Sandy Koufax

I have many pitchers that I am a fan of and they include some of the greatest ever,but if I had to pick just one of them to pitch for me-I'll take the 1963-66 era Sandy Koufax over any of them,although the 1968 Bob Gibson comes awfully close to that.

Sandy Koufax went from a wild disappointment as a "bonus baby" signing in 1955 to a solid pitcher for two years in 1961 and 62 to the most dominant pitcher the game has ever seen in a four year run and being gone from the game at age 30.
The Koufax numbers over the final four years aren't just dominant,they are almost robotic level.
87-27 with an ERA over two just once at 2.04, 89 complete games,31 shutouts and 1228 strikeouts over four years with four no hitters tossed in over the same span.
Three Cy Young awards at a time that only one Cy Young was awarded for all of baseball and WHIP numbers that never rose above 1.00 in any of those seasons.
All of this with an elbow that needed cortisone shots and an arm that he was told that he would eventually lose the use of,if he continued to pitch and ended his career.


Koufax's mechanics were unusual for a southpaw as you watch the video as he drove over the top and not three quarters or sidearm as other lefties do.
That is likely why he didn't use a lot of breaking pitches other than a occasional curveball,preferring to rely on his fastball used in four seam style.
It can be very difficult to get a lot of movement on pitches when you throw from the Koufax style and most pitchers that use the motion tend to be fastball first pitchers.
The thing that I find most interesting with the Koufax motion is the torque that he brings his arm forward with as he drove forward and whipped his arm towards the plate dead on.
That could explain the arm/elbow issues,but it was quite effective and beautiful to watch.
Also watch the span that the front leg covers on delivery,seems like Koufax was far more comfortable landing farther out than the average pitcher.


Koufax was a big game pitcher as well,with an ERA in the World Series of 0.95 despite a 4-3 record and 2 MVP's as well.
Koufax is most noted for his Game 7 winning effort off two days rest in the 1965 Fall Classic in which he tossed a three hit shutout in which he threw almost exclusively fastballs after struggling with the control of the curve in the first two innings.

Was Sandy Koufax the greatest lefty pitcher ever?
Tough to give a player that accolade off six seasons.
Was Sandy even the best of his time when you consider the durability of contemporaries such as Gibson,Marichal,Jenkins,Bunning etc?
Over a career,one could make a case that they were able to pitch at Hall of Fame level for far longer and therefore were "better",but for that period of time-I'll take that Koufax over anyone.

The Koufax autograph ranks with Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Orr as the three most wanted for my collection that I will likely never be able to meet them or afford to purchase.
Pretty high company there.....


Photo Credit
Mark Kaufman-Sports Illustrated.