Bearcats Legend Sandy Koufax Celebrates 86th Birthday

Koufax attended Cincinnati to play basketball, but quickly found his calling on the pitching mound.

CINCINNATI — A Bearcats legend is celebrating their 86th birthday today. Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax pitched for UC in the 1950s and also played on the freshman basketball team under the guise of legendary coach Ed Jucker.

Koufax came to Cincinnati to play basketball, but "The Left Arm of God" found his true calling on the pitcher's bump. Jucker also helmed the baseball team, and Koufax cracked the roster in 1954. During his lone college season, the Bearcat went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 32 innings.

Happy 86th Birthday to the 🐐 #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/FcuGM6AAtT

— Cincinnati Baseball (@GoBearcatsBASE) December 30, 2021

Koufax played 12 years at the MLB level, all with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He and Oscar Robertson are neck-and-neck in the debate over the greatest UC athlete of all time.

Koufax won three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, five ERA titles, three triple crowns (leader in ERA, wins, and strikeouts), and was a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Fame inductee with the Class of 1972. His career ended abruptly at age 30 due to traumatic arthritis in his elbow.

He set a record by throwing four no-hitters in four years and tossed the eighth perfect game in MLB history. He won three World Series with the Dodgers.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Cotton Bowl Lookahead: Gauging How Balanced UC can Stay Offensively and a Prediction

Bearcats Offer Hawaii Wide Receiver Nick Mardner

Bracketology Roundup: Where Cincinnati Stands Heading Into Conference Play

Ahmad Gardner, Darrian Beavers Detail Their Development Prior to Cotton Bowl

NFL Scout: Desmond Ridder has 'Picture-Perfect' Mechanics

Bearcats Offer 2025 Forward Caleb Wilson

Linebacker Will Anderson Claims Alabama is 'the Underdog in This Game' Against Cincinnati

Cotton Bowl 'Swag Bag' Contents Revealed

Jerome Ford Tired of Being Called 'the Alabama Transfer'

Ahmad Gardner Selected by New England Patriots in Latest Mock Draft

Mike Saunders Named to AAC Honor Roll

Report: Jarron Cumberland Signing With Portland Trail Blazers

Cotton Bowl Lookahead: Cincinnati Defense Faces Toughest Test of the Season

Bearcats Offer Four-Star 2023 Center Gai Chol

Travis and Jason Kelce Named to 2021 NFL Pro Bowl Roster

Bob Huggins Eligible for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Watch: Wes Miller, Mike Saunders Talk About Non-Conference Play, win Over Tennessee Tech

Bearcats Offer Four-Star 2023 Quarterback Malachi Singleton and 2024 Running Back Kamari Bodiford

Three Things We Learned About the Cincinnati Bearcats in Non-Conference Play

Watch: Drone Show Lights up Nippert Stadium

UC Football Unveils Cotton Bowl Uniform Combination

UC Offers 2023 Winton Woods Safety Jermaine Mathews

Cotton Bowl Lookahead: Stacking the Special Teams Units

Ahmad Gardner Explains why it's Ski Mask Season

Watch: Trent Dilfer Analyzes new Bearcats Quarterback Luther Richesson

Watch: Luke Fickell Discusses 2022 Recruiting Class

Bearcats Slot in at No. 25 on Sports Illustrated's 2022 Class Rankings

2022 Recruiting Class: Morning Signees Roll in on National Signing Day

2022 Recruiting Class: Second Wave of Signees Caps off National Signing Day

Bearcats Offensive Linemen Join Forces to Help Pack Supplies for Tornado Victims

UC Moves up to No. 25 in ESPN's Latest 2022 Class Rankings

Jalen Ramsey Praises Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner and Coby Bryant After Duo Receives National Recognition

Cincinnati Lands Commitment From Three-Star 2023 Guard Evan Tengesdahl

Bearcats Offer 2023 Wide Receiver Jacob Page and 2024 Wide Receiver Tae Johnson

Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman Praises Bearcats: "I'm Gonna Be Rooting Like Heck for Them'

The All Bearcats UC Football MVPs

UC Football Lands Commitment From Elite 11 Quarterback

Wes Miller and UC Sign Two Recruits From 2022 Class

UC Football Lands Four-Star Linebacker Trevor Carter

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on All Bearcats all the time!

Follow All Bearcats on Twitter: @AllBearcats

Like All Bearcats on FaceBook: All Bearcats

Follow All Bearcats on Instagram: @BearcatsTalk