Sandy Koufax was born on Dec. 30, 1935, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He attended Lafayette High School, where he starred on the basketball and baseball teams as a senior.
Koufax later enrolled to the University of Cincinnati and earned a partial scholarship to play basketball. In 1954, he tried out for the baseball team and earned a spot as a walk-on.
MLB scouts had become enamored with Koufax and invited him to tryouts. He auditioned for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates, but did not receive a contract offers.
Dodgers scout Al Campanis invited Koufax to try out for the organization at Ebbets Field in front of manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson.
The Dodgers came away impressed and signed Koufax to a $6,000 salary, with a $14,000 signing bonus.
Minor League career
Koufax bypassed the Minor League ranks and immediately was called up to the Dodgers in 1955.
Dodgers career
Koufax made his MLB debut on June 24, 1955, against the Milwaukee Braves. He tossed two innings of relief, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.
Koufax appeared in 12 Major League games that season, going 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA, 3.64 FIP and 1.46 WHIP over 41.2 innings pitched. He struggled with his command, issuing a career-worst six walks per nine innings.
While Koufax was able to lower his walks the following year, his statistics soared in other areas. He posted career-highs in ERA (4.91), FIP (5.05) and WHIP (1.62) across 16 games.
The 1957 season saw Koufax take on an increased workload for Dodgers. He appeared in a career-high 34 games — 13 of which were starts.
In 1958 — the club’s first season in L.A. — Koufax continued his role as a swingman. He took the mound in 40 games, making 26 starts.
Koufax won his first World Series championship with the Dodgers in 1959, posting a 1.00 ERA in two appearances against the Chicago White Sox in the Fall Classic.
Frustrated by not having a permanent role in the starting rotation, Koufax requested a trade during the early portion of the 1960 season. He contemplated retiring at the conclusion of the year, but ultimately returned to the Dodgers in 1961.
It wound up being a breakout campaign for Koufax, as he logged a career-high 255.2 innings pitched while setting an MLB record in strikeouts (269). He earned selections on both National League All-Star teams that season and finished 18th in MVP voting.
Koufax continued to thrive in 1962 — the Dodgers’ first season at Dodger Stadium, leading the league in ERA (2.54), FIP (2.15) and WHIP (1.04).
The left-hander won the prestigious Triple Crown in 1963, pacing the league in wins (25), ERA (1.88) and strikeouts (306). He propelled the Dodgers to another World Series championship that season, earning MVP honors after limiting the New York Yankees to just three runs in 18 innings pitched.
On Sept. 9, 1965, Koufax became the eighth overall pitcher to throw a perfect game in MLB history. He struck out 14 Chicago Cubs batters in his outing. It was the fourth no-hitter of Koufax’s career, which at the time set a record.
Koufax won his third and final World Series championship later that October against the Minnesota Twins. Despite being unavailable to pitch in Game 1 while observing the Yom Kippur holiday, he returned for Game 2 and turned in a quality start.
Koufax posted a minuscule 0.38 ERA in three starts against the Twins, once again earning MVP honors.
Unhappy with their salaries, Koufax and teammate Don Drysdale held out to begin the 1966 season. They returned to the Dodgers during the final week of Spring Training.
While Koufax continued his dominance that season, it would mark the final campaign of his career. After earning his third Triple Crown and Cy Young Award, he announced his retirement due to an arthritic condition.
Koufax was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, receiving 86.87% of the votes. On June 4 of that same year, Koufax’s No. 32 was retired by the Dodgers.
