And Sandy was right, it's been 53 years since retirement, he's physically intact, and able to enjoy life without a crippled left arm. A great man, and a wise one too.
@@username-zj9id Had Dodgers pitching coaches been better in 55 and 56 ...They maybe win in 56 and 57 Dont leave Brooklyn! Pressure on Moses would have been severe.
He also knew or sensed how bad cortisone shots would be for his body. I don’t know how well understood that was in that time. Short-term, it can be a miracle drug, but in the long term its systemic effects can be terrible. I was given high doses in the early ‘90s for rheumatoid arthritis and ended up with multiple stress fractures and bones that resembled Swiss cheese before I was 30. Koufax was a very smart man!
Can you imagine what he would have accomplished with a healthy left arm. If there was ever any man I admired it was Sandy. I never got tired of watching his delivery. It was pure poetry.
I was 17 in 1966 and in shock when I heard this. What made me idolize Koufax even more than his pitching was the fact that he is an even better human being.
I've known about Sandy Koufax all my life, but this is the first video I've watched about him. And I'm glad I did because I have even greater respect for him having watched it.
31...I'm impressed by his intelligence, his poise, and his wisdom. Now well into his 80s , Koufax was right about stating that he planned on having a lot of years ahead of him ! Still alive in 2021.
Koufax talked about being half-high on the mound from the painkillers. A few years later, Don Drysdale had arm issues, was on medication in order to pitch. Then, facing Roberto Clemente, he felt a tick on his ear. He thought it was a bug, but was a Clemente line drive that nicked him on the ear. He soon saw blood, and realized he barely felt it. He retired after that game. At least Koufax avoided that happening to him.
Sandy Koufax was really a handsome , intelligent , fantastic left handed pitcher , incredible rising fastball , Willie Mays said I knew every pitch he was going to throw ahead of time ; I still couldn't hit his pitching ! Wow ! Sandy was one of the classiest gentlemen of all times ... 🙋♂️🏆⚾️
I had the great opportunity to speak with Harmon Killebrew regarding the 7th game of the world series. Koufax pitched on 2 days rest, and threw mostly fast balls because the curve ball hurt his arm. Mr. Killebrew said it was the greatest game he ever saw pitched. I admire both of these men. I was17 years old when Sandy Koufax retired and l wept.
@@Banichi04 my pleasure Robin I have a beautiful collection of Sandy Koufax cards and memorabilia,,,never for sale I dont believe we should idolize any individual, but highest respect and regards are due.
Harmon Killebrew was my hero as a youth. Even though Mr. Koufax shutout the Twins in that game seven in 1965, after watching this video, I now have the highest regard for Sandy Koufax as well. Both among the greatest to ever play the game. Great story you have here!
@@davidlinscheid2321 thanks for your comment...l met Mr. Killebrew twice and he took time to speak with me,,,signed a book and a bat. He was a humble and gentle man
Sandy Koufax was my brother's favorite pitcher. Mine at that time was Whitey Ford. Fortunate for both of us, we actually got to see them play on the field.
He was great, but only for 5 years: 1962-66. His prior 7 years were practically horrible (he did win 18 in 1961 with a 3.52 ERA, starting to "get it"), as he did not learn how to control the curve or get the command of his pitches until at least 1961. He finally "got it together" in '62 with a 2.54 ERA and a modest 14-7 W-L. Only from 1963-66 was he the dominating pitcher we remember him for today. He did win the ERA crown in those last 5 consecutive years (2.54-1.88-1.74-2.04-1.73), so that was his best. If he had only learned how to pitch as well before 1962, he could have had 9 or 10 superb seasons instead of only 5 at the most, for ERA, with his 18 wins in '61. Except for Dizzy Dean who had 150 wins (87 losses for a .644 Win%), I think Koufax had the next smallest win total 165 (87 losses, for a glittering .655 Win %) for a Hall of Fame pitcher.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Koufax's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 50+ years as a living Hall of Famer is a record which may never be broken.
@@douglascarlson9006 listening to Pete talk about baseball is fascinating. He knows his BA against every big-name pitcher he faced, along with a mountain of other stats.
As a Giants fan, who hated him as a 7 year old, I've come to respect and admire him probably more than any athelete ever, even my hero Willie Mays, and that's saying something!
Lololo, growing up a Dodger fan , ironicly Willie Mays became my all time favorite because as a kid , the Dodgers "homerun " hitter was Wes Parker who might hit 10 a year , but up in candlestick, you guys had Mays, mc covey cepeda, ect... For many games I remember Sandy winning because wills would walk steal second, maybe third , then score on a fielders choice to win the game ... Sandy had terrible run support , but he was Picasso on the mound.
Willie Mays is not my favorite player but I have learned to appreciate how great a player he was. I grew up a Dodger fan and still am, I hated him as a kid because he helped beat my Dodgers. I actually saw him drop a ball once, it was inconceivable that it could happen. I also learned the basket catch because of him. My favorite player is The Duke!
Sandy Koufax was my favorite player growing up. I loved seeing Sandy in his Dodger uniform on the pitching mound. I'm glad that he decided to take care of his arm, and not ruin it for life.
I saw him pitch against my Twins twice in 1965. I'll never forget the sound the ball made when it hit the catcher's glove. I've only been in awe of two players who played against my home team, Koufax and Bobby Orr against the old North Stars.
I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Harmon Killebrew and he called game 7, the greatest he ever saw pitched On only 2 days rest, and throwing only fast balls because his arm was too sore to throw the curveball...wow! I agree with your view about Bobby Orr too..dominated the game against the best in the world in the 76 Canada cup And a class act too.
I'm 75 yrs old and can say the best ball player ever. I saw sandy once at the polo grounds pitch against the Mets up close.his fast ball pop,and his curve ball drop off the table so to speak. No pitcher today or ever could shine his shoes. And a classy guy. I saw sandy a lot on tv.at bat he couldn't hit a barn! But he was the man with the golden arm.heres my baseball lineup. ‐-this is for hitting and fielding. --sandy on the mound,Berra catching,Keith hernandez on first,junior Giliman on second,Louie appericio at short stop,at 3rd,clete.boyer,left field,hank arron,arrow, mays,right field clemente--relief right handed picture, Bob gibson,left handed picture Louie arroyal.manger Paul richards(Baltimore orioles) baseball announers-mel Allen and Vince scully.
@Wolverine Logan The topic here is not lacrosse or hockey. The topic is baseball. As far as competing against other nationalities is concerned, neither Spahn nor Koufax were involved in that decision. They just played. I don't think the politics interested them. Satchel Paige was unarguably a great pitcher. How he would have done in the major leagues we, sadly, will never know.
