At the time of Koufax's signing, the
bonus rule implemented by
Major League Baseball was still in effect, stipulating that if a major league team signed a player to a contract with a signing bonus in excess of $4,000 ($ today), they were required to keep them on their 25-man active roster for two full seasons. In compliance with the rule, the Dodgers placed Koufax on their major league roster. As it subsequently turned out, Koufax never played in the
minor leagues.
Early years (1955–1960) and the
Cincinnati Redlegs, where Koufax earned his first career win|alt="A ticket from an August 1955 game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field." During his first
spring training, Koufax struggled with his new training regime and suffered from a sore arm most of the time. Having pitched fewer than twenty games in the sandlots and college combined, he did not know a lot about
pitching, such as how to properly field a ball, how to hold a runner on base, or even pitching signs, later saying, "The only signs I knew were one finger for
fastball and two for a
curve, and here there were five or six signs." Having injured his ankle in the last week of spring training, Koufax was placed on the
disabled list for 30 days; he would be activated by the Dodgers on June 8. To make room for him, they optioned their future Hall of Fame manager,
Tommy Lasorda, to their Triple-A affiliate, the
Montreal Royals. Lasorda would later joke that it took "one of the greatest left-handers in history" to keep him off the Dodgers major league roster. Koufax made his major league debut on June 24, 1955, against the
Milwaukee Braves, with the Dodgers trailing 7–1 in the fifth inning.
Johnny Logan, the first batter Koufax faced, hit a bloop single.
Eddie Mathews bunted back to the mound, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. He then walked
Henry Aaron on four pitches to load the bases before striking out
Bobby Thomson on a 3–2 fastball for his first career strikeout. Koufax ended up pitching two scoreless innings, inducing a
double play to end the bases-loaded threat and picking up another strikeout in a perfect sixth. Koufax's first start was on July 6, the second game of a
doubleheader against the
Pittsburgh Pirates. He lasted only 4.2 innings, giving up eight walks. He did not start again for almost two months. On August 27, Koufax threw a two-hit, 7–0 complete game shutout against the
Cincinnati Redlegs for his first major league win. He struck out 14 batters and allowed only two hits. His only other win in 1955 was also a shutout, a five-hitter against the Pirates on September 3. In his rookie year, Koufax threw 41.2 innings in 12 appearances, striking out 30 batters and walking 28, with a record of 2–2 and 3.02 earned run average. The
Dodgers went on to win the National League pennant and the
1955 World Series over the
New York Yankees, the first title in franchise history; however, even though he was on the World Series roster, Koufax did not appear in the series. During the fall, he had enrolled in the
Columbia University School of General Studies, which offered night classes in architecture; after the final out of Game 7, Koufax went straight to Columbia to attend class. , |alt="A young baseball player wearing a ballcap with the initial 'B'." The 1956 season was not very different from 1955 for Koufax. Despite his blazing fastball, Koufax continued to struggle with control. He saw little work, pitching only 58.2 innings with a 4.91 earned run average, 29 walks and 30 strikeouts. Notably, teammates
Jackie Robinson and
Roy Campanella both clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage, noting the young pitcher's talent and objecting to him being benched for weeks at a time. Pitcher
Don Newcombe stated years later that Koufax faced
antisemitism as a young pitcher from white players on the team who shunned him and used antisemitic slurs when referring to him. This led to black teammates rallying to Koufax's defense and supporting him during his early years. To prepare him for the 1957 season, the
Dodgers sent Koufax to
Puerto Rico to play winter ball for the
Criollos de Caguas. For the Criollos, Koufax compiled a record of 3–6 with a 4.35 earned run average and 76 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. Two of his wins were
shutouts, including a one-hitter and a two-hitter, with
Roberto Clemente getting both hits against him in the latter, his last game in Puerto Rico before being released. Besides the Dodgers, the Criollos were the only other team Koufax pitched for in his career. changing parts on a military truck at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in
