The Dodgers’ hallowed records: Koufax’s Ks and no-nos
By: Mark Langill
Tags: MLB, Dodgers, History, Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax in 1965 from the 1966 Dodgers Yearbook. (Los Angeles Dodgers)

(Editor’s Note: Dodger Insider continues its series looking back at the most notable records in franchise history, contextualizing them against the modern game and providing background from various sources, including the Dodger vaults.)

Previous Versions:

Gagne’s consecutive saves

Sutton’s wins and strikeouts

Hershiser’s scoreless streak

Snider and Karros: Home run kings

Maury Wills’ stolen base marks

Steve Garvey’s consecutive games played

by Mark Langill

Four no-hitters and 382 strikeouts

“You only get one Koufax in a lifetime.” — Vin Scully

In 1965, Dodgers’ left-hander Sandy Koufax became the first pitcher in Major League history with four career no-hitters. He also set a single-season record of 382 strikeouts, surpassing the previous mark of 348 strikeouts by Bob Feller of the 1946 Cleveland Indians.

Feller was the first MLB pitcher of the modern era (post 1900) to record three career no-hitters. Feller was the first MLB pitcher to strike out 18 batters in one game, a feat Koufax was later able to accomplish against the Giants in 1959 and the Cubs in 1962.

(Los Angeles Dodgers)

In his prime, Koufax became the dominant pitcher of his generation and part of a series of Hall of Fame strikeout kings who overlapped their successor’s respective career: Feller (1936–1956), Koufax (1955–1966); Ryan (1966–1993) and Randy Johnson (1988–2009).

The difference among the quartet is Koufax’s retirement at age 30 in the prime of his career after a 27-win season in 1966 due to chronic arthritis in his left elbow. Ryan (5,714) and Johnson (4,875) rank 1–2 on MLB’s career strikeout list. Feller (2,581) is 31st; Koufax (2,396) is 51st.

Ryan led the league 11 times in strikeouts, including 301 at age 42 with the 1989 Texas Rangers. Johnson, who like Ryan pitched until age 46, led the league nine times in strikeouts. During his Angels career from 1972 to 1979, Ryan averaged 302 strikeouts and 273 innings per season. Johnson averaged 257 innings and 354 strikeouts during his first four seasons with Arizona from 1999 to 2002.

Koufax still holds the National League record for most strikeouts in a season and the most no-hitters. Ryan edged Koufax with 383 strikeouts with the 1973 Angels. Six of Ryan’s seven no-hitters were in the American League with the Angels and Rangers; the record fifth no-hitter was in Houston against the Dodgers in 1981.

While pitchers today still have a daily chance at no-hitters — there were a record nine thrown during the 2021 season — the trend of “bullpen games” and managing a starter’s “workload” likely means the extinction of a pitcher approaching the 300-inning plateau. Between 1962 and 1972, every NL season leader in innings pitched logged more than 300 innings. The last MLB pitcher to log at least 300 innings in one season was Steve Carlton of the 1980 Phillies (304). In 2021, no MLB pitcher surpassed 215 innings during the regular season.

Carl Erskine is the only other Dodger with more than one no-hitter. He no-hit the Cubs on June 19, 1952 and the New York Giants on May 12, 1956.

Behind Koufax for most single-season strikeouts in Dodger history are … Koufax. In 1966, he struck out 317 and in 1963 he K’d 306.

The Man Behind the Records

Koufax, a Brooklyn native, attended the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship. Because of his baseball potential, Koufax was the subject of a bidding war (the amateur draft didn’t begin until 1965). The Dodgers signed Koufax in December 1954 for a $14,000 bonus and $6,000 salary, which made him a “bonus baby.” According to MLB rules at the time, any player receiving a bonus of more than $4,000 had to be carried on the team’s Major League roster for two full seasons.

He made his MLB debut in June 1955 at age 19 and went 2–2 with a 3.02 ERA in 41 2/3 innings. The two victories were shutouts, including a 14-strikeout gem against the Reds. Koufax was on the 1955 World Series roster, but he didn’t pitch. He skipped Game 6 at Yankee Stadium so he could attend his day classes at Columbia University’s school of architecture, his original career goal before sports.

Koufax’s Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown. (Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport/Getty Images)

Although the bonus rule applied only to Koufax’s first two seasons, he never spent a day in the minors. His on-the-job training, though, grew frustrating at times; an erratic pitching schedule prevented routine and consistency. During his first six seasons, Koufax went 36–40 with a 4.10 ERA and 405 walks in 691 2/3 innings.