@@lawrencewright2816 Here's THE most mind-boggling baseball stat I've ever heard - last two years of his career - 65 and 66, collectively over those two years, 54 complete games!
Quite simply the finest starting pitcher I ever saw. And you can tell by the comments from the men he faced- if video evidence isn't enough. I don't normally look back to the past for the best, but this guy was the most dominating pitcher of them all. At the very least you'd have to go back to Lefty Grove and Satchel Paige. And his humility is still appealing. Sandy Koufax, wherever you are, thank you.
When an old-timer like myself starts telling you how great someone is, the temptation is to write it off as exageration and more a longing for how it was in "the good old days". However, from my "seat" in the living room watching on the Black & White TV, from the stats on the backs of the baseball cards, and from the sick feeling I got in the pit of my stomach whenever my beloved Yankees (or other AL team had to face him in The World Series), there was no question that he was The Best. The "rising fastball" set up that curve which was the best I ever saw. It just "dropped off the table". See the clip of Pete Rose explaining it to Colin Cowherd.
@@bobmoslow9554 I was fortunate to see him live in his prime at Dodger Stadium. Every time he pitched there was a possibility of a no hitter. He was just amazing!
I grew up watching MLB in the late 50s into the 60s. I was a Cubbie fan back then, but my favorite pitcher was Sandy Koufax, bar none. What form...what a gentleman!
I've always said if I was starting a baseball team of any Era, and I could pick one lefty and one righty starting pitcher, in their prime........ Koufax would be my lefty. Bob Gibson would be my righty.
Does anyone remember after he threw his perfect game against the Cubs , that a 45 record was sold that had Vin Scully calling the last 3 outs ? As a kid it gave me goose bumps to hear the greatest anoouncer in baseball calling the last inning of this , the greatest picture's perfect game .
In his final year he won 27 games. More impressive was he pitched 27 complete games. That is a career for today's pitchers. That's an exaggeration, Ill bet it would be hard to find a pitcher in the last 5 years with 27 complete games.
Koufax and Don Drysdale held out together before the 1966 season. Originally, they demanded three year contracts (which were never given during those years), but they settled for one year contracts of about $125,000 for Koufax and $110,000 for Drysdale. I wonder if Koufax would have retired after 1966 if he would have been given a three year contract. As it happened, NBC came to the rescue and gave him a 10-year contract at $100,000 a year to be a TV color man, a position he was not suited for. He was never very comfortable speaking on TV, and he voluntarily left this position after about seven years.
I don’t think many people understand part of Sandy’s greatness was leaving baseball at his best. There are zero memories of a possible declining pitcher. He is simply the best pitcher ever and remarkably classy person.
@@ernestkovach3305 most of not all baseball historians would tell you Cy Young wasn't even the best pitcher in his generation. That honor belongs to Walter Johnson.
@@googoo5646 Cy Young was old enough to be Walter Johnson's father--a young father, but a father nonetheless--so it's hard to think of Young and Johnson being of the same generation.
I was 13 when he retired , truly a sad day , what was even sadder is he had to "holdout" for 110,000 dollars , the Dodgers hot off cheap ... For me he is the greatest I ever saw pitch . And yes , truly a class act .
Koufax and Drysdale both held out together prior to the 1966 season. The Dodgers won the World Series in 1965 and Koufax & Drysdale were the stars of the team makung $75,000 & $65,000, respectively. They jointly told Dodger management that they wanted $150,000, which Dodger management didn’t initially balk at because they thought that it was $150,000 split betwen the two pitchers, but when it was made clear that they wanted $150,000 each, Dodger management became enraged. Just the idea of two players teamung up against managemrnt was ynheeard if at the time and $150,000 was equally unheard of. Prior to free agency, the team told the players what they were going to be paid and there was no options other than to accept it or not play. Players back then didn’t even have agents, as there were no negotiations. Both pitchers were prepared to sit out thr season, as they were being courted by Hollywood and saw that work as a kind of leverage. Management would inly deal with the two pitchers separately to try to divide & conquer, but Koufax was adamant that he wouldn’t agree to anything unless Drysdale was happy with his salary. I believe it was well into Spring Training when there was an agreement on salaries, with Koufax getting $110,00 and Drysdale gettinh $105,000. Prior to free agency, owners had such total control of player salaries that even after winning the Series, the great Koufax & Drysdale had to hold out to get raises. It wasn’t a matter of the Dodgers in particular being cheap, as it was the exact same at every team; they all were cheap.
The story goes that in spring training of 1961 he received some advice from backup Dodger catcher Norm Sherry. The advice was that he didn't need to try and throw so hard. Just easing up still allowed him to overpower batters but it increased his control of the fastball and his devastating curveball. The rest is history!
Sherry wasn't giving him advice to make him a better pitcher. He wanted to speed the game up in order to give his teammates a well needed rest on a hot afternoon by allowing batters to hit the ball in to play instead of giving up so many walks. The fact that it improved his game was an unintended consequence.
It took him a few years to become as dominant as he was. I remember being 10 years old when he beat the Yankees in the 63 Series. Mantle and Mars couldn't touch him!
Along with Mickey Mantle, two of the coolest names in the sport, not to mention what they both accomplished. The baseball Gods got it right with these two !
@@jayclarke9611 Koufax had his sore elbow, Mantle had his sore knees. What each would have done if completely healthy is too scary to even think about!
In my opinion, the best pitcher in baseball history.. at least, the best peak of all time. It’s sad he left the game at that age, but he wound up being right. He knew his body
This made me recall that I have a clipping of Sandy Koufax in my youth baseball scrapbook. I recently bought a New York Yankees cap because I grew up in upstate New York and loved Mickey Mantle, Maris, Clete Boyer, Whitey Ford and the like. But I loved watching Koufax pitch and became a good pitcher myself. I think I'll buy a Dodgers cap now too.
I saw Sandy Koufax pitch in person. God the sound that his fastball made when it hit the catcher’s glove was down right scary. His curveball dropped off the table. He was the best lefty pitcher that I had the fortune to see and Bob Gibson was the best righty I have ever seen, although Tom Seaver wasn’t far behind. I know that this is a different era but I believe that one year in his prime Sandy pitched 14 shut outs and one year he struck out 382. If he were pitching today he would be paid 50 million per yr!!
He really made some valid points,your health is one of the most important things,it had to be tough at some point even though he was calm at the press conference!!!
