Sandy Koufax

1935-

American Athlete

Arguably the greatest pitcher of all time, left-handed Sandy Koufax was born on December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn New York. He started playing in Hight School. He is celebrated for his astonishing record of four no-hitters, including a perfect game, 165 wins, an earned run average of 2.76, and the striking out of 2,396 batters in 2,325 innings. Koufax perfected a fastball and curveball that opposing batters dreaded as virtually impossible to hit.

Among his exploits was winning two World Series games with one day's rest between them, a feat unequalled in modern baseball. Because of arthritis, Koufax retired at the age of 30. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, the youngest person ever given that honor.