Van Nuys, California|alt="Two men in military uniform at an Army base, ponder over instructions on how to change parts of a military truck." Koufax, along with fellow Dodgers pitcher
Don Drysdale, served in the
United States Army Reserve for two years, from 1957 to 1959. He was often stationed at
Fort Dix, New Jersey, during the offseason. Koufax began the 1958 season 7–3, but sprained his ankle in a collision with
Jim Bolger of the
Chicago Cubs at first base on July 5, resulting in a long layoff. Throughout the season, he was also plagued with back pain, which was caused by a benign tumor on his rib cage, necessitating him to undergo surgery in the offseason to have the growth removed. As a result, he finished the season at 11–11 and leading the majors in
wild pitches. In 1959, on June 22, he set the record for a night game with 16 strikeouts against the
Philadelphia Phillies. On August 31, against the
San Francisco Giants, he broke
Dizzy Dean's NL single-game record of 17 strikeouts and tied
Bob Feller's
Major League record of 18. That season, the Dodgers won a tight pennant race against the Giants and the
Milwaukee Braves. They faced the
Chicago White Sox in the
World Series. In his first World Series appearance, Koufax pitched two perfect relief innings in Game 1, though they came after the Dodgers were already behind 11–0. Alston gave Koufax the start in Game 5, at the
Los Angeles Coliseum. In what would have been the series-clincher, Koufax allowed only one run in seven innings but lost the game 1–0 when
Nellie Fox scored on a double play and the Dodgers failed to score a run in support. Returning to Chicago, the Dodgers won Game 6 and their first championship in Los Angeles. In early 1960, Koufax asked Dodgers general manager
Buzzie Bavasi to trade him because he believed he was not getting enough playing time, a request that was denied. On May 23, he pitched a one-hit shutout against the
Pirates, allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher
Bennie Daniels and striking out 10 batters in the process. However, the game was a highlight in an otherwise bad year for Koufax in which he went 8–13 with a 3.97 earned run average. In his first six seasons, he had posted a record of 36–40 with a 4.10 earned run average.
Nobe Kawano, the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax decided to return the following year.
Domination (1961–1964) Koufax came to regret his decision to quit, having found working in the offseason boring. He decided to give baseball another try, remarking years later, "I decided I was really going to find out how good I can be." During the offseason, Koufax underwent
tonsillectomy due to recurring throat issues and, as a result, reported to spring training thirty pounds under his normal playing weight. He later stated that it forced him to regain the lost muscle mass and weight through exercise and nutrition, allowing him to get into the "best shape" of his life. From then on, he made it a point to report to spring training under his playing weight. During spring training, Dodger scout Kenny Myers discovered a hitch in Koufax's windup, where he would rear back so far he would lose sight of the target. As a result, Koufax tightened up his mechanics, believing that not only would it help better his control but would also help him disguise his pitches better. Additionally, Dodgers
statistician Allan Roth helped Koufax tweak his game in the early 1960s, particularly regarding the importance of first-pitch strikes and the benefits of breaking pitches. On March 23, Koufax was chosen to pitch in a B-squad game against the
Minnesota Twins in
Orlando, Florida, by teammate
Gil Hodges who was acting manager for the day. As teammate
Ed Palmquist had missed the flight, leaving the team short one pitcher, Hodges told Koufax he needed to pitch at least seven innings. Prior to the game, catcher
Norm Sherry told him: "If you get behind the hitters, don't try to throw so hard." This was due to Koufax's tendency to lose his temper and throw hard and wildly whenever he got into trouble.
1961 season All the improvements and changes made in the offseason and during spring training resulted in 1961 becoming Koufax's breakout season. He posted an 18–13 record and led the majors with 269 strikeouts, breaking
Christy Mathewson's 58-year-old NL mark of 267, and doing so in 110 innings fewer than Mathewson had. That season also marked the first time in his career that Koufax started at least 30 games (35) and pitched at least 200 innings (255.2). He lowered his
walks allowed per nine innings from 5.1 in 1960 to 3.4 in 1961, led the NL with a
strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.80, and led the majors with a
fielding independent pitching mark (FIP) of 3.00.