I recall Sandy threw 313 pitches in a complete 13 inning game in 1965. If he were pitching today the manager(s) would never let him pitch past the 6th inning. He could have had the best pitchers stats in history.
Like so many others here, I was lucky enough to live close the Chavez Ravine during the prime of Sandy Koufax. I think I saw most of the home games he pitched in the early/mid 60's. What a class guy. He was someone many of us wanted to emulate. I saw a lot of good players in those days and Koufax was definitely the best pitcher I ever saw. There may never be another one.
@@dandyer2616 he also hit home runs off Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins. For a guy who only hit 12 in his entire career, it is astounding to note that 25% of them were off future Hall of Famers.
I grew up in L.A. watching him pitch on TV. Dodgers had a great line-up with Sandy and Don Drysdale. Maury Wills played then, and so did Frank Howard. Great memories. Arch-rivals the Giants had Willie Mays and McCovey around the same time.
@@rocknrallsoul94rockero4 thanks for appreciating the era..it was amazing I feel for the young people today,,,the music is so repetitive Sports is all about egos and unbelievable money
koufax knew at the rate he was being "used", his left arm would just stop working, and he'd be impaired. cortisone doesn't "treat" the ailment, it just blocks the pain, sandy probably knew he wasn't far away from a career ending injury. as someone who tore a rotator cuff, i can tell you it's been a life long issue.
In Koufax’s last two seasons (‘65 & ‘66) his record was 26 -8 with a 1.73 era and 27-9 with a 2.03 era. Both seasons he pitched 27 COMPLETE GAMES!!!! No that wasn’t a typo. He completed more games than he won, meaning he pitched a complete game loss. Unbelievable.
A man of great integrity and comiitment. He refused to pitch on Jewish holidays and didnt care about the repurcussions. He had great respect and love for the game of baseball. His 6 year stretch was amongst the greatest ever. The bigger the game the better he played. My dad said he and mickey mantle were the two greatest players he saw play.
I don’t blame the man one second for quitting when he did. From 1961-66 he was the greatest pitcher in baseball. If he would have been able to have a longer career, he would have had a chance to have been the GOAT.
Gotta thank my mom for naming her newborn son Sandy. Followed his career from the day I joined Little League till he retired. Lifelong Dodgers fan. My hero.
The greatest complete pitcher I ever saw, I believe there ever was or ever will be . He played on my field of dreams long ago. As a right handed throwing right I hurt my arm throwing then curve . I was happy to see his in the 60's. Not everyone can be a hall of fame, but we can try to be the kind of man and person he is.
Smartest decision ever made in sports. The ranks of former players are filled with people disabled for life because they stayed in the game even just one year too long. Sandy had great class and personal priorities.
The polar opposite of Sandy Koufax is Warren Spahn. Warren somehow led the NL in CG for six-seven years after age 35. For the life of me, I couldn't ever figure out how.
Warren Spahn was a master at painting corners and changing speeds. He is the grandfather of the circle changeup. Koufax considers Spahn to be the greatest lefty ever.
He was a good looking guy and a smart one too. I applaud this and some of the NFL players who chose to quit while they were ahead too. Health comes first. And back when he did this players made less money.
You just imagine though if he had played in the more modern era, even maybe the 80s or 90s, with the advanced medical technology beyond just pills and cortisone shots, how long he could've lasted and still been sufficiently healthy and happy.
Living in New England, I would only occasionally see Sandy Koufax pitch on tv, sometimes listening to games on the radio, he had a really distinctive high leg kick pitching delivery that was identifiable even from a long distance, it seemed like, although he probably couldn't, would be able to strike out any batter whenever he wanted or at least get a ground ball. He sort of looked like he could have been a doctor, he also reminds me a little in his look, voice and smile like Rod Serling.
Our priorities shape our lives. His wisdom not only made him a great pitcher but also a fine human being. I’ve seen men chase the almighty dollar right to the grave. Koufax new the answer to the question “What can’t money buy me?
One of the best examples of "if only medical science could do what it can do now" If Koufax had had the benefit of today's sports medicine he probably would have had surgery (before 31), had a year off and continued into his mid 30s at least
The only other guys I’ve seen in 38 years of watching baseball and still strike you out were Nolan Ryan and Pedro Martinez in their primes. You had no chance.
@@fezzik7619 Ryan was more or less a .500 pitcher, who walked a lot of batters in between strikeouts, so you did have a chance against him. Pedro...no...as long as you got him out of the game after 90 pitches.
@@howie9751 Pedro had four pitches he could throw for strikes and his accuracy was second only to Maddux as far as putting it where he wanted it. From 97-02 he was unhittable in a hitter’s era. Now that I think of it, Randy Johnson’s slider couldn’t be hit by anyone but Tony Gwynn who figured out how he tipped the pitch.
@@fezzik7619 You're right about Pedro and I'm a Yankee fan. My only problem in comparing him to Koufax or Walter Johnson for example is by '02 he was limited to 90 pitches and then he'd lose control. By his own admission. In today's game that's not a problem, but it makes it tough to compare him to other pitchers who had to go nine innings (with a chance to blow more games). But for seven innings or so, he was very tough to hit.
Sandy Koufax: "Well, the loss of income. Let's put it this way. If there a man who did not have use of one of his arms, and you told him it would cost a lot of money and he could buy back that use, he'd give him every dime he had, I'd believe. That's my feeling." For those who question he left too soon, only he knows the pain and suffering of his left arm. A left arm that he had to iced after each start because it swelled to almost twice its normal size. I don't know how he did it: His shoulders and hips were so quick in his delivery, I'm amazed his arm didn't fall off.
Sandy Koufax was probably the first pitcher who screeched his arm in contortions to whip curves and fastballs that dropped off the table like many pitchers do now. In 3 seasons out of 4 from 1963 to 1966 he routinely did 40 + starts and 300 + innings. Nowadays pitchers do 200 - 250 max. It does not matter, it matters how much pain they can endure and in 2020's they know the effects of throwing over 100 pitches per outing and imagine in 2 seasons, 1965 and 1966, he banked 54 complete games ! No wonder he overworked, strained and wrecked his arm
Most people at Lafayette High School expected Sandy to play basketball professionally for the Knicks. He could dunk with two hands, with little run up.
Looking at his 12 years of stats is enlightening. He was hardly used in this first two seasons. The next 5 years he was a starter but was ordinary with an ERA around 4.00 with almost as many losses as wins. The following year he showed a sharp decrease in walks, his ERA dipped to 2.5, and he was 14-7. The next (and last) four years of his career he was nigh unhittable. Three times he won well over 20 games, three times he had an ERA well below 2.00, three times well over 300 strike outs, and three times won the Cy Young awards. His final year was his finest.
