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Koufax packed a Hall of Fame career
into the final six of his dozen
major-league seasons. He was always
a hard thrower. A Brooklyn high
school baseball and basketball star,
Koufax played both sports as a
freshman at the University of
Cincinnati, then signed a bonus
contract with the Dodgers. Under the
rules of the time, the club was
forced to keep the 19-year-old on
its major-league roster...
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Whether it was following the advice
of part-time Dodger catcher
Norm Sherry
to ease up on his speed to achieve
control or simply the maturing of a
pitcher with great stuff, almost
overnight Koufax became
overpowering. In 1961, he went 18-13
and led the NL in strikeouts with
269. Between 1961 and 1966, he led
the NL in wins and shutouts three
times each, complete games twice,
and strikeouts four times. His 382
strikeouts in 1965 set a new ML
record. He led in ERA a record five
consecutive years, with his best
mark 1.73 in his final year. He
pitched a no-hitter each season from
1962 to 1965, with the last a 1-0
perfect game against the Cubs on
September 9,
1965.
He led the Dodgers to pennants in
1963, 1965, and 1966, and won the NL
Cy Young Award each year. His 25-5
mark in 1963 also won him the MVP.
Koufax and
Don Drysdale
formed one of baseball's all-time
great lefty-righty duos. In 1966, he
retired at age thirty-one rather
than risk crippling his arm. Five
years later he became the youngest
man to be elected to the Baseball
Hall of Fame and only the sixth to
achieve the honor in his first year
of eligibility.
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