I always found that it was so difficult to find baseball specific exercises. Now here is a perfect workout program for someone who is striving to be a professional baseball player.
@@timmyotoole7312 Deion was a Hall of Fame football player and a legitimate 4th or 5th outfielder in major league baseball. Danny Ainge didn't belong in the majors. Bo Jackson was probably a Hall of Famer in both sports before the hip injury. I'm a fan of both the Braves and Falcons and appreciate Deion for his contributions to both teams. Bo Jackson was probably the greatest athlete in history.
One of the thing I've noticed watching this was the Dodgers team after just winning the world series after the seventh game ,because they were in Minnesota they simply shook each other's hands and a couple pats on the back as they casually walked off the field. Now that's the kind of class you never see these days.
Watched Sandy pitch in 1965 at Crosley Field. Grace , class the way he carried himself fastball, & curve ( 12-6) was unbelievable. standing behind home plate ! Played Little League baseball in 1965 ( pitcher). Won the MVP . Koufax was a hero ; first class gentleman . Mythical athlete ! ⚾️👍 6:40
I was fortunate to interview Sandy Koufax at a little Baptist church in Plainfield N.J. in 2002. Koufax came down to attend a memorial service for former Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Joe Black who grew up in Plainfield. Black was the first African American pitcher to win a World Series game. Koufax was gracious and spent a couple of minutes talking to me about the help Black had given him as.a young pitcher. It was a thrill.
My hero, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Grew up in Brooklyn, went to Lafayette HS .. after Koufax graduated, and spent many, many days watching the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebb's Field. Those were the Greatest days.
Just as important as a player's performance on the field is the ability to actually be on the field. Anyone who had 5 great seasons then his arm falls off by 30 can't be the greatest. I'm not gonna bother trying to compare pitchers from different eras but from his era I'd put Gibson and Marichal above him.
His last season was insane, 27 wins, 317 strikeouts, and a 1.73 ERA. He won the pitching triple crown and no one was close in any category. Then he retires.
well he did have his arm swell like a grapefruit and always had to use ice,heat, shots, and pills each outing to get him through. That's why he retired.
I've had the pleasure of speaking to this man several times over the years since he lives in my town at least part of the year. He's never been anything but polite and friendly and gladly signed a baseball for me.
Casey Stengell played from 1913 on and saw Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove, Bob Feller etc. "The Jewish kid was the best of 'em," Casey said. Even though I lived in Philly my Dad brought me to the Dodger games, where I saw Sandy Koufax pitch not just once, but twice! Thanks Dad.
Not only was Sandy Koufax the greatest pitcher of my lifetime, his windup and delivery have a fluidity that makes him beautiful to watch. Not unlike young Muhammed Ali’s ring generalship, or Ted Williams’ swing, or Lynn Swans balletic catches, or Jim Ryun’s fluid running stride, it is the sheer athletic grace he brought to the game, and which has not been seen before, or since.
Different men. We won't see the likes of them today. Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson: These were my heroes, not only for the way they played but for the way they went about it.
Had the rare pleasure as a 13-year-old of meeting Sandy at a book signing in Cincinnati, autographing copies of his book just released in 1966. The next day saw him at Crosley Field as he went out and beat the Reds for win #22 out of 27 that final season. Months later he retired. Shocked everybody.
Jim Brown retired at 30. Koufax could have pitched a couple of more years-in serious pain. Both are very smart athletes. They both finished with their respective teams finishing number two. The 1965 Green Bay Packers & the 1966 Baltimore Orioles defeated their clubs. Both guys are unusually intelligent and dignified people. The best examples for the youth of today.
