内容简介
Noimmortalinthehistoryofbaseballretiredsoyoung,sowell,orsocompletelyasSandyKoufax.Aftercompilingaremarkablerecordfrom1962to1966thatsawhimleadtheNationalLeagueinERAallfiveyears,winthreeCyYoungawards,andpitchfourno-hittersincludingaperfectgame,Koufaxessentiallydisappeared.SaveforhisinductionintotheHallofFameandoccasionalappearancesattheDodgerstrainingcamp,Koufaxhasremainedunavailable,unassailable,andunsullied,intheprocessbecomingmuchmorethanjustthebestpitcherofhisgeneration.HeistheJewishboyfromBrooklyn,whorefusedtopitchtheopeninggameofthe1965WorldSeriesonYomKippur,defininghimselfasamanwhoplacedfaithoverfame.ThisactmadehimthestandardtowhichJewishparentsstillholdtheirchildren.Exceptforhisautobiography(publishedin1966),Koufaxhasresolutelyavoidedtalkingabouthimself.ButthroughsheerdoggednessthatevenKoufaxcametomarvelat,JaneLeavywasabletogainhistrusttothepointwheretheytalkedregularlyoverthethreeyearsLeavyreportedherbook.WithKoufax′sblessing,Leavyinterviewednearlyeveryoneofhisformerteammates,opponents,andfriends,andemergedwithaportraitoftheartistthatisasthoroughandstylishaswashiscommandonthepitchingmound.