Sandy Koufax

Pitcher

Class of 1972

Sandy Koufax

Pitcher

Class of 1972
Originally a basketball star with dreams of being an architect, Sandy Koufax became one of the most dominating pitchers of all time.

Games

Birth year

About Sandy Koufax

When Sandy Koufax was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Cincinnati in 1953, his plans included a career in architecture.

Instead, Koufax made a living on a baseball diamond, becoming one of the most dominating left-handers of all time.

"Either he throws the fastest ball I've ever seen, or I'm going blind,” said Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn.

Born on Dec. 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Koufax impressed a scout who saw him throw for his college baseball team. In 1954, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers that contained a bonus which required at the time for Koufax to report to the major league team for two years.

"When he (Koufax) first came up, he couldn't throw a ball inside the batting cage," said Hall of Fame teammate Duke Snider.

With a limited baseball background, Koufax struggled with control at first, but used his raw talent to begin regularly throwing for the Dodgers in 1958, when the team moved to Los Angeles.

In 1959, Koufax struck out 18 Giants in nine innings and set a major league record for strikeouts in two games with 31. In 1963, Koufax led the league in wins with 25, in ERA with 1.88, in shutouts with 11 and strikeouts with 306. He won both the Cy Young Award and NL Most Valuable Player Award that season.

“I can see how he won 25 games. What I don't understand is how he lost five,” said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in 1963.

The six-time All-Star would go on to win two more Cy Young Awards in 1965 and 1966, finishing second in MVP voting and leading the league in wins both seasons. He won five straight NL ERA titles from 1962-66 and led the Dodgers to the NL pennant in 1963, 1965 and 1966, winning the World Series in 1963 and 1965.

“He was the greatest pitcher of his time in baseball,” said writer Jimmy Cannon.

Traumatic arthritis in his elbow ended Koufax’s career early due to a threat of permanent disability. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

“You name a better left-hander in the history of baseball and I’ll eat my hat,” said Hall of Famer Harry Hooper.

The Basics

Year inducted
1972
Birth Place
Brooklyn, New York
Birth Year
1935

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Los Angeles Dodgers
Primary Position
Pitcher
Played For
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1955-1957
Los Angeles Dodgers, 1958-1966

Career MLB Stats

Games
397
Wins
165
Losses
87
Winning %
.655
Saves
9
Hits
1,754
Walks
817
Runs
806
Games Started
314
Innings Pitched
2,324
Completed Games
137
Shutouts
40
Earned Runs
713
Strikeouts
2,396
ERA
2.76
WHIP
1.106

Sandy Koufax Stories

Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.

Koufax pitches through pain for third Cy Young Award

Berra, Koufax inducted amid star-studded Class of 1972

Sandy Koufax responded to a higher calling on Yom Kippur in 1965

Koufax’s nearly perfect in no-hitter vs. Giants

Koufax achieves perfection