SANDY KOUFAX a book by Jane Leavy

SANDY KOUFAX a book by Jane Leavy

I’ve just finished a book written by Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax. I had admired Sandy for his good character and his amazing pitching skill. He became famous when he refused to pitch in the opening game of the 1965 World Series Koufax because it was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. A private man, he refused to cooperate with the author of the book and referred to her as a “CPA” (a certified pain in the ass) In his pitching days he would fill an extra 10,000 seats every time he pitched.


One story I enjoyed was that when Jim Lefvre struck out he was in the locker room after the game holding his head, when Koufax tapped him on the shoulder and said:


“Kid, if you can’t take it, get out of here. We don’t want people in here that feel sorry for themselves. You’ve earned the right to wear this uniform…You’re a Dodger. Dodgers don’t hang their heads. They don’t feel sorry for themselves and they don’t point fingers.”


He threw the ball 100 miles an hour and one batter joked to the umpire when the ball never left his shoulder and the umpire called a strike: “That ball sounded inside.”  He had an amazing record as a pitcher and was universally admired for his decent character and dedication to baseball.

One thought on “SANDY KOUFAX a book by Jane Leavy

  1. He is one of my favorite pitchers, when he pitced he had the reputation of being mean and tough. Not afraid to pitch inside, had a real mean inside fastball, feared by the best. I am going to get the book.. He also lived his relegion and set an example by doing. CB

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