Let’s get something clear right from the get-go –  I am very biased when it comes to who I think the greatest left-hander of all time is; and no, it is not Clayton Kershaw. Without question, hesitation or even a second thought, that honorable distinction belongs to Brooklyn born Hall of Fame left-hander Sandy Koufax, the Greatest Of All Time … or GOAT, as kids say these days.

Granted, there are many other great lefties who are immortalized in the sacred Halls of Cooperstown, but none – again in my very biased opinion – come even remotely close to the man who was affectionately called ‘The Left Arm of God’.

Need proof? How about these numbers from Sandy’s 12-year Hall of Fame career:

• A career 165-87 record for an insane .655 winning percentage
• An equally insane career ERA of 2.76
• A total of 314 games started
• An absolutely impossible 137 complete games
• 9,497 total batters faced
• 204 total home runs allowed
• 817 total walks issued
• A career WHIP of 1.106
• And last but not least, 2,396 career strikeouts

But wait, there’s more!

Of his 12 major league seasons, nine were in Los Angeles after the team moved from Brooklyn following the 1957 season. Of those nine seasons, five were after the Dodgers moved into their new home at Dodger Stadium in 1962, where he only did this:

‘The Left Arm of God’  indeed.

Although my father was a die-hard Cubs (and Bears) fan, having been born and raised in Chicago, he moved our entire family to Burbank, California in 1951 two years before I was born. As such, whenever the Cubs would roll into town to play the Dodgers after their move to Los Angeles, he would take my brothers and me to (first) the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and (later) to Dodger Stadium to watch his beloved Cubbies play. However, because of our tender age at the time, my brother Tom and I grew up as 100 percent die-hard Dodger fans. Needless to say, we also grew up as 100 percent die-hard Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale fans as well; a fact that we never hesitated to share with our father about.

As a youngster I was blessed to have witnessed Koufax pitch a number of times. I shot this photo of him warming up before a game against the New York Mets on July 23, 1966 at Dodger Stadium with my trusty Brownie Hawkeye camera. It would be Sandy’s 12th and final season, having been forced to retire due to what was then called arthritis in his left elbow. Tommy John surgery wouldn’t come along for another eight years. 
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

To be perfectly honest, I was actually more of a Drysdale fan than a Koufax fan as a youngster, hence the nickname FanSince53, which also happens to be the year of my birth. That being said, it is impossible to describe how incredibly excited – and blessed – I was to meet Sandy Koufax one-on-one while attending LAD Adult Baseball Camp in Vero Beach, Florida (his hometown) in 2011. Awestruck, I said the only thing I could think of at the time to the GOAT: “Thank you for giving me the some of greatest memories of my life.” Being his ever-so-humble self, he simply replied:“You’re welcome.”

Yeah, this.

Fortunately for every Sandy Koufax fan, and there are many, he still shows up at Dodger Stadium from time to time. In fact, it was he and Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda who unveiled Vin Scully’s plaque in The Ring of Honor at Dodger Stadium this past season on May 3, 2017, the 10th such person to be so honored.

Fellow Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Tommy Lasorda unveil Vin Scully’s Ring of Honor plaque in front of a sold out Dodger Stadium crowd on, May 3, 2017. {Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Any time Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax is in the house at Dodger Stadium, it’s a good day.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Happy 82nd Birthday, Sandy.

…and once again, Thank you for giving me the some of greatest memories of my life.