Although Sandy Koufax hasn’t pitched since 1966, there’s no questioning his place in baseball history, especially for Dodgers fans, whether it be from the days in Brooklyn or now as the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Koufax pitched 12 seasons for the Dodgers from 1955 to 1966, where he made seven All-Star teams, winning three Cy Young awards, an MVP in 1963, winning three World Series along the way.
He also won the pitching Triple Crown three times, leading the National League in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. At the age of 30, Koufax retired at the top of his game, coming off back-to-back Cy Young awards, citing an arthritic elbow.
In 1972, at the age of 36, Koufax became the youngest player to ever be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Dodgers retired his No. 32 jersey later that day.
Sandy Koufax statue remembers a Dodgers legend
Now, 56 years after his retirement, the Dodgers are recognizing Koufax’s excellence in another way, with arguably an even bigger gesture.
On Saturday, the Dodgers unveiled a Sandy Koufax statue located at Dodger Stadium.
The statue can be found next to Jackie Robinson’s statue, outside Dodger Stadium, where fans will see the sculpture as they enter the ballpark.
Clayton Kershaw, team owner Mark Walter, and special assistant to the commissioner Joe Torre were all on hand for the official unveiling which also included a ceremony for Koufax.
Inscribed on the statue reads “As teammates we were bound together by a single interest and common goal. To win. Nothing else mattered and nothing else would do.”
Not a bad way to memorialize a baseball legend, giving thousands of fans yet another reason why they want to check out a Dodgers game.