Sandy Koufax - 1965 World Series Game 7

[bobhanson61]

Thanks for the video. Great to see Killebrew's hay-maker swing again. And old Met Stadium looked proud -- didn't know it could hold that may people. I saw many games there with my dad in the 1970's -- Killebrew and Allison and Perry and Kaat and Oliva were still around on those teams.

[Tito1701]

Those celebrations after a world series win were the norm at that time where after the final out they would shake hands, congratulate each other and head to the clubhouse i think the pile up after a title win started sometime in the late 70's

[fadethetrade]

That was their big celebration on the field after winning the world series!??

[hernanl]

Love Roseboro's account of this game. Briefly put, Koufax had no curveball that day and told Roseboro as much. When Roseboro asked Koufax what he wanted to do, Koufax responded "F*** 'em, we'll blow 'em away." K'd 10 twins on 2 days rest, 2 in the last frame. Tony O loved the fastball and k'd twice sitting dead red. One of a kind.

[MegaObserver1]

In those days, the network WS telecast team was made up of one man from each of the participating teams. The voice you are hearing is Ray Scott, who was then the #1 PBP guy for the Twins (although better known for announcing NFL games for CBS-TV). As Scott said, Dodger announcer Vin Scully was by then in the locker room for post-game celebrations. Starting the next season, NBC had Curt Gowdy teamed with the home team's announcer for WS games.

[FRSFreeState]

Sandy Koufax is the best Pitcher going back to at least Walter Johnson

[bigjohnmac]

Mr Sports Fellow: What u say isn't totally accurate. The Dodgers with Koufax winning two games swept the New York Yankees in the 1963 World Series

[RedondoAce]

Koufax is the all time King. 1962-1966 was an unbelievable run. If only he had the gift of longevity, you wouldn't even be able to remember any other pitchers' names.

[abqwriter]

Is there anyway we could see the entire game? This would be something to see!

[phsoffer]

Thanks for posting! Amazingly restrained celebration, wasn't it?

Dodgers won the series in 1955, 1959, and 1963 as well.

[CarlDuke]

@phsoffer And Sandy was a member of each of those teams.

[ExplosiveThinMan]

The best who ever pitched at his peak.

[artiebarnes]

I saw Sandy pitch a number of times as a kid. He was for SURE the best of all time. Always had 10 strikeouts or more at every game I saw. I saw the 4th game of the '63 World Series. Koufax against Ford, I believe, wasn't it? My mind is going...hehe...

[103121]

Look at how reserved and dignified our culture was.

[abqwriter]

@103121 yeah. It's dreadful just how undignified and rude we've become.

[103121]

@abqwriter I had forgotten that players back then did not show boat their victory. They were behaving with class like Water Alston and John Wooden. Showing respect for their opponent.

[abqwriter]

@103121 

[yunal35Ca]

Wow. This is game 7 of the world series. No flashy spectacles, no fireworks or loud sound systems, just respect and the beauty of the game with celebrations taking place in the clubhouse, rather than in the opposing team's faces.

[N8908E]

I thought the Dodgers won in '63 also.

[rich5814gable1]

a Dodger Legend

[jerryg1964]

I miss day baseball in the World Series ... too cold for night games in northern cities and they seldom air weekend day games because they compete with college football and the NFL.

[squitzy06]

Sandy was the best. A true money pitcher.

[16723193]

Baseball sure has changed. The Dodgers of 1965 hit .245 a's a team and hit 78 homers. You can't win a Championship today with that type of offensive production. Koufax wax great but today he would be taken out in the 6th or 7th inning a's soon a's he threw over 100 pitches. In today's game if you can't score runs, you can't win. Doesn't matter how good your pitching is. Ask a Oakland A's fan right now.

[savicolts45]

This wasn't the first time Koufax and the Dodgers Won. They won in 63 with a Sweep over the Yankees. He was pretty damn good in that one too.

[willminkorea]

The LA Dodgers won the WS in 1963.

[giles422]

MrSports fellow! Post it all! Too incredible a performance not to see in it's entirety!

but thanks for this bit.

