Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
A friend insisted that I read Jane Leavy's biography of Sandy Koufax. I agreed to, vaguely hoping, because I have my own long list of books waiting to be read, that he would forget about it. He didn't and even bought a copy and mailed it to me. So, had no choice. I remembered Koufax as part of the Drysdale/Koufax tandem that led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a couple of world series in the first part of the 1960s. Of course, I never gave a flip about the Dodgers and had no warm feelings for either of these pitchers. Neither, in my estimation, measured up to Bob Gibson of my Cardinal team. I resigned myself to reading a jock bio about a pitcher of no interest on a team of less interest.After a couple of weeks of procrastination, I reluctantly opened the book and started scanning its contents. I tried to figure out the minimum I could read to convince my generous friend that I had read the book.A few days later, I finished reading the book to the end. It turned out that Koufax's story is much more interesting than I imagined, and besides, this book is much more than a hero praisefest. It tells how baseball changed from the 1950s and early 1960s, the years Koufax was pitching, to the present big-money sport in which some players get contracts in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The changes were nudged along by Koufax and Don Drysdale when they "held out" against the contract offered them by the Dodgers in 1966. I liked many things about this book, whose talented writer delved deeply into some absorbing topics. One of them, early in the book, is the physics of pitching and how Koufax mastered it. I wish I had read this discourse on the correct mechanics of throwing a baseball back when I could have used the information to improve my mediocre fastball. Of course, pitching creates unnatural stresses on the arm as it slings, twists, turns, pulls, and jerks. The arm is not built for the violence of hurling fastballs or the contortions of "pulling the shade" curve balls. Throwing them can wreak havoc on the muscles, tendons, connective tissues, and whatever else holds an arm together. Pitching certainly messed up Koufax's left arm. As Leavy describes in great detail, the last few years of Koufax's career -- years of extraordinary success -- were a time of great pain for him. After 1965, his left arm was permanently bent; he could not and cannot straighten it. To fight the pain caused by pitching, he took cortisone shots regularly and downed a variety of pills while on the mound. After he pitched a game, his arm would sometimes balloon to double its size or turn a strange color; other times, a knot the size of grapefruit would appear on his elbow. Still, Koufax kept pitching and winning.The story of Koufax's pitching prowess and success makes up the largest part of the book. It documents the frustrations of his first lackluster six years with the Dodgers. As a bonus baby, he had to remain on the major league team roster for a couple of years after he signed with the Dodgers. Thus, he had no chance to learn the subtleties of his craft and get some seasoning by pitching in the minor leagues. During these first six years, Leavy suggests, Dodger manager Walter Alston underused and misused Koufax. After six years in the majors, from 1955 through 1960, he had a career record of 36 wins and 40 losses, with an earned run average of over 4.0. The six years that followed were beyond successful. His record from 1961 through 1966 was 127 wins and 47 loses, with an ERA under 2. During this period, he was the dominant pitcher in the major leagues, throwing four no hitters, one of them a perfect game. Koufax retired at the end of the 1966 season, at the age of 31 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame when he was 36, the youngest person to gain that honor.Leavy uses the perfect game, pitched on September 9, 1965, to structure the book, with a chapter to describe what happened each inning and interweaving Koufax's life story with the tale of the game. The game was remarkable not only for Koufax's perfect performance, but also because the opposing pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Bob Henley, nearly matched Koufax's performance with a one hitter. Allowing only two Dodger to reach base, Henley lost the game 1-0; the winning run scored without the hit (walk, stolen base, error). Another aspect of Koufax's story, interweaved with the story of the perfect game, is Koufax's childhood in Brooklyn and his status as one of the few Jewish players in the major leagues. Although he was not a practicing Jew, he became a hero to many Jews through his success as a pitcher and his refusal to pitch in the first game of the World Series on October 6, 1965 because it was Yom Kippur, a major Jewish holiday. Leavy discusses in detail her views on the impact of Koufax's religion on his career, suggesting that his misuse during his first six years on the Dodgers was due, in part, to how he (as a Jew) was perceived by Alston and the higher management of the Dodgers.A final part of Leavy's story is Koufax's behavior and reputation, and how it fits within the context of professional baseball. Koufax was an introvert with a strong sense of right and wrong that sometimes made him seem unlike other players. As a bit of an odd duck, he acquired a reputation as a reclusive, unapproachable, even dour, guy. Leavy refutes this perception with dozens of stories of Koufax's acts of kindness and generosity. At times, its seems she is proposing him for sainthood with her many stories of how Koufax touched the minds and lives of people who followed his career. Then she yanks away saintdom with a few stories of how he could sometimes be a jerk.Ultimately, it is clear that Koufax was perplexed by his fame and frustrated by how it interfered with a normal life. He valued and welcomed genuine connections with people, not one based on the superficial fan-hero nexus. He preferred to be an authentic man rather than a mythic hero.The book is engrossing not only because of its intriguing subject, but also because Leavy's exhaustive research and enlightening details present us with a rich story about an athlete who transcended the stereotypes and earned fame not only with his superior talents on the field but also with how he led his life. I learned much from the book, and I am glad that my friend sent it my way. Just don't do it again, O.K.?
