Backwards K Pod; Sandy Koufax The Left Arm Of God

Backwards K Pod
Where We Collect Ballplayers And Their Stories
For week seven of the MLB offseason, the show kicks off with final Hot Stove Report of 2023. With the Dodgers spending over a billion dollars on big fish free agents Shohei Ohtani and Japanese import pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as the extension given to new starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, Jake wonders aloud, if the Dodgers are done with their spending spree? Or do they have one more big bullet still left in the chamber, yet to be fired? And what does this mean for the next big three players on the market? Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell and Josh Hader. All this and updates on the latest moves of the week.
Then BKP does a deep dive into the life and career of the great Sandy Koufax. The kid from Brooklyn, who grew up with the hoop dreams of playing basketball for his beloved New York Knicks, in the NBA, but would wind up pitching for his hometown Dodgers. A journey that is earmarked by a tale of two halves of a career. From a mediocre six year beginning of his MLB career. To becoming one of the greatest southpaws who ever lived, with one of the best 5 year peak of a career, the baseball universe has ever witnessed. To his stunning retirement at the age of 30 years old while he is still on top of his game. We celebrate the Hall Of Famers 88th birthday this week, by digging deep into the mystique that is Sandy Koufax.
@Backwards K Pod is available on all platforms, wherever you listen to your shows. Or you can visit diamondsnakejake.podbean.com to hear Sandy Koufax; The Left Arm Of God, or any of the shows@ in my always expanding vault of archives, detailing over 250 years of baseball history.
@everyone

[@ACEDIAMOND666]

I met Sandy Koufax on Saturday, 25 March 1989. The day before Easter. Vero Beach, Florida during spring training. Got his autograph. He had his road greys on. I no longer have the autograph, However, I do have a photograph to prove it. He was a very nice man.

[@syourke3]

The greatest pitcher of my lifetime. No doubt.

[@syourke3]

@@helmuthare 2.57 on the road. Thats from 62-66. He was better than either Marichal or Gibson during that stretch. But they were also amazing. Gibson in 68 was unbelievable.

[@syourke3]

@@helmuthare You have to look at adjusted ERA, and for his last five seasons, Koufax had an adjusted ERA of 1.67, which is spectacular. Of course, his first six seasons were nothing great, because he couldn’t find home plate with a sewing eye dog. But from 62-66, he really was the best pitcher in baseball. Lifetime, Koufax had an adjusted ERA of 131. If you consider Marichal, his lifetime adjusted ERA was 123 but he reached Koufax levels in 65, 66 and 69. As for Gibson, his lifetime adjusted ERA was 127 but he had a spectacular year in ‘68, with an adjusted ERA of 258 and he got 164 in 1969. Of course, Koufax was retired by then.

[@syourke3]

@@helmuthare That’s a stupid comment.

[@robertbell2786]

For 6 years, the goat!

[@anjdog2003]

I got to see him pitch many times. One or two runs is all he needed. A curve ball that could drop three feet and a 95 miles an hour fastball

[@markmurphy558]

When I was 7 or 8, I went to a Dodgers home game in LA. Koufax pitched against Juan Marichal(sic). It was a one run game, complete game by both pitchers, and Maury Wills walked, stole second and third, and scored the winning run on a sc fly. Good old boring baseball, which I found spellbinding.

[@MarkKrauklis]

I'm 72 years old and a Yankees fan. 🥰 Koufax is the greatest pitcher I have ever seen; 🥰 bar none.!!!🥰🇺🇲🥰🇺🇲🥰🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@victormarrotti2575]

He also completed games,and not like guys today. I have been a Yankees fan all my life. I am 75 and he is the greatest I ever saw

[@kennethcurtis1856]

Greg Maddox might have a say in this discussion.

[@josephkohler638]

No doubt. I'm 69 and his mechanics with his fastball and devastating curve have not been seen since. The BEST of all time!

[@erniesinger8768]

Belated Happy 88th Birthday!

[@patrickbrowder6857]

My dad always talked about Koufax (whom I never saw pitch) and would take me to see Randy Jones pitch for the Padres whenever he could during the 75-77 seasons. RJ was my Koufax growing up.

[@robertbell2786]

For 6 years the goat!

[@robertbell2786]

Goat. Kofax!

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

It sure did come at a price though.