Koufax’s fortunes finally turned around during a Spring Training game in 1961. When pitcher Ed Palmquist missed the team flight to Orlando, Koufax started the game against the Minnesota Twins. During first-inning trouble, catcher Norm Sherry visited the pitcher’s mound and advised Koufax to have a little fun and not to throw so hard, especially because so few pitchers made the road trip.

A more relaxed delivery actually increased Koufax’s velocity and movement. Koufax went 18–13 in 1961 and his 269 strikeouts established a new NL record, surpassing 267 strikeouts by the Giants’ Christy Mathewson in 1903.

In his final five seasons from 1962 to 1966, Koufax went 111–34 with a 2.02 ERA. He led the league in ERA in each season and won three Cy Young Awards in an era when only one award was presented among the two leagues.

One of Koufax’s pitching philosophies was focusing on retiring the “weak” hitters in the lineup so the superstars couldn’t cause much damage with nobody on base. Indeed, he wasn’t invincible to Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (.362 lifetime average vs. Koufax), Stan Musial (.342), Roberto Clemente (.297), Orlando Cepeda (.288), Eddie Mathews (.281) and Willie Mays (.278).

A common misconception about Koufax’s control issues is the degree of his “wildness.” In 2,324 1/3 career innings, Koufax hit only 18 batters. Teammate Don Drysdale plunked 154 batters during his 14-year career, including 20 in 1961. In Drysdale’s case, he proudly never complained of control problems.

The Records

There has been only one perfect game by a Brooklyn/Los Angeles pitcher since the franchise joined the National League in 1890. Koufax retired all 27 batters in a 1–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 9, 1965. It was Koufax’s fourth no-hitter.

His others were June 30, 1962 against the Mets, May 11, 1963 against the Giants and June 4, 1964, against the Phillies, breaking Erskine’s Dodger record.

His perfect game was almost a double no-hitter as Chicago lefty Bob Hendley allowed just one hit and one walk — both to Lou Johnson. The game remains the MLB record for fewest base runners in a nine-inning contest.

A ticket stub from Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965.

Koufax faced two close calls against the Cubs. Glenn Beckert, the second batter of the game, was jammed on a curve and pulled a ball toward third baseman Jim Gilliam that skipped foul by six inches. In the second inning, Cubs’ rookie outfielder Byron Browne, a right-handed hitter making his Major League debut, chased an outside pitch and lined out to Willie Davis in center field — the hardest hit ball of the night.

The Dodgers scored in the fifth inning when Johnson walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third base and kept running when catcher Chris Krug’s throw sailed into left field. Johnson’s bloop double down the right-field line with two out in the seventh ended Hendley’s no-hit bid.

Koufax struck out 14 batters in the perfect game, including the final six batters. Joe Amalfitano, the longtime Dodgers’ third base coach who was a member of the 1965 Cubs, recalled the ninth inning of Koufax’s gem when he struck out for the second out of the ninth inning. As he walked back toward the Cubs dugout, pinch-hitter Harvey Kuenn passed him on the way to the plate. According to Amalfitano, Kuenn said, “I’ll be right back.”

On the Dodger radio network’s postgame show, broadcaster Jerry Doggett asked Koufax when he started thinking about a potential perfect game and whether he relied primarily on the fastball.

“I knew it all along,” Koufax said. “I think in the seventh inning I thought, ‘Well, I have a shot at it.’ But I also had to win the ballgame. In the fourth and fifth innings, you can’t go all out and end up with nothing left for the seventh and eighth. I thought the last three innings, I had my best stuff all night, probably all year.

“I had a real good fastball and that sort of helps your curve a little bit. I think the strikeouts were mostly on fastballs, but having the good curve didn’t hurt at all. Having the fastball meant I could get away with the curveball a little better. I wasn’t throwing it exactly for strikes in the last three innings. I was trying to keep it down low. When you have the good fastball, maybe they have to start a little quicker and chase the curveball.”

When Kuenn fanned on a 2–2 count to end the game, Koufax’s 1965 strikeout total was 322. He broke Feller’s single-season record of 348 strikeouts on September 29 against the Reds at Dodger Stadium, the second of his final three starts in which Koufax struck out 48 batters in 27 innings during an eight-day span.

That 1965 season was also the second time he beat his own Dodger single-season strikeout record. He established a new mark in 1961 when he passed Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance, who struck out 262 batters in 1924. Koufax finished with 269 strikeouts that season. He upped the record to 306 in 1963. He then finished 1965 with 382.