (Started
for NL)
2nd
in NL MVP voting (208 points - 9 first place votes, 74% share)
MLB Cy Young
voting:
Sandy Koufax,
LAD: 20 of 20 votes, 100% share
---
The Dodgers
went 95-67 to win the NL pennant by 1.5 games over the San Francisco Giants.
The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.62), complete games (52, tied with
the Giants & Phillies), shutouts (20), fewest hits allowed (1287) and
fewest runs allowed (490). The light-hitting Dodgers, who got by on speed,
pitching, and defense were seven games out of first on May 13 after losing the
first game of a three-game series at Pittsburgh. In a tight race with the
Giants and Pirates, LA finally took over first place to stay on September 11,
with Koufax winning the nightcap of a season-ending double-header at
Philadelphia to nail down the pennant. Lost World Series to the Baltimore
Orioles, 4 games to 0. In a pitching-dominated Series, the Dodgers batted a
cumulative .142 with no runs scored after the third inning of Game 1 and were
further burdened by sloppy defensive play.
Aftermath of 1966:
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 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.
---
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.
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