1962 season In 1962, the Dodgers moved from the Los Angeles Coliseum – a
football stadium which had a left-field line and a tall screen – to
Dodger Stadium. The new park was pitcher-friendly, with a large foul territory and a relatively poor hitting background. Koufax, whose numbers were hurt by the peculiar dimensions of the Coliseum, was an immediate beneficiary of the move. Subsequently, he recorded what would be his first great season, leading the NL in ERA and the majors in
hits per nine innings,
strikeouts per nine innings, and FIP. On June 13, against the Braves at
Milwaukee County Stadium, he hit his first career
home run off future Hall of Famer
Warren Spahn, providing the winning margin in a 2–1 victory. On June 30, Koufax threw his first career
no-hitter against the expansion
New York Mets; it was also the first Dodgers no-hitter since their move to Los Angeles. In the first inning, he threw an
immaculate inning, becoming the sixth NL pitcher and the 11th overall to throw one; he remains the only one to do so in a no-hitter. His no-hitter, along with a 4–2 record, 73 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA, earned him the
Player of the Month Award for June. It was the only time in his career he earned this distinction. Throughout the first half of the season, Koufax dealt with an injured pitching hand. A vascular specialist determined that Koufax had a crushed artery in his palm. Ten days of experimental medicine successfully reopened the artery, preventing the possibility of
amputation. Koufax was finally able to pitch again in September, when the team was locked in a tight pennant race with the Giants. However, after the long layoff, he was rusty and ineffective in three appearances and, by the end of the regular season and in part due to Koufax's absence from the Dodgers rotation, the Giants caught up with the Dodgers and forced a
three-game playoff. With an overworked pitching staff, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the first game. Koufax obliged but, still being rusty, was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to
Willie Mays and
Jim Davenport. After winning the second game of the series, the Dodgers blew a 4–2 lead in the ninth inning of the deciding third game, losing the pennant.
1963 season In 1963, Major League Baseball expanded the
strike zone to combat what they perceived as too much offense. Compared to the previous season, walks in the NL fell 13%, strikeouts increased 6%, the league
batting average fell from .261 to .245, and runs scored declined 15%. Koufax, who had reduced his
walks allowed per nine innings to 3.4 in 1961 and 2.8 in 1962, reduced it further to 1.7 in 1963, which ranked fifth in the league. From July 3 to 16, Koufax pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings, pitching three shutouts to lower his
earned run average to 1.65. On July 20, he hit the second and last home run of his career, coincidentally again in Milwaukee; he hit a three-run shot off Braves pitcher
Denny Lemaster to propel the team to a 5–4 win; it was his only game with three
runs batted in. He threw 11 shutouts, eclipsing
Carl Hubbell's 30-year, post-1900 mark for a left-handed pitcher of 10 and setting a record that stands to this day. Only
Bob Gibson, with 13 shutouts in his iconic 1968 season (known as "the year of the pitcher"), has thrown more since. Koufax won the National League
Most Valuable Player Award, and was the first unanimous selection for the
Cy Young Award, winning at a time when only one was awarded for both leagues. He was also named the
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the first time, and was awarded the
Hickok Belt as the athlete of the year. Clinching the pennant on September 27, the Dodgers faced the heavily favored
New York Yankees in the
1963 World Series. In Game 1, Koufax beat
Whitey Ford 5–2. He struck out the first five batters and 15 overall, breaking
Carl Erskine's decade-old record of 14. The Dodgers won Games 2 and 3 behind the pitching of
Johnny Podres,
Ron Perranoski, and
Don Drysdale. Koufax completed the Dodgers' series sweep in Game 4 with a 2–1 victory over Ford; the only run he allowed was a home run by
Mickey Mantle. During the series, Koufax struck out 23 batters in 18 innings, a record for a four-game World Series, and had a 2–0 record with an earned run average of 1.50; for his performance, he was awarded the
World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Salary dispute After his successful 1963 season, Koufax asked the Dodgers for a salary raise to $75,000, later writing in his autobiography: "I felt I was entitled to a healthy raise. Like double of the $35,000 I had received the year before, plus another $5,000 for good measure, good conduct, and good luck. They could hardly say I didn't deserve it." However, during his meeting with Dodgers general manager
Buzzie Bavasi, the latter stated Koufax had not earned such a big raise, using numerous excuses to justify his stance, including that he had not pitched enough innings the year before. Bavasi instead offered him $65,000. Angered at Bavasi's reasoning, Koufax held his ground. After tense negotiations, the pair finally agreed to $70,000 and Koufax signed just before the team was about to leave for
spring training. Soon after his signing, however, the
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner published a story which incorrectly stated that Koufax had threatened to retire if he did not get a salary of $90,000. Shocked and angry that the story painted him as greedy, Koufax responded in an interview with
Frank Finch of the
Los Angeles Times that he did neither of those things, saying: "I've been hurt by people I thought were my friends." The story continued into spring training, with the usually quiet and reserved Koufax telling his side of the negotiations to sportswriters. He strongly suspected that somebody in the front office leaked the story. Koufax dropped the matter only after both Bavasi and Dodgers owner
Walter O'Malley met with him separately. However, due to the bitter negotiations and what he felt was disrespect from the front office, Koufax's relationship with both men never fully recovered.
