Sandy Koufax, nicknamed "The Left Arm of God," is one of the most celebrated and dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. He played his entire 12-season career (1955-1966) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite a relatively short career cut short by traumatic arthritis in his elbow, his peak performance from 1962 to 1966 is considered one of the greatest stretches by any pitcher.

Key Career Highlights and Accomplishments:

• Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1972 at age 36, the youngest person ever elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Awards:

  • 3-time Cy Young Award winner (1963, 1965, 1966), the first pitcher to win three times and the only pitcher to do so when the award was given to only one major leaguer.

  • National League MVP (1963).

  • 3-time Pitching Triple Crown winner (led the NL in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts in 1963, 1965, and 1966).

  • 2-time World Series MVP (1963, 1965).

  • 7-time All-Star.

• Pitching Feats:

  • Pitched four no-hitters, including a perfect game in 1965.

  • Led the NL in ERA for five consecutive seasons (1962-1966).

  • Led the NL in strikeouts four times, including a then-modern major league record 382 strikeouts in 1965.

• Career Stats (12 Seasons):

  • Win-Loss Record: 165–87 (.655 winning percentage)

  • ERA: 2.76

  • Strikeouts: 2,396

  • Shutouts: 40

Koufax's decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur also became a highly public and revered moment of integrity in his career. His number, 32, was retired by the Dodgers in 1972.