[gfscarface13]

DODGERS OWN twinkies

[NoswalEvad]

Koufax won 2 in '63, including one in which we broke Carl Erskine's single game K record.

[pipper70]

Koufax could throw close to 100MPH, had the best curve ball in the game combined with pin point accuracy. Unquestionably the greatest pitcher to ever play the game.

[TheTheNinjaPoptart]

@pipper70 Not Just close. If I am correct, he has throw the hardest pitch in MLB history at 106 mph. he threw at least 98-98 on average and could easily hit 100,

[kirby19711]

He's the best I ever saw too!

[MROSEN62]

The caption to this video indicates that in 1965, the missing piece to Koufax's career was a world series title. In fact, he won two games in the Dodgers' 1963 sweep of the Yankees. He also was a member of the 1955 Brooklyn world series champions, but did not pitch in the series.

[giles422]

@MROSEN62 yeah, he's way wrong. Sandy also was on the '59 roster than won the Series.

[bush1tman]

Was that Danny Ozark #33 in the last 5 seconds of the video who managed the Phillies to the World Series victory in 1980?

[dbot66]

nice

[Scoclamor]

Dandy Sandy!

[loyaldude10]

@nutsaboutclara ---2 WS titles in 3 yrs, 3 appearances in 4 yrs. And the 65 and 66 teams had absolutely no hitting. Maybe the fact that they were so bad made Koufax and Drysdale that much better---if they gave up a run or 2, they were in danger of losing.

[Scoclamor]

@loyaldude10 Don't forget his great pitching in '59 WS as well!

[robindreaux]

In my opinion, Koufax was the greatest pitcher of all time, especially in his 5 year run. He pictched with injuries that todays pitchers would have been on dl. He sacrificed a long career for 5 brilliant ones!!!

[ChrisDutch]

Amazing that the guy did what he did given the arthritis he had plus the Reynaud's phenomenon that deadened his skin. The Lord only knows what his stats would have been if he stayed healthy.

[thishereguitar]

Oliva at this moment was the best hitter in the AL. Koufax/Oliva: ownage.

[tVoIam]

koufax's skills will forever be unmatched, he pitched most of his games "high" because of everything he had to use to keep his elbow. imagine being able to throw a 99mph heater with that control while "high," it's nearly impossible.

[Rainwhisker167]

"You can forget the one fellow (Walter Johnson)...you can forget Waddell.  The Jewish kid is probably the best of them." Casey Stengel

[USAGiant]

My Dad without any thought says Koufax was the best pitcher who ever lived bare now. The Micheal Jordan of Baseball Pitchers he would always said.

[sonor23]

The Dodgers signed Koufax for a $6,000 ($48,566 in current dollar terms) salary, with a $14,000 ($113,322 in current dollar terms) signing bonus. Koufax planned to use the signing bonus as tuition to finish his university education, if his baseball career failed !

[hoosierlooker]

Oliva was always losing his handle on the bat.

[grantrmiller]

This is amazing. His stats are simply off the charts and to see him in motion is incredible.

[Scoclamor]

@grantrmiller 382 Ks that year!

[happyguy215]

greatest pitcher of all time

[Scoclamor]

@happyguy215 And very humble about it, too. I've read his 1966 bio book and he was very sincere, smart and likeable!

[thishereguitar]

Heart of the order for the Twins there but Koufax owned Oliva. If I need to win one game and my life depends on it, and I can pick any pitcher from history, Koufax is on the mound for me.

[Scoclamor]

@thishereguitar Same thing here...but Whitey Ford, too!

[USAGiant]

@thishereguitar

Agreed. Bob Gibson would be my 2nd choice and not too shabby either. Again if my Dad says Koufax is the best pitcher in baseball history how can you agrue?

[conewells]

When pitchers were allowed to throw complete games. Now we have this fucking pitch-count enforced by pussy managers. Today's game sucks.

[nakedBison69]

what does fucking and pussy have to do with anything?

[bonkersblock]

Do they ever have grip wax those days?