1964 season On April 14, Koufax made the only
Opening Day start of his career, pitching a 4–0 shutout against the
St. Louis Cardinals. In his next start, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the third inning of a 3–0 loss to the
Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to throw three immaculate innings. On June 4, against the
Philadelphia Phillies in
Connie Mack Stadium, Koufax threw his third career no-hitter, tying
Bob Feller as the only modern-era pitchers to hurl three no-hitters. He needed just 97 pitches and faced the minimum 27 batters while striking out 12. The only full-count he allowed was to
Dick Allen in the fourth inning. Allen walked and was thrown out trying to
steal second base; he was the Phillies' only baserunner that day. On August 8, during a game against the
Milwaukee Braves, Koufax jammed his pitching elbow while diving back to second base to beat a pick-off throw by
Tony Cloninger. He managed to pitch and win two more games, but on the morning after his 19th win, a shutout in which he struck out 13 batters, Koufax woke up to find his elbow "as big as his knee" and that he could no longer straighten his arm. He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician
Robert Kerlan with traumatic
arthritis. With the Dodgers out of the pennant race, Koufax did not pitch again that season, finishing with a 19–5 win-loss record and leading the National League with a 1.74 ERA and seven shutouts, and the majors with a 2.08 FIP. Kerlan and Koufax established a schedule which he followed for the last two seasons of his career. Koufax initially agreed to stop throwing between starts but, as it had been a part of his routine for a long time, he soon resumed it. Instead, he stopped throwing sidearm pitches (which he often did against left-handed batters) and removed his rarely-used slider from his repertoire. Before each start, Koufax had
capsaicin-based Capsolin ointment – nicknamed the "Atomic Balm" by players – rubbed onto his shoulder and arm. Afterwards, he soaked his arm in a tub of ice to prevent swelling; during the ice treatments, he often wore a rubber sleeve fashioned from an
inner tube to prevent frostbite. If his elbow swelled up after a game, the fluid would be drained with a syringe. When necessary, he was also given a
cortisone shot in the elbow joint. For the pain, Koufax took Empirin with
codeine every night and occasionally during a game. He also took
Butazolidin, a drug used to treat inflammation caused by arthritis which was eventually taken off the market due to its toxic side effects.
1965 season Despite the constant pain in his pitching elbow, Koufax pitched a major league-leading 335.2 innings and 27 complete games, leading the
Dodgers to another pennant. He won his second pitching Triple Crown, leading the Majors in wins (26), earned run average (2.04), and strikeouts (382). He walked only 71 batters, the first time a pitcher struck out 300 more batters than he walked (311). Additionally, he held batters to 5.79 hits per nine innings, and allowed the fewest baserunners per nine innings in any season ever: 7.83, breaking his own record (set two years earlier) of 7.96. The game, which came in the middle of a heated pennant race, had been tense since it began, with Marichal
brushing back Dodgers outfielder
Ron Fairly and shortstop
Maury Wills, and Koufax retaliating by throwing over the head of
Willie Mays. After Koufax's retaliation, both benches were warned by umpire
Shag Crawford; despite this, he asked Roseboro, "Who do you want me to get?" Not wanting Koufax ejected in the middle of a crucial game, Roseboro replied, "I'll handle it." After the clubbing occurred, Koufax rushed from the mound and attempted to grab the bat from Marichal. A fourteen-minute brawl ensued in which he and Mays attempted to restore peace, with Mays dragging the injured Roseboro away from the fight. After the game resumed, a shaken Koufax walked two batters before giving up a three-run home run to Mays. While he eventually settled down and pitched a complete game without allowing more runs, the Dodgers lost the game 4–3.
