There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.
-Al Campanis, Dodgers scout


The story of a skinny Jewish kid from Brooklyn becoming the greatest pitcher ever is awesome. When the career in question is bookended by “what almost wasn’t” and “what could have been” it becomes legendary- such is the tale of Sandy Koufax. Blessed with a thunderbolt fastball and a 12-6 curve that once made the great Mickey Mantle exclaim “How the fuck is anybody supposed to hit that shit?” Koufax’s stuff was from another world.

  As it turns out, the human body isn’t designed to wield the kind of power that flowed through Koufax’s left arm, and it almost ended his career before it started. A lack of command led to walks, walks led to sporadic use and sporadic use led to an assortment of injuries. At the end of the 1960 season, Koufax walked off the field and threw his glove and cleats in the trash, determined never to set foot on a baseball diamond again. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed- Koufax took stock of his situation and committed himself to a rigorous off season regimen. Paired with some much needed mechanical adjustments, the work paid off. From 1961 through his retirement in 1966, Koufax launched an assault on the record books. In all, Koufax helped the Dodgers win 4 World Series, won 3 Cy Young Awards, an MVP, 2 World Series MVP’s, 3 pitching Triple Crowns (leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA) and threw 4 no-hitters including the 8th perfect game in league history.

Sadly, Koufax’s body would betray him in the end. In 1964, he started experiencing a host of arm issues including the traumatic arthritis that would prematurely end his career. Koufax was a first ballot Hall of Famer, but one wonders what his career might have looked like if he hadn’t had to walk away in his prime. Who knows, though- after all, they say it’s better to burn out than to fade away.