Sandy Koufax
Another player with a far greaterimpactthan on the field during his playing career, Koufax was not simply a precursor to Clayton Kershaw, he is the pitcher against whom all other pitchers aremeasured.
After being called up as a precocious 19-year old in 1955, some – including Scully – thought that the Dodgers signing the “beach bum” was amistake.
For several seasons, Scully painfully watched Koufax try to corral his huge breaking ball and stealthy fastball. Picking up only 36 wins against 40 losses heading into 1961, it looked as if Koufax’s talent would be on display only intermittently.
Sandy Koufax is the final Legend Signature! Collect all 15 cards and earn a Ken Griffey Jr. award card!https://t.co/croLuXlLHhpic.twitter.com/iHmkNi6rpa
— Topps® BUNT® (@ToppsBUNT)March 7, 2017
Then, as fate would have it, Koufax rattled off the best five-yearperiodin pitching history. With three Cy Young awards, two MVP second-place finishes and six consecutive All-Star appearances, Koufax earned his place in baseball and Dodgers lore.
He also factored heavily in three World Series titles, including 1965 when he famouslyrefusedto pitch game one because his Jewish faith prevented him from pitching on Yom Kippur.
He ended up winning World Series MVP by virtue of his two wins and 29 strikeouts in 24 innings, allowing only one earned run.
Add us as a preferred source onGoogleLoading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations