"This game is the most recognizable thing I've ever done in baseball," Hendley said after the game. 3) Richie Ashburn - went 11 for 51 against Koufax for a .216 batting average with 0 HRs and 0 RBIs. The event they created, known as nothing more than "CHI at LA" before it began, stands among the most astonishing games ever played at any point of any baseball season. Gibson broke his leg before the game and Koufax was knocked out without completing an inning. No one has won a Triple Crown in National League hitting since 1937 when Joe Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals last did it. ", Hendley added to his description of the game last winter. This forced the Dodgers to keep him on the major league roster for at least two years before he could be sent to the minors. And that's as far as it went. Nothing wrong with that.". 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. 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. The game still holds the record for fewest base runners. Why did Sandy Koufax change his name? Koufax sought to rest more and not throw as much between starts. The Drysdale-Jim Bouton duel in Game 3 (a 1-0 final) was the greatest single day of pitching I've ever seen. 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. The Dodgers faltered that season, going 80 and 82 for the year, finishing sixth in the ten-team National League. It takes a decidedly middle-aged person to call up the real Mantle, one of the three or four greatest all- around talents of all time. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. On that night, Sept. 9, 1965, with both pitchers and Scully at their bests, Hendley was nearly the equal of Koufax. Koufax started 41 games that year as he did the previous year. Sandy Koufax Sandy Koufax makes final pitch of 63 World Series. Portion of a Topps baseball card from the 1960s featuring ERA leaders of the day. We'll miss departed Warrior broadcaster Steve Albert as a person; he always seemed to have a kind word for everyone. Former professional baseball player Sandy Koufax began his career in 1955 when he was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. BRUCE JENKINS -- Mantle vs. Koufax: A Homer to Remember "He was with Mickey.". 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. "He was great," Hendley said. In fact, Sandy Koufax hit 2 home runs during his career, 0 while playing at home, and 2 while on the road. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. Full Site Menu. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Charles Maher, Frank Finch, Koufax, Drysdale Reject $210,000, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1966, p. B-1. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. He did have two home runs. Sandy Koufax with Player of the Year trophy for 1965. Willie Mays faced Bob Gibson 108 times (92 at bats) over his career and hit just . Somehow, at Candlestick, we expected more. This series was also the first meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship. This could be another tale of the astounding exploits of Sandy Koufax, one more of so many; and each one warranted. Roscoe McGowen, Dodgers Top Pirates, 4-0; Koufax Blanks Pittsburgh; Brooks Need 7 for Pennant, New York Times, September 4, 1955. And to add class and a coating of brilliance to their tandem achievement, the game was narrated by a man who has risen to the level of national icon because of his genius in the booth, Vin Scully. Koufax-Drysdale Spokesman Says Next Move Up to Dodgers, Los Angeles Times, March 3, 1966, p. B-6. You could tell how much he wanted it. Other pitching performance have dazzled us over the years. He and the city were connected like JFK and Hyannisport, like Elvis and Memphis. 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. Frank Finch, Sandy Koufax Hurls No-Hit, 5-0 Win, Los Angeles Times, July 1, 1962, p E-1. By 1958,meanwhile, the Dodgerss organization leftBrooklyn for the promised land of Los Angeles, breaking the hearts ofmillions of New Yorkers as they went. 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. And on the worst days he had to shave with his right hand. He was also the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters which were also in consecutive seasons. Since Koufax won his last of three Triple Crowns in 1966, there have only been four other National League pitchers who have won Triple Crowns Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972; Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets in 1985; Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002; and Jake Peavy in 2007. "He actually sent me a card," Hendley said. In fact, things are going so right for Koufax that last Saturday in Milwaukee, one of the rare occasions when he did not pitch well, he hit a three-run homer to prevent defeat. Sandy Koufax, Sports Illustrated cover, March 4, 1963. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. More rookies than ever hit a home run for their first big league hit. "Early in the game, I didn't have great stuff," Koufax said afterward. And even then his arm would swell an inch. Hendley was a spot starter in 1965. 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. Frank Finch, Koufaxs Sore Finger Cause of Concern, Says Dodgers Bavasi,Los Angeles Times, July 10, 1962, p. B-1. Seldom has a person & pitcher pairing produced such excellence on both sides of the ampersand. . As of mid-year 2010, Sandy Koufax was still active, appearing for example, at the May 27, 2010 White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month where he greeted President Obama who later joked with the audience that he and Sandy had something in common: We are both lefties, said the President. Larry Schwartz, Koufaxs Dominance Was Short But Sweet, ESPN.com. