Sandy Koufax's 1965 and 1966 Seasons
Pitching through pain, Koufax was superb in his final seasons
Injured on the Basepaths
The Los Angeles Dodgers' great left-hander suffered recurring swelling in that elbow during 1964. But the serious trouble began in August, when Koufax was on second base against the Milwaukee Braves. Avoiding a pick-off attempt, he jammed his pitching arm.
Koufax won the game, his seventeenth victory of the season. He swept his next two starts, as his 100-mph fastball and hellacious curve remained overwhelming.
But after his nineteenth win---a shutout with thirteen strikeouts---Koufax's elbow was scary to behold.
As Big as a Knee
According to Koufax biographer Jane Leavy, "His elbow was as big as his knee. The only difference was his knee bent."
Robert Kerlan, the Dodgers' team physician, quickly diagnosed traumatic arthritis. It would only worsen if Koufax kept pitching.
But the Dodgers were becoming a perennial contender, largely on the pitching of Koufax, Don Drysdale and Claude Osteen. So Sandy wasn't ready to retire.
Cortisone, Codeine and a Downright Dangerous Drug
There are excellent options today for treating arthritic elbows, like arthroscopy and "Tommy John" reconstructive surgery. In the mid-1960s, however, one could only relieve the inflammation with ice and cortisone, plus take codeine-laced analgesics like Empirin for the pain. There was also Butazolidin, a powerful anti-inflammatory drug banned in the 1970s for toxicity.
Koufax used them all.
After pitching, he soaked the elbow in ice water for 30-45 minutes. He received cortisone shots every other day. He took Empirin before bed and even during games. He ate several meals a day so Butazolidin wouldn't shred his stomach.
Feeling The Heat
Another substance proved crucial to Koufax: heat. Specifically, Capsolin, which contains capsaicin.
That substance is derived from chili peppers.
Leavy explains that such blistering heat blocks the brain's pain receptors: "It is the medical equivalent of hitting your head against a brick wall."
Capsolin was so hot, Leavy writes, that most players cut it with cold cream or Vaseline. But Koufax took it straight, and generously. His teammates quickly learned that borrowing Sandy's Capsolin-drenched sweatshirts could be hazardous to their health.
Between starts, Koufax could barely lift his left arm, so he often had to comb his hair and shave with his right hand. He altered his sport coats because he couldn't straighten the damaged limb. And he acknowledged that Butazolidin and Empirin made him "half-high on the mound."
But he kept pitching. And 1965 was his best season yet.
Koufax in '65
He went 26-8, with a 2.04 earned run average, eight shutouts, 382 strikeouts and 27 complete games. He pitched a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. A famously poor hitter (lifetime batting average: .097), Sandy even had his best year at bat, with 20 hits.
The Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins in the '65 World Series. Koufax won two games, walking five batters and striking out 29. During the seventh game, pain and fatigue made his curve useless. So he shut down the Twins' heavy hitters---Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison and Earl Battey---using only his fastball.
The Last Season
In some respects, Koufax was even better in 1966. He reached a single-season career high of 27 wins, along with his lowest ERA, 1.73. His 317 strikeouts were second only to his 382 in '65. Again he pitched 27 complete games.
But the 31-year-old Koufax had long since decided that '66 would be his last season, because the pain was now nearly unbearable. He required loads of Empirin and Capsolin to beat the Philadelphia Phillies and clinch the pennant for the Dodgers on Oct. 3. Two days later, Koufax and company met the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
In Sandy's only start, three errors by Dodger centerfielder Willie Davis gave Baltimore that many unearned runs. The surging Orioles, led by Frank and Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and Dave McNally, swept the Series in four games.
Just over a month later, Koufax announced his retirement. Continuing to pitch, he explained, would render his dominant arm useless.
"I don't regret one minute of the last twelve years," he said. "But I think I would regret one year that was too many."
Sources:
Jane Leavy: Sandy Koufax, a Lefty's Legacy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2002
Tom Verducci: "The Left Arm of God," Sports Illustrated, July 12, 1999.
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