Question 1

True or false: Koufax retired at age 30 because of a chronic elbow condition.

Accepted Answer

True. Arthritis in his left elbow forced him to retire after the 1966 season, despite being at the peak of his career.

Question 2

True or false: Koufax never pitched a perfect game because he walked too many batters.

Accepted Answer

False. Koufax actually threw a perfect game on September 9, 1965, against the Chicago Cubs—one of his four no-hitters.

Question 3

True or false: Koufax refused to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series due to a contract dispute.

Accepted Answer

False. He declined to pitch Game 1 because it fell on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, honoring his faith.

Question 4

True or false: Koufax won three Cy Young Awards, all by unanimous vote.

Accepted Answer

True. He won the Cy Young in 1963, 1965, and 1966—each time unanimously, a feat unmatched at the time.

Question 5

True or false: Koufax once struck out 18 batters in a single game, setting a major league record.

Accepted Answer

True. He struck out 18 San Francisco Giants on August 31, 1959, tying the then-MLB record for a nine-inning game.

Question 6

True or false: Sandy Koufax began his MLB career as a dominant starting pitcher.

Accepted Answer

False. Early in his career, Koufax struggled with control and was used primarily as a reliever before becoming a star starter.

Question 7

True or false: Koufax was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award multiple times.

Accepted Answer

False. Warren Spahn won the Cy Young twice before Koufax’s first win in 1963; Koufax was the first to win it three times.

Question 8

True or false: Sandy Koufax once threw a no-hitter while battling a severe case of the flu.

Accepted Answer

True. Koufax pitched his first no-hitter in 1962 despite having flu-like symptoms and a fever of 102°F, showing incredible grit.

Sandy Koufax Trivia Questions