Sandy Koufax

  • Brooklyn Dodgers (1955-1957)
  • Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1966)

Sanford "Sandy" Koufax ( [ koʊfæks ]; born December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York as Sanford Brown ) is a former American professional baseball pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball. Koufax 's three Cy Young awards for the best pitcher, three MLB Championships, three Babe Ruth Award for the best playoff player, a Most Valuable Player award in the National League and six awards for All-Star one of the most successful bowler of all time. He also threw four no- hitters, including a Perfect Game. 1972 Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Jewish faith belonging Koufax gained significance beyond sport. In the 1st game of the World Series in 1965, he did not present himself, because this game took place on Yom Kippur. This incident attracted national attention because it showed the gap between professional professional opinion and personal faith. Among American Jews Koufax is considered therefore as a hero.

Biography

Koufax grew up in Brooklyn Jewish dominated and first played basketball, baseball was more of a pastime. But as a baseball scout saw his fastball - for which he would become famous later - he was bound by domestic Brooklyn Dodgers and equipped with a professional contract more than 6,000 U.S. dollars a month.

Koufax made ​​his debut in 1955 with the Dodgers, his first six years were unremarkable. Although his fastball over 160 km / h was quickly (and thus constantly top league ), he lacked the necessary control and throw repertoire beyond the straight fast ball. His earned run average (ERA ) was constant at moderate 4-5, and he lost more games than he won. But as a reserve player, he was part of that 1959 team that won the World Series. However, the ambitious, but until then, often stubborn and very professional living Koufax was the end of the 1960 season so frustrated that he seriously flirted with the End of career, but had yet to persuade " another year ".

Koufax changed from then on his professional attitude. In order to gain more stamina, he ran for hours and improved his throwing technique. He also no longer threw his fastball with full force, but something took back to gain more control over his throws. Koufax was thus suddenly become one of the best pitchers of Major League Baseball: He recorded 269 strikeouts, so broke a decades-old National League record, winning 18 of his 31 games. In 1962, he threw his first no-hitter and had a month in which his ERA dropped to 1.23. Nevertheless, the Dodgers were not ready as they could be involved in the title race.

1963 succeeded Koufax the final breakthrough. He threw a second no-hitter and won the Triple Crown for pitchers by import most wins (25, with only 5 losses ), most strikeouts tossed (306) and the lowest ERA ( 1.88 ) listed. He also managed eight shutouts, that is, a complete game without opposing point gain. He led the Dodgers to the World Series in 1963 and dominated the New York Yankees at will: in Game 1, he threw 14 strikeouts, and Yankee catcher Yogi Berra was quoted as saying: "I can see why he won 25 games. What I do not get is how he lost five. " ( I can see how he won 25 games. What I do not understand is how he lost five). Koufax led the Dodgers to their second World Series win and still had Young and the Babe Ruth Award in the end won the Cy. In addition, he was awarded the Sportsman of the Year Award from the Associated Press.

1964 Koufax threw his third no-hitter and managed in one inning to score three strikeouts with the minimum number of nine pitches - still a rare feat. Although he got arm problems due to joint degeneration, he won 19 games and lost only 5 in the next year took Koufax cortisone and capsaicin for chronic elbow pain ( it was later diagnosed arthritis ), but his performances were excellent. He threw a Perfect Game, in which he managed 14 strikeouts, a value that was set in 2012 by San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain. His Dodgers made ​​it to the World Series against the Minnesota Twins. There Koufax made ​​history when he refused to be a Jew, aground in the first game because it fell on Yom Kippur. But Koufax dominated the rest of the series, led the Dodgers for the third championship victory and won a lot of sympathy for his decision: the magazine Sports Illustrated, he was elected sportsman of the year 1965. From the Associated Press he has already received his second nomination for Sportsman of the Year.

1966 was Koufaxs arm so damaged that he decided to continue to throw only this one year. He finished the season impressively by winning 27 games and a strong ERA of 1.73 reached. The Dodgers reached the World Series, but were despite Koufax ' impeccable services with 4-0 defeated by the Baltimore Orioles. This Koufax came from the age of just 30 years. His number 32 is not longer available from the Dodgers, and he was elected with 87 % of votes in the first ballot in the Hall of Fame in 1972. His playoff ERA of 0.95 is still world class.

Throwing technique

Koufax could throw a very fast fastball, which was up to 160 km / h. The fastball he threw mostly with a slight undercut, so that the ball tricky rose and was hard to calculate. Frequently used variants were a curveball, which turned away down a forkball, the " fluttering " in the air as well as a changeup, which he intentionally threw the ball more slowly and thus provoked the batsmen to swing too early.

Koufax was from 1961 to 1966 as the pitcher with the best ball control. Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates said Koufaxs balls hit to be like trying to " soup with a fork to eat " ( Hitting against him is like eating soup with a fork ). Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays said, "I knew what he would throw, but could his balls still never meet. " (I knew every pitch he what going to throw and still I could not hit him. ). Catcher Joe Roseboro said finally to have to hit against Koufax was like " sitting on a rickety chair."

Private life

Koufax was born in 1935 in Brooklyn as Sanford Brown. His parents, Evelyn and Jack Brown were Jews. They divorced when he was three years old. When his mother remarried, she took the name " Koufax " her new husband. Koufax himself was married twice, but the second marriage ended in divorce.

Among American Jews Koufax is a folk hero. Since then he has not participated in Game 1 of the World Series in 1965, to celebrate Yom Kippur, it is a symbol of strength Jewish faith.

705808
de