Great post !!! I have a LOT of Jewish guys i know who grew up in Brooklyn in the 50's.... he was their Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Mantle and Gehrig all rolled into one !! ;)
The one year, post-1962 (at 2.54, with a 14-7 W-L), with his ERA over 2.00 was in 1965, when it was a mere 2.04, but he set the then-record of 382 K's. Beaten by just one K, 383 by Nolan Ryan in '73, facing 1,355 batters. Sandy K'O'd 382 in facing only 1,297 batters, a higher percentage, in facing 58 fewer batters! Sometimes, you have to look at percentages and not just the single statistic by itself with no context! I give the nod to his 1965 season for another key reason: his WHIP of 0.855 was far better than his 0.985 in 1966, even with a lower 1.73 ERA. All things considered, 1965 was his finest and peak year!
I was 13 when he called it quits , and was confused because I did'nt understand why , it seemed so abrupt . But looking back now , I realize that he knew back then , that there are more important things then baseball . He 's still a class act , I pray he understands Jesus is his Messiah .
What modern medicine could have done. Today, they would have shut him down, gotten tommy john surgery on that left elbow, and he would be good as ever in 18 months. Also if pitching today in 5 man rotations and pitch counts, he could have pitched for 20 years.
Koufax was diagnosed with traumatic arthritis in 1964. Tommy John surgery would not have helped, but I know what you mean. I don't know what would have helped, except time off.
I have the utmost admiration for Sandy K pitching through and dealing with what must have been unbelievable pain. Just wonder if money was the same as today, if he wouldn't have tried a comeback after a year off. If he pitched today, imagine the contract he would have ?
@@timlooney8185 Although the money he made paled in comparison to what average pitchers make today, even if you adjust for inflation, he was in fact the highest paid MLB player in his last year, $130K... I know... wow...
@@takman17 they've since realized that he almost certainly had a torn UCL and the doctor who first performed the surgery on Tommy John has said that, had they been able to diagnose it correctly at the time, we'd now be calling it "Sandy Koufax surgery"
Just a thought, Had Hollywood ever made a movie on Sandy, I would cast Keanu Reeve. I could see KR acting out that out that interview to perfection. Given the same haircut he would look enough like him to be convincing…but wait, is KR left handed and can he even throw? Hmm. Just learned, he is a lefty! Unfortunately he’s now to old to play the part…
Fun fact: I don't recall where I heard this from but I once heard that he was taken in the 68 expansion draft or was offered a contract by the SanDiego Padres and turned them down.
This man figured this out that it's better to retire too early with a body that's still fully functioning like 50 years before 2010s era football players started doing the same.
![Cody Johnson - I'm Gonna Love You (with Carrie Underwood) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yy9PuYMU29g/mqdefault.jpg)
And Sandy was right, it's been 53 years since retirement, he's physically intact, and able to enjoy life without a crippled left arm. A great man, and a wise one too.
My all time favorite pitcher. An I am a Giants Fan. I HATE the Dodgers. I am not even kidding, this man is greatness within and beyond sports.
And he made the HOF anyway. He didn't need to pitch any longer to prove his greatness. And we never had to watch him decline
@@username-zj9id Had Dodgers pitching coaches been better in 55 and 56 ...They maybe win in 56 and 57 Dont leave Brooklyn!
Pressure on Moses would have been severe.
He also knew or sensed how bad cortisone shots would be for his body. I don’t know how well understood that was in that time. Short-term, it can be a miracle drug, but in the long term its systemic effects can be terrible. I was given high doses in the early ‘90s for rheumatoid arthritis and ended up with multiple stress fractures and bones that resembled Swiss cheese before I was 30. Koufax was a very smart man!
Amazing pitcher
Sandy Koufax was one of the GREATEST pitchers in the HISTORY of baseball!
Can you imagine what he would have accomplished with a healthy left arm. If there was ever any man I admired it was Sandy. I never got tired of watching his delivery. It was pure poetry.
He still is! Sandy Koufax Day at Dodger Stadium, Aug. 7th 2024. Be there!!
"I would regret one year that was too many."
Sentiment we can live by in all our endeavors.
What a classy and honorable baseball player!
I was 17 in 1966 and in shock when I heard this. What made me idolize Koufax even more than his pitching was the fact that he is an even better human being.
I've known about Sandy Koufax all my life, but this is the first video I've watched about him. And I'm glad I did because I have even greater respect for him having watched it.
31...I'm impressed by his intelligence, his poise, and his wisdom.
Now well into his 80s , Koufax was right about stating that he planned on having a lot of years ahead of him ! Still alive in 2021.
I loved the humility of the man...exemplified when Vin Skully retired
Class act !
Too bad they didn't have tommy John surgery then
@@nagantm441 Koufax had chronic arthritis...TJ surgery might not have cured his condition
@@nagantm441 That could have added ten years to his career!
Koufax talked about being half-high on the mound from the painkillers. A few years later, Don Drysdale had arm issues, was on medication in order to pitch. Then, facing Roberto Clemente, he felt a tick on his ear. He thought it was a bug, but was a Clemente line drive that nicked him on the ear. He soon saw blood, and realized he barely felt it. He retired after that game. At least Koufax avoided that happening to him.
Sandy Koufax was really a handsome , intelligent , fantastic left handed pitcher , incredible rising fastball , Willie Mays said I knew every pitch he was going to throw
ahead of time ; I still couldn't hit his
pitching ! Wow !
Sandy was one of the classiest gentlemen of all times ...
🙋♂️🏆⚾️
I had the great opportunity to speak with Harmon Killebrew regarding the 7th game of the world series. Koufax pitched on 2 days rest, and threw mostly fast balls because the curve ball hurt his arm. Mr. Killebrew said it was the greatest game he ever saw pitched. I admire both of these men.
I was17 years old when Sandy Koufax retired and l wept.
Boggles the mind,2 days rest 9 inn shut out...and yet they'll tell u todays 5 inn KO starters are better!
Awesome story-thanks for sharing!
@@Banichi04 my pleasure Robin
I have a beautiful collection of Sandy Koufax cards and memorabilia,,,never for sale
I dont believe we should idolize any individual, but highest respect and regards are due.
Harmon Killebrew was my hero as a youth. Even though Mr. Koufax shutout the Twins in that game seven in 1965, after watching this video, I now have the highest regard for Sandy Koufax as well. Both among the greatest to ever play the game.
