SubscribeNine? Nine? Oh, Nine.
Don’t know how this slipped by, given the numerological significance of 9/9/09, but yesterday was the anniversary of Sandy Koufax’s final no-hitter, the fourth of his career and his only perfect game.
From yesterday’s “This Day in History” on History.com:
On this day in 1965, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax pitches the eighth perfect game in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.
….[A]t the peak of his baseball career, Koufax took the mound against fellow lefty Bob Hendley of the Chicago Cubs, and a pitcher’s duel for the ages ensued. The Cubs were held scoreless, while the Dodgers scored just one run, in the fifth inning. Dodger Lou Johnson walked to lead off the inning, and then advanced to second on a sacrifice. He stole third and then scored when the Cubs catcher fumbled one of Hendley’s throws. As it turned out, one run was all Koufax needed to bring home the victory. His fastballs, which seemed to rise as they reached the plate, whizzed past batters. His curveball was typically devastating, buckling batters at the knees, almost always crossing the plate as a strike after following its parabolic path. As he closed in on a perfect game, Koufax faced the middle of the Cubs order. He struck out Ron Santo and Ernie Banks in the eighth before striking out the side in the ninth to secure his first perfect game.
In addition to throwing his first and only perfect game, Koufax struck out a total of 382 batters in 1965, shattering Rube Waddell’s 1904 record by 32. He retired after the 1966 season at just 30 years old because of arthritis in his elbow.
Koufax won three Cy Young Awards (1963, 1965 and 1966), all of them unanimous.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. In 2007, the Modi’in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League made the 71-year old Koufax the final pick in the league’s inaugural player draft as a tribute to his legendary career and Jewish heritage.
Another momentous event occurred on the date in a watershed game in Mets’ history, 40 years against the Chicago Cubs.
As Art Shamsky recalls in The Magnificent Seasons, his memoir of the Mets’, Jets’, and Knicks’ championships in 1968-69:
In the top of the first inning with the Cubs at bat, a black cat appeared from underneath the stands near home plate and started walking toward the Cubs’ dugout. As if on cue, the cat moved past the Cubs’ on-deck circle and stopped. The cat just peered into the Cubs’ dugout staring at manager Leo Durocher. Then, again as if on cue, the cat ran back under the stands.
“I was on the on-deck circle,” remembered Ron Santo,” and I was very superstitious. It came out of the stands and walked right by me. Then it walked over closer to our dugout and just stared at Leo. It freaked me out a little.”
“I saw the cat come out and it was strange to say the least,” said Jerry Grote. “The look on the Cubs’ faces was priceless.”
Fergie Jenkins remembered it as well. “I was pitching in the game, but I wasn’t superstitious. The cat just casually walked in front of our dugout. Somebody tried to scare him off, but he didn’t move. He just stared at our bench. It was a little eerie.”
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