LOS ANGELES — Baseball legend Sandy Koufax, legendary Dodgers pitcher and immortal icon in the hearts of fans, has just announced the sad news of his deteriorating health, leaving the entire sports world in mourning. In a brief letter to the media and fans, Koufax confided:
“My body is beginning to betray me. Every pitch is now a painful memory. But if there is one last moment for me to return to Dodger Stadium — I will stand there again, even if only to see the L.A. sky…”
“Internal pain”: From perfect game to final battle
Fans once witnessed Koufax carry the Dodgers through four no-hitters, perfect games, and consecutive Cy Young wins in 1963, 1965, 1966.
But now, the left-hander famous for 2,396 strikeouts is being tormented by severe arthritis that has progressed to chronic osteoarthritis — a legacy that has left him unable to hold a bat, unable to throw a ball, and even having difficulty bending his knees to stand.
“The doctors warned us this was not temporary. The pain would be permanent,” Koufax’s family said, as he kept the image of Dodgers No. 32 etched in his mind.
“Forever a Dodger, even if my arm can’t throw” — A sob from the Bronx of the West
Koufax was more than a Dodgers legend — he was a West Coast baseball icon. Playing all 12 seasons with the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, he made his mark with pitching immortality, even after his arms were gone.
“I don’t want to be remembered as a player or a legend,” he wrote, “I just want to be remembered as someone who devoted his life to one team… and forever a Dodger.”
Though his eyes were tired, his spirit was still shining — as he confirmed at the end of his life: Dodger Stadium would still ring with his name — if only in the hearts of fans.
The baseball world prays
As soon as the news spread, the hashtags #PrayForKoufax, #LeftArmOfGod, #32ForeverDodger quickly spread on social media. Former teammates such as Don Drysdale, Frank Howard, Vin Scully also shared prayers and memories of the days when Koufax struck fear into hitters.