Great story you have here!
@@davidlinscheid2321 thanks for your comment...l met Mr. Killebrew twice and he took time to speak with me,,,signed a book and a bat. He was a humble and gentle man
Sandy was a smart man with a good perspective on things. Better to leave early than too late. One of the best pitchers of all time!
one of the all time greats ⚾️ Sandy Koufax was my favorite. i watched him play basketball Saturday mornings at the Hollywood High School gym 🏀
Sandy Koufax was my brother's favorite pitcher. Mine at that time was Whitey Ford. Fortunate for both of us, we actually got to see them play on the field.
He was the best pitcher I ever saw. This from a Philadelphia Phillies fan since 1962.
Jim Bunning was not bad ...
He was great, but only for 5 years: 1962-66. His prior 7 years were practically horrible (he did win 18 in 1961 with a 3.52 ERA, starting to "get it"), as he did not learn how to control the curve or get the command of his pitches until at least 1961. He finally "got it together" in '62 with a 2.54 ERA and a modest 14-7 W-L. Only from 1963-66 was he the dominating pitcher we remember him for today. He did win the ERA crown in those last 5 consecutive years (2.54-1.88-1.74-2.04-1.73), so that was his best. If he had only learned how to pitch as well before 1962, he could have had 9 or 10 superb seasons instead of only 5 at the most, for ERA, with his 18 wins in '61. Except for Dizzy Dean who had 150 wins (87 losses for a .644 Win%), I think Koufax had the next smallest win total 165 (87 losses, for a glittering .655 Win %) for a Hall of Fame pitcher.
From 1961 to 1966...he MIGHT have been the best pitcher who ever lived!!!
Possibly, if and only if you keep it to only those 5 or 6 seasons.
ESPN did a piece on this topic a few years back ... they claimed Randy Johnson's numbers over a 6-year period were comparable ...
And he pitched complete games- not like roger Clemens or pedro martinez
Pure class and one of the greatest pitchers of all time!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Koufax's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 50+ years as a living Hall of Famer is a record which may never be broken.
RESPECT!!! That takes courage to make that decision... In your prime.... And to be a 🐐
Pete Rose said he was the most difficult pitcher he faced in his career. That's saying something
against a bookie? Or over a plate?
Rose said he hit .175 for his career against him.
Those signs in every MLB dugout forbidding gambling ... they were saying something.
@@markbeames7852 💀
@@douglascarlson9006 listening to Pete talk about baseball is fascinating. He knows his BA against every big-name pitcher he faced, along with a mountain of other stats.
As a Giants fan, who hated him as a 7 year old, I've come to respect and admire him probably more than any athelete ever, even my hero Willie Mays, and that's saying something!
7 years old, and you write so well
Lololo, growing up a Dodger fan , ironicly Willie Mays became my all time favorite because as a kid , the Dodgers "homerun " hitter was Wes Parker who might hit 10 a year , but up in candlestick, you guys had Mays, mc covey cepeda, ect... For many games I remember Sandy winning because wills would walk steal second, maybe third , then score on a fielders choice to win the game ... Sandy had terrible run support , but he was Picasso on the mound.
Willie Mays is not my favorite player but I have learned to appreciate how great a player he was. I grew up a Dodger fan and still am, I hated him as a kid because he helped beat my Dodgers. I actually saw him drop a ball once, it was inconceivable that it could happen. I also learned the basket catch because of him. My favorite player is The Duke!
The K vs. Juan Marichal!
Sandy Koufax was my favorite player growing up. I loved seeing Sandy in his Dodger uniform on the pitching mound. I'm glad that he decided to take care of his arm, and not ruin it for life.
Spoken like the true professional and gentleman he's always been. He's my hero, deserving of all the respect and admiration we can give him.
I saw him pitch against my Twins twice in 1965. I'll never forget the sound the ball made when it hit the catcher's glove. I've only been in awe of two players who played against my home team, Koufax and Bobby Orr against the old North Stars.
I'm from Philly and I agree with you on both selections.
I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Harmon Killebrew and he called game 7, the greatest he ever saw pitched
On only 2 days rest, and throwing only fast balls because his arm was too sore to throw the curveball...wow!
I agree with your view about Bobby Orr too..dominated the game against the best in the world in the 76 Canada cup
And a class act too.
You’ve got a good eye. Arguably both are comparable given both had to retire at 30 but both were absolutely the best.
Bobby Orr brought my Bruins there first cup!
Smart man. Way too many people disregard their health for a LOT of stupid reasons... money being one of them.
I'm 75 yrs old and can say the best ball player ever. I saw sandy once at the polo grounds pitch against the Mets up close.his fast ball pop,and his curve ball drop off the table so to speak. No pitcher today or ever could shine his shoes. And a classy guy. I saw sandy a lot on tv.at bat he couldn't hit a barn! But he was the man with the golden arm.heres my baseball lineup. ‐-this is for hitting and fielding. --sandy on the mound,Berra catching,Keith hernandez on first,junior Giliman on second,Louie appericio at short stop,at 3rd,clete.boyer,left field,hank arron,arrow, mays,right field clemente--relief right handed picture, Bob gibson,left handed picture Louie arroyal.manger Paul richards(Baltimore orioles) baseball announers-mel Allen and Vince scully.
Very well put. Question asked and answered , and great analogy Mr. Koufax !!!!!
Not only the greatest pitcher of all time, but perhaps also the classiest person baseball has ever had.
Definitely a class act. I think Spahn is up there too.
@Wolverine Logan The topic here is not lacrosse or hockey. The topic is baseball. As far as competing against other nationalities is concerned, neither Spahn nor Koufax were involved in that decision. They just played. I don't think the politics interested them.
Satchel Paige was unarguably a great pitcher. How he would have done in the major leagues we, sadly, will never know.
@@lawrencewright2816 Here's THE most mind-boggling baseball stat I've ever heard - last two years of his career - 65 and 66, collectively over those two years, 54 complete games!
Lou Gehrig and Moe Berg
I completely agree. He was a pitcher, not a thrower like most are today.
Quite simply the finest starting pitcher I ever saw. And you can tell by the comments from the men he faced- if video evidence isn't enough. I don't normally look back to the past for the best, but this guy was the most dominating pitcher of them all. At the very least you'd have to go back to Lefty Grove and Satchel Paige. And his humility is still appealing. Sandy Koufax, wherever you are, thank you.