[chicksdigmizunos98]

the best pitcher in baseball history not to win 300 games

[Scoclamor]

@chicksdigmizunos98 Or 200 for that matter!

[rd062080]

he was the best

[ExplosiveThinMan]

the best ever.

[loyaldude10]

@ExplosiveThinMan ---Thin Man, u r not just an expert on boxing, are you?

[Scoclamor]

@loyaldude10 No, he isn't. Hi there...so you know baseball and basketball like me, eh explosive?

[Scoclamor]

@ExplosiveThinMan at last we agree!

[ExplosiveThinMan]

@Scoclamor

There have been alot of great pitcher. Bob Gibson, Walter Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden etc.

Sandy Koufax is in a class by himself.

[Scoclamor]

@ExplosiveThinMan Cy Young, Grover Alexander, Dizzy Dean, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Juan Marichal (love that high leg kick), Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson...

I still stand in awe of game 1 of the 1963 World Series...speaking of which...time for me to watch the highlights of it...

FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME.

And since we both enjoy basketball...how about the 1969 NBA finals? 1974? 1984? 2008?

[ExplosiveThinMan]

@Scoclamor

The `74 finals will always be remembered for Kareem`s game winning hook shot in game 6 but the Celtics went on to win the series. `84 will be remembered as the great series between Boston and LA. Magic made some bad plays and Bird was Bird= The Best.

2008 the year of the Celtics.

[Scoclamor]

@ExplosiveThinMan Bad refereeing in game 7 of '74! That was also the year of all 3-2 scored (minus one game) of the World Series that year (Oakland and LA)

[Scoclamor]

Koufax fanned 10 and gave up just 3 hits! This is the only loss ever at home in a World Series by the Twins. They have yet to win a game on the road in the World Series.

[efrem1]

Looks as if Ray Scott and Vin Scully alternated the calling of the innings.

[jpcfit]

The Twins won many games during that 1965 season in their last ab-bat. We hoped for one more time, but Koufax was too much...

[usrt46]

Great stuff! Notice the batters do not get out of the box. That is what should be enforced now.

[bladerunner9405]

Thank you for a great video, I was also amazed by the fact the didn´t celebrate on the playing field, of course they were playing away from home and back in those days it was probably considered disrespectful to do it!!! Harmon Killebrew´s last at bat was also a masterpiece!!!!

[phddddd]

dodgers had grown to expect koufax to complete and win.  on this particular day, i believe he only had one pitch -- the fastball, as, on 2 days rest, his arm was too sore to bend for his magical baloon curve ball.

[fruticetum]

Interesting no big pile up or excessive celebration after the last out.

[loyaldude10]

@fruticetum ---very tame celebration. Maybe because the WS winnings were so small, comparatively. Or maybe decorum mattered then.

[kentucy9999]

Saw this game. I was 12. He pitched on two days rest. The best pitcher in the history of the game.

[loyaldude10]

@kentucy9999 --thats right. He used to pitch in tremendous pain. Mgr Alston was debating whether to pitch Koufax on 2 days rest or Drysdale on 3. Drysdale, a great one himself, told Alston to start Koufax. He was just unbelievable. Funny how the celebrations back then were so tame, as well as the broadcasting. Thanks for posting this classic

[Scoclamor]

@loyaldude10 Drysdale was warming up at one point in this game.

[Funkygotcha]

@kentucy9999 he was great but not the best pitcher of all time. That title will go to Walter Johnson.

[kentucy9999]

@Funkygotcha ...........I'm a quality not quantity guy. I think Bobby Orr was the greatest hockey player of all time though he was done at 27. I think in his prime Koufax pitched at the highest level of any player, ever. Longetivity means nothing to me.

[Funkygotcha]

@kentucy9999 thats fine to ignore the facts. most do. read up on both and you'll find that Walter Johnson was better then sandy in every single area. Sandy had 4 great years while Walter had 21 great years. Were not talking a Nolan Ryan type of longevity here. Walters Longevity was all great Top of the league years.