Perfection On September 9, 1965, Koufax became the sixth pitcher of the modern era, and eighth overall, to throw a perfect game. The game, pitched against the
Chicago Cubs, was Koufax's fourth no-hitter, setting a then-major league record, and the first by a left-hander in the modern era. He struck out 14 batters, the most recorded in a perfect game, and at least one batter in each inning in the 1–0 win. The game also set a record for the fewest hits in a major league contest as Cubs pitcher
Bob Hendley pitched a one-hitter and allowed only two batters to reach base. Both pitchers had no-hitters intact until the seventh inning. The winning run was
unearned, scored in the fifth inning without a hit when Dodgers left fielder
Lou Johnson walked, reached second on a
sacrifice, stole third, and scored on a throwing
error by Cubs catcher
Chris Krug. The only hit was a bloop double by Johnson to shallow right in the seventh inning.
World Series and Yom Kippur decision The Dodgers won the NL pennant on the second-to-last game of the season, against the
Milwaukee Braves. Koufax started the game on two days' rest and pitched a complete game 3–1 win, striking out 13, to clinch the pennant for the Dodgers. Koufax garnered national attention when he declined to start Game 1 of the
1965 World Series as it
clashed with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Instead, Drysdale pitched the opener, but was hit hard by the
Minnesota Twins. When Dodgers manager
Walter Alston came out to remove Drysdale from the game, the latter quipped: "I bet right now you wish I was Jewish, too." In Game 2, Koufax pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one unearned); the Twins won 5–1 to take an early 2–0 lead in the series. The Dodgers fought back in Games 3 and 4, with wins by
Claude Osteen and Drysdale. With the Series tied at 2–2, Koufax pitched a four-hit shutout in Game 5, striking out 10 batters, for a 3–2 Dodgers lead. The Series returned to
Metropolitan Stadium for Game 6, which the Twins'
Jim Grant won to force a seventh, decisive game. For the series clincher, Alston decided to start Koufax on two days' rest over the fully-rested Drysdale against the Twins'
Jim Kaat. Pitching through fatigue and chronic pain, he threw a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, despite the fact he did not have his curveball and relied almost entirely on his fastball. For his performance, Koufax won the
World Series MVP Award, the first player to be awarded it multiple times. Koufax also won the Hickok Belt for a second time, also the first time anyone won the belt more than once.
Holdout In the offseason, prior to the 1966 season, Koufax and Drysdale met separately with general manager
Buzzie Bavasi to negotiate their contracts for the upcoming season. Koufax still harbored ill feelings towards Bavasi stemming from his contract dispute before the 1964 season. After his meeting, he met Drysdale and his wife Ginger for dinner, irritated that Bavasi was using his own teammate against him in the salary negotiations. Drysdale responded that Bavasi had done the same thing with him. After comparing notes, they realized that Bavasi had played each pitcher against the other. Ginger Drysdale, who had worked as a model and actress and was once a member of the
Screen Actors Guild, suggested the pair negotiate together to get what they wanted. Hence, in January 1966, Koufax and Drysdale informed the Dodgers of their decision to hold out together. In a highly unusual move for the time, they were represented by entertainment lawyer
J. William Hayes, Koufax's business manager. Also unusual was their demand of $1 million ($ million today), divided equally over the next three years, or $167,000 ($ million today) each for each of the next three seasons. They told Bavasi they would negotiate their contracts as one unit through their agent. The Dodgers refused to do so, stating it was against their policy, and a stalemate ensued. The front office began to wage a
public relations campaign against the pair. Additionally, Koufax had signed a book deal to write his autobiography,
Koufax, with author
Ed Linn. The holdout was the first significant event in baseball's labor movement and the first time major league players challenged the absolute stronghold the owners held in baseball at the time. That same year, trade unionist
Marvin Miller used the Koufax–Drysdale holdout as an argument for
collective bargaining while campaigning for players' votes during spring training; he would soon be elected by the players as first executive director of the
Major League Baseball Players Association.
