Today
we have a “Turn Back The Clock” card to celebrate Sandy Koufax and his
Perfect Game of September 9th, 1965, against the Chicago Cubs in what
many consider the greatest game ever pitched by BOTH pitchers:
Having been winless for just about three weeks at the time, Koufax came
in to start against the Cubs and their recent call-up Bob Hendley (the
1st 1966 card I ever got by the way).
The game would turn out to be historical for more than just Koufax and his fourth no-hitter.
Turns out for seven innings Bob Hendley would match the great lefty
frame for frame, not allowing a hit to the eventual World Champions
until Lou Johnson hit a bloop behind the second baseman to break up HIS
no-hitter.
Koufax, however, would keep going, not allowing a Cubs base-runner, let
alone a Cubs hit, striking out 14 batters in setting a new Major League
record with FOUR no-hitters, one more than Indians legend Bob Feller.
Sadly for Hendley, the lone hit he would give up didn’t even factor into
the one unearned run he would give up in the tough loss.
In the bottom of the fifth inning the Dodgers would score after a walk
to Lou Johnson, followed by a sacrifice by Ron Fairly, a steal of third
by Johnson which led to a error by catcher Chris Krug allowing Johnson
to score.
The game had a total of ONE hit and TWO base-runners, and would be the
last time the Cubs were no-hit until Cole Hamels pulled the trick in
2015.
Koufax would hold that record of four no-hitters until a guy like Nolan
Ryan came along and threw his fifth in 1981, followed by two more some ten years later giving him a total of seven, which will probably never be matched.