When an old-timer like myself starts telling you how great someone is, the temptation is to write it off as exageration and more a longing for how it was in "the good old days". However, from my "seat" in the living room watching on the Black & White TV, from the stats on the backs of the baseball cards, and from the sick feeling I got in the pit of my stomach whenever my beloved Yankees (or other AL team had to face him in The World Series), there was no question that he was The Best. The "rising fastball" set up that curve which was the best I ever saw. It just "dropped off the table". See the clip of Pete Rose explaining it to Colin Cowherd.
@@bobmoslow9554 I was fortunate to see him live in his prime at Dodger Stadium. Every time he pitched there was a possibility of a no hitter. He was just amazing!
My favorite sports figure of all time
@@benjaminpease5297 must be on MLB the show because he sure isn't doing it on the IL. 🤣🤣🤣
He's still in LA just chilling (with both of his arms working)
I grew up watching MLB in the late 50s into the 60s. I was a Cubbie fan back then, but my favorite pitcher was Sandy Koufax, bar none. What form...what a gentleman!
I've always said if I was starting a baseball team of any Era, and I could pick one lefty and one righty starting pitcher, in their prime........ Koufax would be my lefty. Bob Gibson would be my righty.
Does anyone remember after he threw his perfect game against the Cubs , that a 45 record was sold that had Vin Scully calling the last 3 outs ? As a kid it gave me goose bumps to hear the greatest anoouncer in baseball calling the last inning of this , the greatest picture's perfect game .
In his final year he won 27 games. More impressive was he pitched 27 complete games. That is a career for today's pitchers. That's an exaggeration, Ill bet it would be hard to find a pitcher in the last 5 years with 27 complete games.
Koufax and Don Drysdale held out together before the 1966 season. Originally, they demanded three year contracts (which were never given during those years), but they settled for one year contracts of about $125,000 for Koufax and $110,000 for Drysdale. I wonder if Koufax would have retired after 1966 if he would have been given a three year contract. As it happened, NBC came to the rescue and gave him a 10-year contract at $100,000 a year to be a TV color man, a position he was not suited for. He was never very comfortable speaking on TV, and he voluntarily left this position after about seven years.
What a Wise Decision. Sandy was a smart person. He and Juan Marichal were always classic games .
I don’t think many people understand part of Sandy’s greatness was leaving baseball at his best. There are zero memories of a possible declining pitcher. He is simply the best pitcher ever and remarkably classy person.
It's called the Cy Young award.
@@ernestkovach3305 K?
Well stated, Sir.
@@ernestkovach3305 most of not all baseball historians would tell you Cy Young wasn't even the best pitcher in his generation.
That honor belongs to Walter Johnson.
@@googoo5646 Cy Young was old enough to be Walter Johnson's father--a young father, but a father nonetheless--so it's hard to think of Young and Johnson being of the same generation.
I was 13 when he retired , truly a sad day , what was even sadder is he had to "holdout" for 110,000 dollars , the Dodgers hot off cheap ... For me he is the greatest I ever saw pitch . And yes , truly a class act .
Agreed...and l wept when he retired
Koufax and Drysdale both held out together prior to the 1966 season. The Dodgers won the World Series in 1965 and Koufax & Drysdale were the stars of the team makung $75,000 & $65,000, respectively. They jointly told Dodger management that they wanted $150,000, which Dodger management didn’t initially balk at because they thought that it was $150,000 split betwen the two pitchers, but when it was made clear that they wanted $150,000 each, Dodger management became enraged. Just the idea of two players teamung up against managemrnt was ynheeard if at the time and $150,000 was equally unheard of. Prior to free agency, the team told the players what they were going to be paid and there was no options other than to accept it or not play. Players back then didn’t even have agents, as there were no negotiations. Both pitchers were prepared to sit out thr season, as they were being courted by Hollywood and saw that work as a kind of leverage. Management would inly deal with the two pitchers separately to try to divide & conquer, but Koufax was adamant that he wouldn’t agree to anything unless Drysdale was happy with his salary. I believe it was well into Spring Training when there was an agreement on salaries, with Koufax getting $110,00 and Drysdale gettinh $105,000. Prior to free agency, owners had such total control of player salaries that even after winning the Series, the great Koufax & Drysdale had to hold out to get raises. It wasn’t a matter of the Dodgers in particular being cheap, as it was the exact same at every team; they all were cheap.
I was 13 as well. I remember watching the 66 WS at a friends house!
The story goes that in spring training of 1961 he received some advice from backup Dodger catcher Norm Sherry.
The advice was that he didn't need to try and throw so hard. Just easing up still allowed him to overpower batters but it increased his control of the fastball and his devastating curveball.
The rest is history!
Sherry wasn't giving him advice to make him a better pitcher. He wanted to speed the game up in order to give his teammates a well needed rest on a hot afternoon by allowing batters to hit the ball in to play instead of giving up so many walks. The fact that it improved his game was an unintended consequence.
Thank u both for that information.
It took him a few years to become as dominant as he was. I remember being 10 years old when he beat the Yankees in the 63 Series. Mantle and Mars couldn't touch him!
My childhood hero. I was a lefty and pitched in Little League and Babe Ruth League. Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle - when Baseball was best.
Along with Mickey Mantle, two of the coolest names in the sport, not to mention what they both accomplished. The baseball Gods got it right with these two !
A Jewish kid from Brooklyn who pitched for the hometown Dodgers. You couldn't write a better story
@@username-zj9id Glad the Mick took him deep in Gm 4 in '63..Mantle was special too...in a different way
@@jayclarke9611 Koufax had his sore elbow, Mantle had his sore knees. What each would have done if completely healthy is too scary to even think about!
In my opinion, the best pitcher in baseball history.. at least, the best peak of all time. It’s sad he left the game at that age, but he wound up being right. He knew his body
This made me recall that I have a clipping of Sandy Koufax in my youth baseball scrapbook. I recently bought a New York Yankees cap because I grew up in upstate New York and loved Mickey Mantle, Maris, Clete Boyer, Whitey Ford and the like. But I loved watching Koufax pitch and became a good pitcher myself. I think I'll buy a Dodgers cap now too.
I saw Sandy Koufax pitch in person. God the sound that his fastball made when it hit the catcher’s glove was down right scary. His curveball dropped off the table. He was the best lefty pitcher that I had the fortune to see and Bob Gibson was the best righty I have ever seen, although Tom Seaver wasn’t far behind. I know that this is a different era but I believe that one year in his prime Sandy pitched 14 shut outs and one year he struck out 382. If he were pitching today he would be paid 50 million per yr!!
He really made some valid points,your health is one of the most important things,it had to be tough at some point even though he was calm at the press conference!!!