This is a very interesting book that tells the story of the great Sandy Koufax from the beginning. It tells a story that you wouldn't expect would come from such a dominant pitcher in baseball's history. The main subject is about the fantastic pitching ability of Sandy and how he was able to perfect his craft in a way that was ahead of the science of the sport of baseball. Most observations have been about the key points in Sandy's mechanics and how they all work together to create an end result that blew everyone away. It also tells a great a story of how to overcome adversity and become a legend in the world. This book deals a lot with anti-Semitism in America and how it affected baseball and its few Jewish players. My experience with the book was great! I loved it because I learned so much, not only about Sandy Koufax but about how to better my own pitching mechanics. I think the author wrote the book with an end to beginning feel because she wanted to start the book off with memories and stories of how Sandy was so great and then she could go into depth on how he got to the top. The language that the author uses is very passionate. It is as if she is writing with all the awe and amazement that comes with seeing Sandy for the first time. Also the author not only writes with her point of view but with the points of view of the many players that Sandy played with and against all throughout his life. Everyone that is quoted in the book is talking about Sandy in a positive and amazed way. "Koufax's fastball inspired scientific debate, pitting the empiricism of the batting eye against scientific principle. The laws of physics and logic dictate that an object hurtling through space must lose height and momentum. Anyone can make a Whiffle ball rise, sure. But a man standing on a fifteen-inch-high mound of dirt throwing a five-ounce horsehide sphere downhill? 'Rise, my butt,' Roseboro, the skeptic says." This passage is important because it shows that Sandy Koufax was able was able to perfect his pitching in such a way that it defied physics and caused arguments in the scientific world of baseball. Also he made even the most sane and perfect sighted men go crazy whenever he pitched and all you could do was say, wow, let me see that again! "Jackie Robinson, then in his final season, clashed with Alston on many subjects, including Koufax. Villante, who was affiliated with the Dodgers throughout the fifties and sixties , said, 'The one thing about Jackie was, no matter who the hell you were, Jackie appreciated talent. If you were good, he was on your side. I think he saw that in Sandy... Jackie always thought Alston was dumb. And the very fact that Sandy would every so often show this terrific flash of brilliance and pitch a terrific game and not pitch again for thirty days would add to Jackie saying how dumb this guy was.'" This passage shows significance to me because even though Sandy wasn't at peak performance yet and even though no one high up in the Dodger's organization trusted him enough to pitch regularly, a baseball great believed in him and protected him and pushed him to achieve the greatness he knew he had in him. I loved it because I got to learn so much about one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pitchers of all time. It was really interesting to see how Sandy developed himself into the pitching phenomenon that he was and also into the great, honest and kind man that everyone looked up to. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone that has any desire to learn about Sandy Koufax, to further their general knowledge of the time of baseball displayed in the book, or someone who wants to read about the story of a person who fought a hard battle against religious adversity and would like to learn how to overcome their own. What I have learned from this book is that anyone can achieve something if they put their mind to it and have the strong will to compete for the their goal and get on top. This book shows you that even through the toughest times of adversity; the strong will excel and rise above those that torment him. This book deals a lot with anti-Semitism in America and how it affected baseball and its few Jewish players. The consequences of this book are aimed more toward the people that taunted and belittled Sandy Koufax and his fellow Jewish, black and Hispanic ball players because they showed that the hateful words had little effect on them and they rose to become some of the best, if not the best, players at their position. Even though Sandy was looked down upon by the Dodgers' manager and fans, he kept with his craft and perfected it so when he got his chance he would show everyone that they were wrong and that he couldn't be pushed aside. These issues do not affect my life personally now or probably not even in the future but that doesn't mean it doesn't affect other people today or affect them in their futures. I wish people wouldn't disparage others because of how they look or because of what they believe in because in the end the people they make fun of are usually on a higher level than they are whether it's in a particular sport or occupation. They are always on a higher level than they are in a humanity stand point.
