Sandy Koufax Biography

Sandy Koufax, born December 30, 1935, was nicknamed the Left Arm of God and played as a professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played 12 seasons in MLB for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Koufax won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1963 and was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award three times in a row. During his first six seasons, inconsistent playing time resulted from limited pitching experience and manager Walter Alston's initial distrust. Following adjustments before the 1961 season, Koufax established himself as a leading pitcher in the major leagues and became the first prominent sports figure on the West Coast. In 1966, Koufax and teammate Don Drysdale led a joint holdout to demand a fairer contract from the Dodgers. After returning to the Dodgers' farm system in 1979, Koufax served as a pitching coach until resigning in 1990, though he continues informal spring training appearances.