INTRODUCTION From The Sports Time Traveler™
I’ve been following major league baseball day-by-day in 1964 this spring.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the sensational start to the season by Willie Mays.
You can read or listen to that story at this link:
Willie Mays Breaks a Major Barrier
Mays was still in his prime in 1964, at age 33. The prior season in 1963 he had been 5th in MVP voting.
The man who won the MVP in 1963 was then 27 year-old pitcher Sandy Koufax. Koufax had one of the all-time greatest single seasons ever for a lefty pitcher in 1963:
25 win - 5 losses
1.88 ERA
306 strikeouts and only 58 walks
11 shutouts
Koufax also pitched a no-hitter against the defending National League Champion San Francisco Giants on May 11, 1963 in front of 55,530 fans on a Saturday night in Dodger Stadium.
And Koufax topped off 1963 by winning two complete games in the 1963 World Series, allowing just 3 earned runs in 18 innings, while striking out 23.
The Dodgers swept the Yankees in four games.
Sandy Koufax was named MVP of the World Series.
Koufax thus became the only baseball player ever to win the Cy Young Award, the regular season MVP and the World Series MVP in the same year.
In this one minute video you can see Koufax winning game 1 of the 1963 World Series against the Yankees by pitching his 15th strikeout of the game - a World Series record at that time.
Koufax Wins Game 1 of the 1963 World Series striking out a record 15 Yankees
SUCCESS WAS A LONG TIME COMING
That incredible success in 1963 was a long time coming.
Koufax had been a “bonus baby” on the Dodgers in 1955 - having received a $20,000 signing bonus, an enormous amount at that time.
He received such an outlandish bonus because he could throw a baseball as fast as anyone had ever seen.
THE TRYOUT
At age 18, in the summer of 1954, he was invited to a workout at Ebbets Field by Dodgers’ scout Al Campanis.
Campanis had received a tip from the youth sports columnist of the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, Jimmy Murphy. Murphy had seen Koufax pitch in sandlot games after after he came home from a successful freshman baseball season at the University of Cincinnati where he had been a walk on pitcher after basketball season was over (Koufax was attending the university on a basketball scholarship).
Murphy told Campanis that Koufax had a “legendary fastball.”
Campanis described the tryout 25 years later in a January 28, 1979 article in the New York Times,
“As soon as I saw that fastball, the hair raised up on my arms. The only other time the hair on my arms raised up was in Rome when I saw Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.”
THE YOUNGEST BOY OF SUMMER
As a result, then 19 year old Sandy Koufax, still a teenager, who had little actual pitching experience at any level, suddenly found himself required to sit on the bench in Brooklyn as one of the Boys of Summer.
And on the bench he stayed, never getting to throw a pitch in the 1955 or 1956 World Series games that pitted the Dodgers vs. the Yankees.
THE WILD DAYS
When he did pitch he was so-so at best and wild at worst. He compiled an underwhelming record of 36 - 40 with an ERA over 4 in his first 6 seasons.
In 1958, when he became a regular starter, he led the league in wild pitches.
In 1960, at age 24, he led the league in walks with 100 and had a record of just 8 - 13.
FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE
But he did show flashes of brilliance, and there was no doubt that he threw the hardest fastball in the majors.
In the 1959 World Series, won by the Dodgers, Koufax pitched 9 innings allowing just 1 earned run.
THE EPIPHANY
Then in 1961, in his 7th season, he started to put it all together.
He realized he could dial down his speed just a touch and improve his control tremendously.
That season he made the All-Star team, won 18 games, and led the league in strikeouts with 269.
Even more important he led the league in strikeouts to walk ratio. He had dropped his walks per 9 innings to just 3.4 from over 5.
In 1962, he was an all All-Star again and pitched his first no-hitter.
THE SPRING OF 1964
By the spring of 1964, Koufax at age 28, had finally fulfilled the promise that Campanis and the Dodgers had seen in him 10 years earlier.
In his first start of the 1964 season he looked like he was picking up right where he left off in the Fall Classic. On Opening Day in Dodger Stadium in front of 50,451 fans, he threw a 6 hit / no walk shutout of the Cardinals, a team expected to contend for the pennant.