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1 Hero, Life, August 2, 1963, pp. Only perfection beat him. The Dodgers signed Koufax for a total salary and bonus package of $20,000 or roughly $170,000 in todays money. 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. Did any Major League Baseball (MLB) players ever hit a Koufax Cites Pressures on Pro Athletes, Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1969, p. E-12. The Dodgers left-hander had been sidelined because of an injured pitching hand. 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. In fact, at that seasons end he threw his glove and spikes into the trash. WebIn 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. Perfect Game. Seldom has a person & pitcher pairing produced such excellence on both sides of the ampersand. But the Yankees came to Dodger Stadium for the third and fourth games of the 1963 World Series, what would be the climax of an L.A. sweep. James hadnt hit a home run or driven in a run all month. in Brooklyn, NY Bavasi began by meeting separately with each man. They had Harvey Kuenn hit for me [with two out in the ninth inning]. Jack Doyle, Pitcher Perfect, 1963-1966, In late August 1964, the morning after winning his 19th game a shutout with 13 strikeouts he could not straighten his arm. Baseballs overlooked superstar finally gets his due in a new documentary, It Aint Over. . Merely Koufax vs. Whitey Ford. Or write about sports? He also threw 11 shutouts, a total that only Bob Gibson would later surpass. Frank Finch, Koufax, Drysdale Eye $1 Million Pact, Los Angeles Times, February 23, 1966, p. B-1. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Of the Los Angeles Dodgers' five World Series championships since the opening of Dodger Stadium, this was the only one won at Dodger Stadium. . And what a great lesson that is. in journalistic studies in 1971. With Koufax leading the way on the mound, the Dodgers went on to capture the National League pennant and sweep the New York Yankees in the World Series. Viking; 1st edition; 299 pp. Relying mostly on fastballs against the Cardinals, Koufax walked the first two batters, Julian Javier and Curt Flood. . Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. That night in Los Angeles, hitting the ball in any direction and with any chance of success was another issue. According to base-stealing threat Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals, Koufax couldnt field bunts well or hold runners on base too well. Data Provided By And you still couldnt hit it. Pete Rose, baseballs all-time hit leader, also had trouble hitting Koufax, batting an anemic .175 against him. won't be missed at all. Los Angeles Dodgers, Baseball Season Forecast, Sports Illustrated, April 13, 1964. He also struck out 14 batters, the most ever recorded in a perfect game. Koufax's ERA in those games was 3.65. 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. He had also thought about going into the electronics business. On August 21, the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 21 in 16 innings to take a 7+12 game lead. Everyone knew he was pitching with traumatic arthritis in his left elbow, but how bad could it be when he pitched like that? Jack Doyle, Date Posted: 10 July 2010 ", Hendley has regained a small measure of celebrity. Answer: While it is possible Koufax could hit 100 mph in his younger years, the fastest pitch he ever threw which was recorded was in the low 90s. After playing in only 12 seasons, Koufax became the youngest player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Hendley finally allowed one-hit the only hit in the game for either side. We both retired early [Hendley at 28, Koufax at 30], we both had elbow problems." But in the seventh inning of that game, Mantle homered into the left-field pavilion to tie the game, 1-1. PopHistoryDig.com, July 10, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; What would come the next day? At the time Koufax was only the sixth pitcher of the modern era to throw a perfect game. Current Greats: 2023 MLB Batting, 2023 MLB Pitching, Career WAR Leaders, Single-Season Home Run Leaders, Active Strikeout Leaders, Upcoming Player Milestones, MLB Scores. Hall of Famer Harry Hooper, a player from the same era as Koufax, had this to say about him: Willie Davis doubled in two runs in the first inning, former Yankee Bill Skowron homered in the fourth, and Tommy Davis had two triples, including an RBI triple in the eighth to lead the Dodger offense. Click for card. On October 6th, 1963, in Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, Koufax faced the Yankees a second time. "He actually sent me a card," Hendley said. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; It was this bad: Koufax couldnt straighten his left arm-it was curved like a parenthesis. 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. 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. And that loss was in his only career one-hitter. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Koufax and Scully, of course, have a long-standing Dodger Blue relationship. How many strikeouts did Sandy Koufax have in the World Series? 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.

Paracord Handle Wrap With Loop, Articles D