- Byname of:
- Sanford Koufax
- Original name:
- Sanford Braun
- Awards And Honors:
- Baseball Hall of Fame (1971)
- Cy Young Award (1966)
- Cy Young Award (1965)
- Cy Young Award (1963)
- Most Valuable Player (1963)
- Cy Young Award (x3)
- Triple Crown (x3)
- World Series MVP (x2)
- seven-time All-Star
- Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1972)
- 5x ERA leader
- 3 World Series championships
- 1x MVP
- College:
- Columbia University (New York, NY); University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
- Height/Weight:
- 6 ft 2 inches, 210 lb (188 cm, 95 kg)
- Batting Hand:
- right
- Throwing Hand:
- left
- Debut Date:
- June 24, 1955
- Last Game:
- October 2, 1966
- Jersey Number:
- 32 (1958-1966, Los Angeles Dodgers)
- 32 (1955-1957, Brooklyn Dodgers)
- Position:
- pitcher
- Earned Run Average:
- 2.76
- Games Played:
- 397
- Games Started:
- 314
- Innings Pitched:
- 2,324.10
- Losses:
- 87
- Saves:
- 9
- Strikeouts:
- 2,396
- Walks And Hits Per Inning Pitched:
- 1.106
- Wins:
- 165
Sandy Koufax
News •
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Who is Sandy Koufax?
Sandy Koufax (Sanford Braun, born December 30, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player who is considered among the sportās best pitchers despite retiring early due to arthritis.
Koufax pitched as a left-hander in the National League (NL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955-1957) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1966). Koufax was signed by the Dodgers after a year at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a spot on the schoolās baseball team.
From 1962-1965, he had the lowest earned run average (ERA) in the NL, and he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1963, as well as Cy Young Awards in 1963, 1965, and 1966. In 1965, Koufax pitched his fourth no-hit game, which was also a perfect game. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which sport did Sandy Koufax play professionally?
Sandy Koufax professionally played baseball. He was a left-handed pitcher in the National League (NL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1955 to 1957 and continued with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1958 to 1966. Koufax's career stats include 397 games played, 165 wins, a 2.76 ERA, and 2,396 strikeouts. Despite retiring early due to arthritis, he is considered among baseball's greatest pitchers. In 1972, Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What position did Sandy Koufax play on his team?
Sandy Koufax played as a pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. His debut was on June 24, 1955, and his last game was October 2, 1966. During his career, Koufax achieved a rare average of more than one strikeout per inning, with 2,396 strikeouts in 2,324 innings. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
For which Major League Baseball team did Sandy Koufax play most of his career?
Sandy Koufax played most of his Major League Baseball career as a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1958 to 1966 after playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1955 to 1957. His cumulative record through his first six seasons as a professional was 36ā40, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.10, but he would later be named an NL All-Star six consecutive times. In his last season, 1966, he won 27 games and posted a 1.73 ERA, both career bests, and he took home his third Cy Young Award. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, his first year of eligibility.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some of Sandy Koufaxās most famous achievements in baseball?
Sandy Koufax, a left-handed pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1955-1966), is considered among baseball's greatest pitchers. His breakthrough came in 1961, after which he was named an NL All-Star for six consecutive years. From 1962 through 1965, Koufax had the lowest ERA in the National League.
Koufax won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1963 and the Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965, and 1966. He led the Dodgers to World Series titles in 1963 and 1965, winning World Series MVP honors both times. On September 9, 1965, he pitched his fourth no-hit game, which was also a perfect game. In 1971, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Sandy Koufax considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history?
Sandy Koufax is considered one of baseball's greatest pitchers due to his exceptional performance and achievements in a relatively short career. From 1962 to 1965, he consistently had the lowest earned run average (ERA) in the National League (NL). In 1963, he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, as well as Cy Young Awards in 1963, 1965, and 1966. Koufax led the Dodgers to World Series titles in 1963 and 1965, earning MVP honors for both. On September 9, 1965, he pitched his fourth no-hit game, which was also a perfect game. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Sandy Koufax (born December 30, 1935, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American professional baseball player who, despite his early retirement due to arthritis, is ranked among the sportās greatest pitchers. A left-hander, he pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League (NL) from 1955 to 1957, continuing, after they became the Los Angeles Dodgers, from 1958 to 1966.
Born Sanford Braun, he was given his stepfatherās surname when his mother remarried. The young Koufax first excelled in basketball, which earned him a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. There he earned a spot on the schoolās varsity baseball team, and his pitching prowess led to tryouts with a number of professional teams. Koufax was signed by the Dodgers, and he left school after one year to immediately join the teamās major league roster.
Koufax pitched sparingly in his first two seasons with the Dodgers, and his performance was pedestrian in the following four: through his first six seasons as a professional, he had a cumulative record of 36ā40 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.10. His breakthrough came in 1961, whenāafter changing his pitching technique in spring trainingāhe won 18 games, was named an NL All-Star for the first of six consecutive times, and broke Christy Mathewsonās 58-year-old NL strikeout record with 269.
From 1962 through 1965 Koufax had the lowest ERA in the NL, winning the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1963 and the Cy Young Award in 1963 and 1965. He led the Dodgers to World Series titles in both 1963 and 1965, winning World Series MVP honors on both occasions. Koufax and right-handed Hall of Famer Don Drysdale formed one of the most imposing tandems of starting pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 1960s. The devoutly Jewish Koufax famously refused to pitch in game one of the 1965 World Series, which fell on Yom Kippur, but he returned to pitch in games two, five, and seven, throwing complete-game shutouts in the latter two contests.
In his last season, 1966, he won 27 games and posted a 1.73 ERA, both career bests, and he took home his third Cy Young Award. On September 9, 1965, he pitched his fourth no-hit game, a major league record (until 1981); the fourth no-hitter, against the Chicago Cubs, was also a perfect game (no player reached first base).
During his career Koufax struck out 2,396 batters in 2,324 innings; his average of more than one strikeout per inning is a rare accomplishment. In each of three seasonsā1963, 1965, and 1966āhe struck out more than 300 hitters; his 382 strikeouts in 1965 set a major league record that remained unbroken until 1973. Twice he struck out 18 batters in a nine-inning game. In addition, he was the first pitcher to win three Cy Young Awards, a feat he accomplished when the award was given to only one pitcher in MLB; after 1966 the best pitcher in the NL and the American League each received the award.
After his playing career ended, Koufax worked as a television broadcaster and as a minor league pitching coach and adviser for the Dodgers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, the first year that he was eligible.
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