What do You think about Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy (2003)?
A Lefty’s LegacyAnyone who spends more than ten minutes with me knows that I am a huge baseball fan. I love the game; the history, the stories, the smell of fresh cut grass, that moment of mystical silence when the catcher has given the signal and the pitcher has accepted it, followed by that magical moment when the field of potentiality is wide open and anything can happen. The pitcher winds up, muscles rippling in weird physiologic perfection that is almost alien. That being said; I read a lot of baseball books, which brings me to Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, by Jane Leavy. Let me state upfront: I am in the minority. I did not enjoy this book. As I closed the final page, I was left sadly unfulfilled and disappointed. I probably wouldn't have even finished this book, had it not been for that pesky New Year’s resolution I made; to finish books that I start, even if I don’t like them, and then figure out and articulate my reason for said displeasure.The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, but then again, the subject matter is Sandy Koufax, a left handed pitcher who is arguably one of the best players the game has ever seen; the youngest player ever elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the first 3-time Cy Young winner in baseball history and the only one to win 3 times when the award was for all of baseball, not just one league. He was the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters (including the eighth perfect game in baseball history), amongst many other accolades. These things are barely—(if at all) mentioned in the book. In The Glory of Their Times—(possibly one of the best baseball books ever written), Harry Hooper says, “…and that Koufaux. You name a better left hander in the history of baseball and I’ll eat my hat.” I was excited to read the book, so when I got to a page numbered xviii in the Preface, with this quote, “Hi, Ms. Leavy, this is Sandy, uh, Koufax. I don’t really have any interest in this project…” I was on alert, but I wasn't sure what to make of it. Perhaps Sandy would come around and ultimately embrace the project, participating fully and sharing little known stories of the game. Alas, that was not to be. What the line meant, was exactly what it said. Ms. Leavy goes on to justify the 269 page book, by interviewing 469 friends and acquaintances of Sandy Koufax, making some observations about the game, social history and civil persuasions of the era; all which can be found in any Google search or Wikipedia entry. Sandy Koufax is well known for not pitching the first game of the 1965 World Series due to the fact that it fell on Yom Kippur. This monumental act, which transcends the field, making Sandy Koufax as big on the field as off, receives approximately one paragraph—unless you include the comments from two random Rabbis’. In reading the book, I felt like Ms. Leavy had been given a book contract, signed on the line that was dotted and subsequent to that, received a ‘no interest’ clause from Sandy Koufax himself; because his voice is strangely absent in a book titled; Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. Maybe she paced around her kitchen, nervously chewing pencil erasers. What could she do? She had a contract; she had to write a book—any book. I, of course have no proof that such a thing occurred, but, it would seem a plausible explanation.I bleed Orange and Black, which almost necessarily dictates that I am NOT a fan of the Dodgers. However, I am a fan of baseball, and I think one of the greatest players who have ever graced the game, Sandy Koufax deserved better. I would be willing to eat my hat over it.
