Nov. 18, 1966: Koufax calls it quits
"54 years ago today, Sandy Koufax suddenly announced his retirement due to a painfully arthritic elbow. He was only 30 years old.
It's possible his career could have been saved with Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, that procedure wasn't invented until eight years later.
A tale of two halves: Koufax's career was split in two starkly different halves. In the first, he was a serviceable but unspectacular young starting pitcher; in the second, he cemented a legacy as one of the greatest ever.
Age 1924: Six seasons, zero All-Star selections, 103 games started (36-40 record), five shutouts, 4.10 ERA, 1.428 WHIP, 1959 World Series champion.
Age 2530: Six seasons, six All-Star selections, 211 games started (129-47 record), 35 shutouts, 2.19 ERA, 0.970 WHIP, 5x ERA title, 3x Cy Young, 3x Triple Crown, 1963 NL MVP, 2x World Series champion, 2x World Series MVP, three no-hitters, one perfect game." Axios
The Incomparable Career of Sandy Koufax - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/10/sandy-koufax/503036/Sandy Koufax announces his retirement.
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