The greatest pitcher I ever saw
I recall Sandy threw 313 pitches in a complete 13 inning game in 1965. If he were pitching today the manager(s) would never let him pitch past the 6th inning. He could have had the best pitchers stats in history.
Even 150 pitches is ridiculous. They didn't protect pitches back then.
If he was coddled like roger Clemens or pedro martinez he would probably have lost a decision
I had such crush on him growing up in Souhern CA. Those were the days of Drysdale and Koufax; glory days.
Like so many others here, I was lucky enough to live close the Chavez Ravine during the prime of Sandy Koufax. I think I saw most of the home games he pitched in the early/mid 60's. What a class guy. He was someone many of us wanted to emulate. I saw a lot of good players in those days and Koufax was definitely the best pitcher I ever saw. There may never be another one.
You were and are blessed
My favorite sports figure of all time
Smart man.Courage to leave the game you love.
Hard to believe that he actually gave up a home run to Bob Uecker.
And Bob Uecker can't believe it either.
He said he just closed his eyes and swung,,,lol
@@dandyer2616 he also hit home runs off Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins. For a guy who only hit 12 in his entire career, it is astounding to note that 25% of them were off future Hall of Famers.
I grew up in L.A. watching him pitch on TV. Dodgers had a great line-up with Sandy and Don Drysdale. Maury Wills played then, and so did Frank Howard. Great memories. Arch-rivals the Giants had Willie Mays and McCovey around the same time.
I had the privilege of meeting Harmon Killebrew and he spoke with great respect and admiration of Sandy Koufax.
Two very classy and humble men
@@dandyer2616 Hey we're the same age. 2/23/49.
As a kid I teared up watch this in a documentary Sandy Koufax will always be my favorite Dodger even if I didn't grew up in the 60s
I still get emotional watching this...my favorite sports figure...period
Class and humility,,
@@dandyer2616 same I'm only 27 but he's my hero since I was 10 also I love the era he pitched 60s the music movies style and sports
@@rocknrallsoul94rockero4 thanks for appreciating the era..it was amazing
I feel for the young people today,,,the music is so repetitive
Sports is all about egos and unbelievable money
@@dandyer2616 and legends dying 😔
@@dandyer2616 also I saw the Rolling Stones last year it was great RIP Charlie Watts want to upload clips but RUclips copyright claims
Damn what a tough guy. He was at peace with his decision, no matter how tough the circumstances. It was the right one, too.
koufax knew at the rate he was being "used", his left arm would just stop working, and he'd be impaired. cortisone doesn't "treat" the ailment, it just blocks the pain, sandy probably knew he wasn't far away from a career ending injury. as someone who tore a rotator cuff, i can tell you it's been a life long issue.
In Koufax’s last two seasons (‘65 & ‘66) his record was 26 -8 with a 1.73 era and 27-9 with a 2.03 era. Both seasons he pitched 27 COMPLETE GAMES!!!! No that wasn’t a typo. He completed more games than he won, meaning he pitched a complete game loss. Unbelievable.
@@dorothygale1104 ikr? today's pitchers go 5 innings, and you know they don't throw harder than koufax did.
What a great guy and way ahead of his time.
The all time greatest pitcher. The Greatest!
Obviously one of the greatest pitchers ever but the grace he handles early retirement with puts him in another league!
Such a gentleman and well-spoken. Pure class that today's thugs will never have.
A man of great integrity and comiitment. He refused to pitch on Jewish holidays and didnt care about the repurcussions. He had great respect and love for the game of baseball. His 6 year stretch was amongst the greatest ever. The bigger the game the better he played. My dad said he and mickey mantle were the two greatest players he saw play.
Sandy my GOAT. The only time I ever saw big, grown men cry publicly was the day Mickey Mantle died.
I don’t blame the man one second for quitting when he did. From 1961-66 he was the greatest pitcher in baseball. If he would have been able to have a longer career, he would have had a chance to have been the GOAT.
This brilliant pitcher. All respect to Sandy. 11 shutouts. Still under Gibby’s 13.
Gotta thank my mom for naming her newborn son Sandy. Followed his career from the day I joined Little League till he retired. Lifelong Dodgers fan. My hero.
Great pitcher and an even more classy human being
Didn't start to follow baseball, or play Little League, until '67. So sorry I missed him.
Phenom. Both phenomonal as an athlete and as a human
The greatest complete pitcher I ever saw, I believe there ever was or ever will be . He played on my field of dreams long ago. As a right handed throwing right I hurt my arm throwing then curve . I was happy to see his in the 60's. Not everyone can be a hall of fame, but we can try to be the kind of man and person he is.
Smartest decision ever made in sports. The ranks of former players are filled with people disabled for life because they stayed in the game even just one year too long. Sandy had great class and personal priorities.
The polar opposite of Sandy Koufax is Warren Spahn. Warren somehow led the NL in CG for six-seven years after age 35. For the life of me, I couldn't ever figure out how.
Here's THE most mind-boggling baseball stat I've ever heard ... his last two years, 65/66 ... collectively over those two years, 54 complete games!
Warren Spahn was a master at painting corners and changing speeds. He is the grandfather of the circle changeup. Koufax considers Spahn to be the greatest lefty ever.
The gentleman of baseball...Best I ever saw...
Greatest pitcher ever!
Koufax had 11 shutouts in 1963, not his retirement year of 1966. I saw him pitch at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, in 1956.
Pure class 💎💪
Happy Birthday to THE GREATEST!
He was a good looking guy and a smart one too. I applaud this and some of the NFL players who chose to quit while they were ahead too. Health comes first. And back when he did this players made less money.
You just imagine though if he had played in the more modern era, even maybe the 80s or 90s, with the advanced medical technology beyond just pills and cortisone shots, how long he could've lasted and still been sufficiently healthy and happy.
Living in New England, I would only occasionally see Sandy Koufax pitch on tv, sometimes listening to games on the radio, he had a really distinctive high leg kick pitching delivery that was identifiable even from a long distance, it seemed like, although he probably couldn't, would be able to strike out any batter whenever he wanted or at least get a ground ball. He sort of looked like he could have been a doctor, he also reminds me a little in his look, voice and smile like Rod Serling.
Sandy Koufax is a testament to the positive virtues of the Jewish culture.
Our priorities shape our lives. His wisdom not only made him a great pitcher but also a fine human being. I’ve seen men chase the almighty dollar right to the grave. Koufax new the answer to the question “What can’t money buy me?
Pete Rose Said He could throw a ball through a Car wash an it wouldn't get wet 😂
No, he said the Reds would win by 2 in a bet.
