By Geyv Kathoke
February 7 2003

Lethal lefthanders have been among the best pitchers in the business. You only have to look in the Major Leagues today, and you come up with Randy Johnson, David Wells and John Rocker. Sandy Koufax was perhaps the greatest of them all.

Sandy Koufax was brought up by the Dodgers in 1955 at the tender age of 19. His first five years, spanning the move of the Dodgers to LA, were unremarkable. A combined 36-40 record and a 4.09 ERA gave little warning of what was to come. Then as if from nowhere Koufax found his groove. From 1961 thru 1966 he went 109-47, his ERA dropped to an astounding 2.24.

During that period he went to the World Series four times and pitched 8 games, he went the full distance in four of those games, had a 4-3 record and a, wait for it, 0.95 ERA.

Koufax also collected three Cy Young awards ('63, '65, '66) an MVP award ('63 when he went 25-5 and completed over half his starts) and three pitching triple crowns (63, 65, 66). Bear in mind that in the last twenty years only two pitchers have done that. Doc Gooded in 1985 and Roger Clemens twice, in 1997 & 1998. Koufax might well have done it 64 as well if he hadn't lost about 12 starts due injury. He still manged to find the fitness to lead the Majors in ERA and shutouts.

In the period of 1961-1965 he pitched a no hitter in each of those seasons. Only Nolan Ryan has pitched no hitters in 3 consecutive seasons. Only two other pitchers in the whole of the 20th Century have done it in back to back seasons, Warren Spahn and Steve Busby.

Then, as quickly as it started it was over. The degenerative athritis in his left elbow that had sent him to the Disabled List in 1964 became too much to bear. He announced his decision to retire after the 1966 season. No other pitcher has retired after a 20-win season, Koufax won 27 in his last year. No-one else has retired after a 200 strikeout season, Koufax struck out 316 in his swansong. In the year that became his last, he lead the Major leagues in ERA by a quarter run per nine innings, and the National League by half a run.

At this point the future was unlimited. Koufax was barely 30, a time when pitchers tend to come into their prime. He lost probably more than a decade of ptiching, and he left at a time when he was redefining the words "peak of his career". Only eight other pitchers won 78 of any given 100 decisions over the course of their career. Koufax won 78 of his final 100 decisions. No star ever burned as bright and vanished as quickly as that of Sandy Koufax.

Picture courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame