"PERHAPS THE MOST DOMINATING PITCHER IN THE GAME'S HISTORY"

KOUFAX, Sandy and LINN, Ed. Koufax. New York: Viking, (1966). Octavo, original half black cloth, original dust jacket. $950.

First edition of Sandy Koufax's autobiography, inscribed by him, "To J— S— Good Luck & Very Best Wishes, Sandy Koufax."

"Sandy Koufax pitched 12 seasons in the major leagues… Five consecutive years, from 1962 through 1966, he led the National League in earned run average (He is the only pitcher ever to do that.) Four times he led the National League in strikeouts. Three times, he won at least 25 games. Ninety-seven times, he struck out ten or more batters… Koufax defined and distinguished himself by what he did on the baseball field and by what he refused to do. He challenged batters and stereotypes. On the evening of September 9, 1965, he pitched a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. Less than a month later, he achieved another kind of perfection by refusing to pitch the opening game of the world series because it fell on the holiest day of the Jewish year [Yom Kippur]" (Leavy, Sandy Koufax, xiii,xvii). In his career for the Dodgers, Koufax was "perhaps the most dominating pitcher in the game's history" (Baseball Hall of Fame). Winner of three ERA titles, four strikeout titles, three Cy Young awards, and three World Series, Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Co-authored by Ed Linn, Koufax's autobiography also includes "an account of the historic 1966 'double hold-out' by Koufax and Don Drysdale" (Grobani 8-124). First edition, first printing: with no statement of editions or printings on the copyright page. With frontispiece; appendix documenting Koufax's career game-by-game from 1955-65. Smith 15142.

Book fine; light edge-wear mainly to spine ends, trace of dampstaining, early tape reinforcement to verso of bright very good dust jacket.