1966 season and the
Philadelphia Phillies, where Koufax earned his final career win|alt="A ticket from an October 1966 game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park." In April 1966, Kerlan told Koufax it was time to retire and that his arm could not take another season. By this time, Koufax could no longer straighten his arm and it occasionally went numb, causing him to drop anything he was holding. Koufax kept Kerlan's advice to himself, having decided the year before to make 1966 his last season. He went out to pitch every fourth day, accumulating 323 innings and not missing a start. He posted a 27–9 win-loss record, with 317
strikeouts and a 1.73
earned run average, and won his third pitching Triple Crown. At
Wrigley Field, Koufax allowed only two runs (one unearned), both in the first inning, but lost by a 2–1 score. Holtzman carried a no-hitter into the 9th, allowing only one run and two hits. It was Koufax's last regular season loss. In the final game of the regular season, the Dodgers had to beat the Phillies to win the pennant. In the second game of a doubleheader, Koufax faced
Jim Bunning for the second time that season. On two days' rest, Koufax pitched a 6–3 complete-game victory to clinch the pennant, the final win of his career. During the fifth inning, Koufax injured his back while pitching to
Gary Sutherland who was pinch-hitting for Bunning. After the inning, he went to the trainer's room where the injury was diagnosed as a
slipped disc. Dodger trainers Bill Buehler and Wayne Anderson applied Capsolin on his back and, along with former Dodger
Don Newcombe, pulled Koufax in opposite directions until the disc slipped back into place. The Dodgers went on to face the
Baltimore Orioles in the
1966 World Series. As Koufax had pitched the pennant clincher just three days earlier,
Walter Alston was reluctant to start him in Game 1 for what would have been two consecutive starts on two days' rest. Instead, Drysdale started in Koufax's place; he proved to be ineffective, however, recording only six outs and losing 5–2. In Game 2, his third start in eight days, Koufax shut out the Orioles for the first four innings. However, three errors by Dodgers centerfielder
Willie Davis in the fifth inning produced three unearned runs. The only earned run allowed by Koufax was the result of Davis losing a fly ball hit by
Frank Robinson which fell for a triple; Robinson subsequently scored on a single by
Boog Powell. Koufax did not receive any run support either; Baltimore's 20-year-old future Hall of Famer
Jim Palmer pitched a four-hit shutout, and the Orioles won 6–0. Alston lifted Koufax at the end of the sixth inning with the idea of getting him extra rest before a potential fifth game. Instead, the Dodgers were swept in four games.
Claude Osteen and Drysdale both lost by a score of 1–0 in Games 3 and 4 respectively, with the offense failing to score a single run after having scored just two in Game 1.
Retirement On November 18, 1966, Koufax announced his retirement from baseball in a press conference at the
Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He cited the treatments that were required to make it possible for him to pitch regularly and the possibility of losing the use of his arm as the reasons for retiring at age 30: With the Dodgers touring
Japan at the time, nobody from the team's front office was present at the press conference. Koufax, who told
Buzzie Bavasi of his decision a few days before the conference, refused his request to delay his retirement until after the
winter meetings in order to facilitate a few deals in the Dodgers' favor or to wait until owner
Walter O'Malley returned from Japan, having already once delayed it and feeling he was being deceitful to sportswriters asking him about his future plans. In turn, Bavasi refused to attend the conference. The announcement of his retirement came as a shock, particularly to his teammates. Soon afterwards, Koufax told an incredulous
Dick Tracewski, his old Dodger roommate, that he could have continued to pitch but would have risked disability if he did so: "My arm still hurts. I can't go on doing this medication thing and
pitching. It's going to kill me... Lots of bad things could happen. I just gotta retire." Years later, Koufax stated that he never regretted retiring when he did but did regret having to make the decision to retire. Koufax's retirement ended a five-year run in which he went 111–34 with a 1.95 earned run average and 1,444 strikeouts. During that run, he led the Dodgers to three
National League pennants and two
World Series titles, in both of which he was named the series MVP. He won
Cy Young Awards in each of the pennant-winning years and also won the
NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1963. and
The Sporting News named him as
MLB Player of the Year in 1963 and 1965, and
NL Pitcher of the Year for four consecutive seasons, from 1963 to 1966. ==Career overall==