[kentucy9999]

@Funkygotcha .........Koufax pitched in the modern era.

[Funkygotcha]

@kentucy9999 that doesn't negate the fact he only had 4 great Seasons in the Modern era. once again read up on both and you find overwhelming facts the Walter Johnson was Far superior to him.

[kentucy9999]

@Funkygotcha ......Koufax was the first three time Cy Young Award winner {and the only one} when there was only one award for both leagues. {He was the unanimous choice all three years.} In 57 World Series innings he had a 0,95 ERA and gave up 36 hits in 57 innings.......................­that is dominance and dominance is what it is all about. {Don't answer this..............leave it alone. I could care less about Walter Johnson.}

[Funkygotcha]

@kentucy9999 I will answer this as you are clearly uneducated. incorrect on the only 3 time cy young as Maddux and Randy johnson each won 4 in a row. Walter Johnson wasn't just winning Cy youngs he was winning league MVP's. A career 2.17 Era thru 21 season ( half those during the Babe ruth years). you can continue to focus on 4 years don't forget he wasn't good for over half of his career.

[HOUSEOFFOURDOORS]

@kentucy9999 Koufax, Jim Brown in footbal, Ken Dryden in Hockey... All the best at what they did for abbreviated careers...

[kentucy9999]

@HOUSEOFFOURDOOR Bill Walton in Basketball............Brown in Football.............Bobby Orr {easily} in Hockey.

[HOUSEOFFOURDOORS]

@kentucy9999 Funny, I was ten and watched this game with my dad. He was an old Brooklyn Dodger fan... I loved the Twins and Killebrew. Koufax was just to good.

[punkyacturbo]

@kentucy9999 he was jewish

[Near0503]

@kentucy9999 agreed

[crossxca]

@kentucy9999

That's the most subdued world series celebration I've ever seen...on the field at least.

[cjk9013]

This is just beautiful! Thanks.

[donn205]

can someone out there take footage of koufax and figure out how fast he was throwing. no one knows for sure. 105mph??

[jfastrup06]

Koufax was the master

[Scoclamor]

@jfastrup06 Agreed!

[Scoclamor]

@jfastrup06 from 1961-1966...compare it to any other pitchers best 6 seasons...

[chicksdigmizunos98]

@jfastrup06 just think what his stats would be if there was such thing as tommy john surgery in the 60s

[rayjr62]

@chicksdigmizunos98 Koufax had to retire due to arthritis, not tendon problems. So Tommy John surgery would not have helped him. Truth be told, the Dodgers over-worked him. That's why he had to retire at age 30.

[koasti]

Koufax and the Dodgers did win the World Series title in 1963. They swept the New York Yankees 4-0. This (1965) was the fourth title for the Dodgers since Koufax came up in 1955. The others were in 1955 and 1959. Check it out.

[MrHaroldG2000]

@koasti In fact, Koufax won both Games One and Four, striking out 15 batters in Game One to set a single-game WS record (Bob Gibson would break that record with 17 K's in the 1968 opener). After that first game, Yogi Berra said, "I can see how he (Koufax) won 25 games. I just don't understand how he lost five," to which Maury Wills responded, "He didn't. We lost them for him."

[Scoclamor]

@MrHaroldG2000 And after Richardson fanned for the third time, he passed Mantle, waiting to face the executioner. "There's no point in me even going up there" Mantle said.

[loyaldude10]

@Scoclamor ---right. I think Mickey said something to the effect that you cannot see the ball the way Koufax was throwing it. But then Bob Gibson in the 1st gm of 1968 WS topped Koufax's performance. The decade of the pitcher. Too bad baseball today focuses on home runs, high scoring games that tzke forever to complete.

[loyaldude10]

@MrHaroldG2000 ---and Casey Stengel said after that gm that Koufax was the best ever. And he goes back to Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.

[Scoclamor]

@loyaldude10 Forget the other guy, he said (meaning Walter Johnson), you can forget Waddell. The Jewish kid is probably the best of them - Casey Stengel

[4battis]

great video