—Heather Jacks
Sandy Koufax was one of the best pitchers to ever play the game of baseball. Thebiography “Sandy Koufax - A lefty’s legacy” by Jane Leavy is one of the better books I haveread. I play baseball and also pitch so I can relate a lot to this book. This book isexplaining Sandy’s journey through baseball and the Major leagues. When you read thisbook you get hooked into it very fast if you like baseball. The Author’s descriptive writingstyle of Sandy and everything he did to prepare for his journey made me think about howmuch I have to do to prepare for what I hope will be my baseball journey.The author’s writing style can be confusing at times, I think that she is very good atwriting biography’s. The author interviewing Sandy is confusing me because I cant tell whenthe things they are talking about are actual facts or they are opinions. If I had to readanother one of the authors books I would read it not knowing what the books is about justbecause of reading the biography. When this author is writing throughout the story shegives examples of times where Sandy is at his best, and at his worst, and also says howsome of the Jewish holidays conflicted with games and that was a lot easier for me tounderstand this book because I am Jewish. Also the authors tells about some of the timeswhen she meets Sandy and the conversations they had together about his journeys. Whenshe was talking about these things with Sandy it made her writing easier to understandbecause she tells when she is talking to sandy, for example “ Sandy do you think you dowell in this game tonight”, “ Yes think I did very well in this game tonight”.After reading this book I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone thatlikes to read sports books, because Jane Leavy does a great job explaining the things shetalks about in her writing. I went to the library to find a book i wanted a biography of abaseball player and I am glad I chose this book because of the person that the book is about. I really like this book and as I said earlier I would recommend to anyone that likes to read sports books.
—Ritchie3
I finished this book a few weeks ago but was putting off writing it up because I didn’t want it to end – which a review does—puts a period on the book and then you move on to the next one. This is a story about a man, a baseball player, a pitcher, Sandy Koufax, who pitched in the major leagues for the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers for just twelve years, 1955-1966. He was the most dominant pitcher the game has ever seen for four years, 1963-66. On September 9, 1965 he pitched a perfect game, which he won 1 – 0 over the Chicago Cubs, whose pitcher, Bob Hendley pitched a one-hitter. The game is likely the greatest single game ever. Koufax struck out 14 batters, the final six consecutively. He threw so hard his cap kept flying off his head. He threw the ball 100 miles per hour. Now and then he threw a curveball. Yesterday, June 13, 2012, Matt Cain pitched a perfect game for the San Francisco baseball Giants as they beat the Houston Astros 10 – 0. Cain, also struck out fourteen batters. Some were calling it the greatest game ever. And, R.A. Dickey pitched a 1-hitter for the New York Mets, who beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 9 -1. Some thought the official scorer made an error – scoring what was an error by the third baseman, a hit in the first inning. There have been five no-hitters pitched in the Majors so far this season … So I thought it time to set the record straight: Koufax, the man and the pitcher, the game, and The Game, nothing will ever come close. So much has changed. Yesterday, also, Roger Clemens’s (another former major league baseball pitcher, nicknamed, “The Rocket,” who, it could be argued, could claim, also, like Koufax, to be the greatest pitcher ever) trial for lying to a grand jury for the use of illegal steroids, went to the jury. And Lance Armstrong, the greatest racing cyclist ever, was charged, again, for cheating in his training and racing and lying about that, also.To read Jane Leavy’s account of The Game, the game, and the man, Sandy Koulfax, is to grasp and understand just how much has changed in a half century. (Wow! It’s been that long.) She writes about Koufax as she tells the story of his perfect game, inning by inning; and the last inning the ninth, she adds Vin Scully’s play-by-play radio broadcast of the game. That, too, has changed so much. You can YouTube that last inning. (Some changes are good, no doubt about that.) Scully describes the event with precise clarity and a dignity that has now been replaced by hyperbole, hysteria, and blather. Scully and Koufax are two men who represent the best of what professional means. As does the author, Jane Leavy. Even if you’re not a baseball fan the book is worth reading. It’s worth reading because it’s about a very special and unique man who became a legend. And it is also about the times, the mid-sixties, right when the world was on the cusp of changing in ways that cannot ever be reversed. We are where we are and we can’t go back; but it was fun to remember things as they were, back-in-the-day when I was coming of age and watching Sandy Koufax pitch to Mickey Mantle in the World Series. What a thrill. What a time. Thanks, Jane Leavy, for both books
—mark
