Koufax, << KOH faks, >> Sandy (1935-…), became one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. A left-hander, Koufax pitched four no-hit games, a major league record until Nolan Ryan pitched his fifth no-hitter in 1981. Koufax’s fourth no-hitter, in 1965, was a perfect game. He struck out 382 batters in 1965, a National League record for one season. Koufax was voted the most valuable player in the National League in 1963 and the best pitcher in baseball in 1963, 1965, and 1966. He retired from baseball after the 1966 season due to arthritis in his pitching arm. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Sanford Koufax was born in the Brooklyn section of New York City on Dec. 30, 1935. He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) in 1955.