But then things went awry for Koufax. In his 3rd start he injured his throwing arm after just 1 inning facing the Cardinals again, this time in St. Louis.
When he came back 11 days later he pitched strong, allowing just 3 hits and piling up 13 strikeouts in defeating the Cubs at Dodger Stadium.
But in his next outing he lasted only 6 innings, giving up 3 runs and only striking out 4 in a loss to the Giants.
4 days later he faced the Cubs again on the road and was pulled after just 4 innings. His E.R.A. now stood at 3.18, the highest it had been at any time since 1961.
Several more mediocre starts followed in the remainder of May. On May 31, he beat the Pirates, but gave up 8 hits and 4 walks in just 7 innings. His record stood at just 5 - 4. He had completed just 1 game in his last 6 starts.
Entering the first week of June, Koufax had a big date coming up. On Friday, June 5th the team would play in brand new Shea Stadium in New York for the first time. The Mets organization had arranged that it would be Sandy Koufax night. Koufax would formally receive the Babe Ruth award for most outstanding player in the 1963 World Series.
The Mets also were organizing other festivities for Koufax including a reunion of Brooklyn schoolboys Ice Cream League championship team from 1952, when Koufax was 16.
While the schedule lined up perfectly for Koufax to pitch in Shea Stadium, Walter Alston, the Dodgers manager, decided to pitch Koufax a day early, on 3 days rest, against the Phillies, who were in first place, and leave his other starters to pitch against the lovable losers in New York who were in last by a wide margin.
Naturally, as The Sports Time Traveler™ I wanted to experience Koufax’ big night in New York, and a pitching performance as well, so I dialed the sports time travel machine back to June 4, 1964, precisely 60 years ago, to first catch Koufax pitching against the Phillies in Philly, and then on to the Flushing section of Queens to Shea Stadium for Koufax night on June 5th.
Here’s my report from the past.
CONNIE MACK STADIUM, PHILADELPHIA - June 5, 1964
Last night I was in Philadelphia, virtually, here in 1964, to see Sandy Koufax pitch against the first place Phillies.
29,709 fans were on hand, the largest crowd of the season so far at Connie Mack Stadium.
Before the game Koufax made a discovery that solved the puzzle of his lackluster performances since his opening day shutout. In an AP article in the Los Angeles Times today he said, “I have been studying pictures in magazines of my form and suddenly realized that I had been stepping too far to the left with the right foot across my body.”
According to John Dell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Koufax had found those magazines in the visiting clubhouse at Connie Mack stadium during the present series against the Dodgers.
Koufax made an adjustment in last night’s game and he claimed the result was, “I had the old pitching rhythm back. As a matter of fact by the fifth inning I forgot all about it. Everything was natural again.
The results on the field were immediate.
In the first inning Koufax got the Phillies out 1-2-3 including swinging strikeouts of Johnny Callison and rookie sensation Dick “don’t call me Richie” Allen.
Koufax continued to mow down the Phillies in the 2nd and 3rd innings, going through the batting order without allowing a baserunner, and piling up 5 strikeouts.
Not a single ball had even left the infield.
In the 4th inning, with 2 outs and no one on, Dick Allen came to the plate again. With a count of 3 balls and 2 strikes on Allen, Koufax shook off catcher Doug Camilli’s call for a fastball and he pitched a curve.
It missed the strike zone and Allen took 1st base with a walk.
Allen was then thrown out by Camilli trying to steal 2nd base to end the inning.
Koufax had still faced the minimum number of batters through 4 innings.
Koufax then got the Phillies in order in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th innings.
THE 9th INNING
In the 9th inning everyone knew that Koufax was working on a no-hitter.
On the radio, Dodgers announcer Vin Scully kept listeners aware the entire game. Los Angeles Times columnist Sid Ziff wrote that Scully did a magnificent job, “with complete disdain for superstition.”
The first Phillies’ batter in the bottom of the 9th was Tony Taylor who tried to bunt on the first pitch, but Koufax threw it in the dirt. Koufax got the count to 2 and 2 and then struck him out.
The second batter, Ruben Amaro, popped up the first pitch to 1st base where Ron Fairly grabbed it for the out.