One of the best examples of "if only medical science could do what it can do now" If Koufax had had the benefit of today's sports medicine he probably would have had surgery (before 31), had a year off and continued into his mid 30s at least
Not sure if today's medicine could have saved his arthritic arm.
I remember seeing this for the first time on Ken Burns baseball series. So damn heartbreaking.
So humble, so wonderful.
He telegraphed every pitch.
Yep. That's how great his stuff was. It did you no good.
In other words, he'd shutout the 2017 Astros.
The only other guys I’ve seen in 38 years of watching baseball and still strike you out were Nolan Ryan and Pedro Martinez in their primes. You had no chance.
@@fezzik7619 MO was the same way he almost exclusively threw cutters
@@fezzik7619 Ryan was more or less a .500 pitcher, who walked a lot of batters in between strikeouts, so you did have a chance against him. Pedro...no...as long as you got him out of the game after 90 pitches.
@@howie9751 Pedro had four pitches he could throw for strikes and his accuracy was second only to Maddux as far as putting it where he wanted it. From 97-02 he was unhittable in a hitter’s era. Now that I think of it, Randy Johnson’s slider couldn’t be hit by anyone but Tony Gwynn who figured out how he tipped the pitch.
@@fezzik7619 You're right about Pedro and I'm a Yankee fan. My only problem in comparing him to Koufax or Walter Johnson for example is by '02 he was limited to 90 pitches and then he'd lose control. By his own admission. In today's game that's not a problem, but it makes it tough to compare him to other pitchers who had to go nine innings (with a chance to blow more games). But for seven innings or so, he was very tough to hit.
As someone who now has consistent hip pain,and have taken every painkiller and cortisone shots,I truly understand why he retired.
I like cortisone. Got a shot in my shoulder and it was fine for ten years, even when I was powerlifting.
Sandy Koufax: "Well, the loss of income. Let's put it this way. If there a man who did not have use of one of his arms, and you told him it would cost a lot of money and he could buy back that use, he'd give him every dime he had, I'd believe. That's my feeling."
For those who question he left too soon, only he knows the pain and suffering of his left arm. A left arm that he had to iced after each start because it swelled to almost twice its normal size. I don't know how he did it: His shoulders and hips were so quick in his delivery, I'm amazed his arm didn't fall off.
Wow ! Sandy just came clean !
And a Moral to his story : " money " is not everything !
Sandy Koufax was probably the first pitcher who screeched his arm in contortions to whip curves and fastballs that dropped off the table like many pitchers do now. In 3 seasons out of 4 from 1963 to 1966 he routinely did 40 + starts and 300 + innings. Nowadays pitchers do 200 - 250 max.
It does not matter, it matters how much pain they can endure and in 2020's they know the effects
of throwing over 100 pitches per outing and imagine in 2 seasons, 1965 and 1966, he banked 54 complete games ! No wonder he overworked, strained and wrecked his arm
A documentary stated that Koufax threw the last couple of seasons with a Tommy John injury. Unbelievable.
Most people at Lafayette High School expected Sandy to play basketball professionally for the Knicks. He could dunk with two hands, with little run up.
Looking at his 12 years of stats is enlightening. He was hardly used in this first two seasons. The next 5 years he was a starter but was ordinary with an ERA around 4.00 with almost as many losses as wins. The following year he showed a sharp decrease in walks, his ERA dipped to 2.5, and he was 14-7. The next (and last) four years of his career he was nigh unhittable. Three times he won well over 20 games, three times he had an ERA well below 2.00, three times well over 300 strike outs, and three times won the Cy Young awards. His final year was his finest.
Great post !!! I have a LOT of Jewish guys i know who grew up in Brooklyn in the 50's.... he was their Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Mantle and Gehrig all rolled into one !! ;)
The one year, post-1962 (at 2.54, with a 14-7 W-L), with his ERA over 2.00 was in 1965, when it was a mere 2.04, but he set the then-record of 382 K's. Beaten by just one K, 383 by Nolan Ryan in '73, facing 1,355 batters. Sandy K'O'd 382 in facing only 1,297 batters, a higher percentage, in facing 58 fewer batters! Sometimes, you have to look at percentages and not just the single statistic by itself with no context! I give the nod to his 1965 season for another key reason: his WHIP of 0.855 was far better than his 0.985 in 1966, even with a lower 1.73 ERA. All things considered, 1965 was his finest and peak year!
The greatest pitcher ever.
I was 13 when he called it quits , and was confused because I did'nt understand why , it seemed so abrupt . But looking back now , I realize that he knew back then , that there are more important things then baseball . He 's still a class act , I pray he understands Jesus is his Messiah .
What a man.
What modern medicine could have done. Today, they would have shut him down, gotten tommy john surgery on that left elbow, and he would be good as ever in 18 months. Also if pitching today in 5 man rotations and pitch counts, he could have pitched for 20 years.
Koufax was diagnosed with traumatic arthritis in 1964. Tommy John surgery would not have helped, but I know what you mean. I don't know what would have helped, except time off.
I have the utmost admiration for Sandy K pitching through and dealing with what must have been unbelievable pain. Just wonder if money was the same as today, if he wouldn't have tried a comeback after a year off. If he pitched today, imagine the contract he would have ?
True or imagine just 10 years later, he would have certainly deserved a million dollar contract.
@@timlooney8185 Although the money he made paled in comparison to what average pitchers make today, even if you adjust for inflation, he was in fact the highest paid MLB player in his last year, $130K... I know... wow...
@@takman17 they've since realized that he almost certainly had a torn UCL and the doctor who first performed the surgery on Tommy John has said that, had they been able to diagnose it correctly at the time, we'd now be calling it "Sandy Koufax surgery"
Just a thought, Had Hollywood ever made a movie on Sandy, I would cast Keanu Reeve. I could see KR acting out that out that interview to perfection. Given the same haircut he would look enough like him to be convincing…but wait, is KR left handed and can he even throw? Hmm. Just learned, he is a lefty! Unfortunately he’s now to old to play the part…
Fun fact: I don't recall where I heard this from but I once heard that he was taken in the 68 expansion draft or was offered a contract by the SanDiego Padres and turned them down.
This man figured this out that it's better to retire too early with a body that's still fully functioning like 50 years before 2010s era football players started doing the same.
Dude! So erudite. A true champ.
a movie needs to be done about this man already
An admirable, impressive man. Sports and fame and money are as nothing compared with real life.
Money doesn't but happiness. He had a diamond in his brain.