Koufax needed one more out for the no-hitter.
Los Angeles Time reporter, Frank Finch, wrote that, “the fans rocked historic Connie Mack stadium with roaring anticipation.”
The next batter was Bobby Wine, pinch hitting for pitcher Ray Culp.
The first pitch was a ball.
On the second pitch Wine tipped it foul and the ball caromed off the face mask of umpire Ed Vargo. The game had to be stopped as Vargo was administered smelling salts by Phillies trainer Joe Liscio.
In a few minutes the game resumed.
Fortunately, Vargo didn’t have to see well enough make another call.
Koufax got Wine swinging twice and the no-hitter was in the books.
Philadelphia fans swarmed onto the field to congratulate Koufax. One fan swiped Koufax’ cap and ran off with it, only to be grabbed by Dodger’s manager Alston who retrieved the hat.
MY BEST COMMAND
Koufax told George Lederer of the Long Beach Press-Telegram it was, “The best game I ever pitched… I had my best command, fast ball, curve and control.”
Koufax had come one pitch away from a perfect game - his only mistake being the full count curve to Dick Allen in the 4th inning.
And Koufax had only pitched to the minimum 27 batters. He also threw just 97 pitches in the game.
It looked like a perfect game to manager Walter Alston. He told the New York Daily News, “There wasn’t anything that looked like a hit.”
Only one ball hit in fair territory produced a difficult play for Dodgers’ fielders the entire game. It came in the 7th inning when Dick Allen hit a high chopper towards 3rd base. Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Dell wrote, “Jim Gilliam charged the ball, cupped it on the short hop and threw out Allen.” Gilliam told Dell, “It was no tougher than the one I booted last night.” Of course if Gilliam would have booted this one it would likely have been ruled an infield hit.
In Philadelphia, the Inquirer celebrated the no-hitter putting an article on Koufax’ masterpiece in the first column of page 1 of the newspaper today with the headline, “Koufax hurls no-hitter as Dodgers beat Phillies.”
Koufax told John Dell in The Inquirer how much more satisfied he was with the no-hitter than his record 18 strikeout game he posted in 1962, “A no-hitter means you have to be effective against every man.”
The no-hitter tied a major league record for most career no-hitters with three.
The list of pitchers to ever throw three no-hitters now looks like this:
Larry Corcoran (1880, 1882, 1884),
Cy Young (1897, 1904, 1908)
Bob Feller (1940, 1946, 1951)
Sandy Koufax (1962, 1963, 1964)
Koufax also becomes the only pitcher ever to throw no-hitters in 3 consecutive seasons.
Koufax tied another all-time record last night. By striking out 12 Phillies, he registered his 54th 10 strikeout game. That equals the mark first set by Rube Waddell and later tied by Bob Feller.
But Koufax has done it in only his 215th career start. Waddell had 340 starts in his career from 1897 - 1910. And Feller had 484 starts between 1936 - 1956.
SHEA STADIUM, NEW YORK - June 6, 1964
After experiencing the no-hitter in Philadelphia I made the short trip, virtually, to New York to catch Sandy Koufax night at beautiful brand new Shea Stadium.
Last night 54,790 fans came out to see the Mets play the defending World Champion Dodgers and watch Sandy Koufax be honored.
Prior to the game there was an 8 minute celebration in which the Baseball Writers of America presented Koufax with the Babe Ruth award for the most outstanding player of the 1963 World Series.
In addition, sports writer Jimmy Murphy (yes, the same Jimmy Murphy who “discovered” Koufax on the sandlots 10 years earlier) presented Koufax with the Helping Youth award. The prize was a 19 inch tall trophy with a wood and brass base.
THE ICE CREAM LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Mounted on the base of the trophy was a team picture of the 1952 Tomahawks. This was the team that won the Brooklyn schoolboy’s Ice Cream League championship.
Most of the old Tomahawks were at Shea Stadium for the award presentation.
Lennie Gross, the catcher on the 1952 team, told Robert Lipsyte of the New York Times, “We would never have done it without our star pitcher.”
“We really expected him to become a big leaguer,” piped in Stan Siegel, the 2nd baseman on the 1952 team.
Then Stan’s twin brother Joe, who played shortstop, asked, “Where is he?”
Quick to answer was Hal Laufer, the centerfielder, “He got tied up at the hospital, had to perform an emergency operation.”
Lennie Gross then explained who they were talking about, “Mike Fields was the greatest pitcher the Tomahawks ever had. But he wanted to be a doctor. What can you do?"
Fields had a record of 12 - 1 that championship season in 1952.
Koufax had been on the team primarily playing 1st base and he lost the only game he pitched that year.
NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler™
The October 9, 1952 Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper reported on the Tomahawks championship victory in the Ice Cream League. It was noted that Mike Ferkin (not “Fields”) won the game with his 12th straight win. I can find no further stories about Mike Ferkin or Mike Fields.
About Sandy Koufax the paper wrote, “Sandy Koufax’s triple with the bases loaded in the second inning was the payoff wallop.”
Now back to 1964.
Koufax did not pitch in the game at Shea Stadium on Koufax night of course because he had pitched the no-hitter in Philly the prior night. With Joe Moeller starting for the Dodgers at Shea, the last place Mets scored 7 runs in the 3rd inning and beat the World Champion Dodgers 8 - 0.
DODGER STADIUM, LOS ANGELES - June 9, 1964
I decided to keep following Koufax to see how he would do in the next game he started, especially when I found out that the Dodgers, not be outdone by New York, were planning their own Sandy Koufax night. And this one took place last night, on a night where Koufax was actually pitching.
32,439 fans came out on a Monday night in L.A. and were treated to a pre-game ceremony by the Westwood Shrine Club honoring Koufax for his, “heroics during the 1963 Championship campaign,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
In the game against the Cincinnati Reds, Koufax started out brilliant again. He struck out Tommy Harper swinging to open the game. He got Vada Pinson to ground out to first. And then up came one of the most fearsome hitters in baseball, Frank Robinson.
Koufax struck out Robinson swinging.
That made it 10 straight innings without giving up a hit.
Koufax set down the Reds in order in the 2nd and 3rd.
In the 4th he faced the top of the order again. Again he got Harper and Pinson out and faced Robinson. He got Frank to fly out to 2nd base.
Sandy Koufax was now perfect through 4 innings in the game and had pitched 13 consecutive innings in which he had given up no-hits.
In the top of the 5th inning the first batter was Deron Johnson.
Johnson, 25, had been a great power hitter in the minor leagues. Starting in the Yankees organization in 1956, at age 17, he had hit 24 home runs in just 243 at bats. He had 6 seasons with at least 24 home runs in the minors including 33 for the Reds’ AAA league team last year in 1963.
But 1964 was the first year in which Deron Johnson was an everyday player in the majors and batting clean-up.
Back on April 18th, right here at Dodger Stadium, he had hit a 3 run blast off Koufax.
Now on the 2nd pitch from Koufax in the 5th inning, Deron Johnson took Sandy deep again. His shot went over the left field fence.
The perfect game was gone.
But Koufax had done something very special. He had pitched 13 consecutive innings in which he had faced the minimum number of batters. Dick Allen’s walk in the no-hitter in Philly had produced the only baserunner in those 13 innings, and when Allen was thrown out stealing, it enabled Koufax to get out of that inning facing just the minimum 3 batters.
NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler™
I am unable to find out if Koufax 13 consecutive innings facing the minimum number of batters is a major league record.
Johnson’s home run was the only Reds run in the game. Koufax allowed just 3 more hits and won the game 2 - 1.
Koufax also allowed no walks, only the 10th time in his career he had done that in a complete game.
The victory was Sandy Koufax 100th in his career.
His record for the season was now 7 - 4 with a 2.21 ERA.
Sandy Koufax after a shaky start to the season, was okay.
POSTSCRIPT
In Koufax next start on June 12th he pitched a 4 hit shutout of the Cardinals.
Then on June 17th he pitched a 3 hit shutout of the Braves.
This put him at 36 innings with just a single run scored and having only surrendered 11 hits and 5 walks. Koufax after a shaky start is on one of the great pitching streaks in baseball history.
Koufax is Oh - "K!"