They say now it would have been diagnosed with needing tommy john surgery and I tried to pitch through the pain and it was nearly impossible and i gave in and went to the doctor and im sure had he been in this era he would've pitched into his late 40s(after receiving the surgery), but what i am saying is there is no way he couldve fought through the unbearable pain maybe a month into the season in 1967 but it comes to a point with a torn ucl when the bones start to rub together and become unbearable and each person reaches their final threshold before giving in and i think he was smart to do that because he would have never known he needed surgery and he most likely like he said wouldve not been able to use his arm bc the bones rubbing together eventually cause it to give out and the bones break and it then crushes the ulnar nerve in that joint and he wouldve never regained feeling in the bottom of his arm wouldve lost circulation and wouldve not been able to use it just like he didnt want to happen. so yes, he is very smart and obviously knew his body very well.
David Berger, Rocky Marciano, who retired at age 32, could have fought successfully another two or three years as champ but he also left money on the table. Same for the great heavyweight champ Gene Tunney. And how about Barry Sanders? He could have broken every rushing record there was, but got out at 30.
No one, NO ONE, can touch Koufax. Unbelievable pitcher. Can you imagine todays pampered pitchers throwing 2 complete games in a row? Awesome curve, incredible fastball. The best of the best!!!!!
He would have never made the major leagues! In his first 6 years had more losses than wins and more walks than strikeouts. In today's game he would have been out after 2 years
@@menwithven8114 The same thing happened with Nolan Ryan and the Mets. The Mets eventually gave up on him and traded him to the Angels. The rest is history.
Koufax today would be pulled after around 90 pitches just like every other pitcher in the game. He also wouldn't be able to tip his pitches so he'd have to find a way to throw his curve and his fastball from the same release point.
I have been a Dodger fan for over 60 years, which covers all of Sandy Koufax's career and all these years since he retired in 1966. The first time I saw Koufax pitch was in 1959 before he became "the Sandy Koufax". During the six years when he dominated baseball it was a joy to watch him pitch. I know I will never forget it, and it was so sad when he retired knowing that I would never see him pitch ever again.
Growing up in LA I got to see Sandy on TV a lot, but only one time live. It was 1965. Against the Giants ... and Willie Mays. Even as a 12 y.o., I knew I was witnessing two legends. The game? I can't remember much about it. I think the Dodgers won. But those Koufax vs. Mays at-bats still take my breath away.
Koufax's retirement announcement was like hearing that Bo Jackson had avascular necrosis of his hip or that Magic Johnson was infected with HIV. I felt like I could not breathe and I wanted to throw-up. Koufax, Magic and Bo provide a context for the impossibility of Tiger Woods' return to greatness.
as a teenager, i saw him pitch three times at dodger stadium...one game i got to be behind roseboro, the catcher...even now i still can't believe his arcing, sinking curveball...it was like watching a missle turn into a rainbow, a thing of majestic beauty that was completely unhittable...
During the 1963 World Series...Mickey Mantle walks back to the dugout...drops his bat...and says:"How are you supposed to hit that shit???"From 1961 to 1966...he was the best pitcher ever!!! Amazing!!!
If you compare Koufax stats with the all time great Hall of Fame pitchers (eg, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, etc) who had great long 10+ year careers, Koufax doesn’t really compare. But his greatness is measured by his 5 years of dominance, from 1962-1966, after which his career was cut short tragically by arthritis. His dominance during that 5 year period (including a 0.95 era in 57 postseason innings) is without equal.
I met Sandy Koufax Saturday 25 March 1989 in Vero Beach, Florida, during spring training...day before Easter....got his autograph, and I have a photo to prove it. Very nice man.
@@Jacobthekid28 Almost every poll and practically every Hall of Famer from that era will point to Koufax as the greatest pitcher of all-time. Go look at Pete Rose's interview on RU-vid where he discusses how unhittable Koufax was. He'll go to his grave saying Koufax was the greatest pitcher he ever faced. But what would he know? He's just the most prolific hitter in the history of the game while batting a buck fifty off of Koufax.
Koufax from 1961-66 was the best pitcher I've ever seen. Spahn and Greg Maddux were the best over a long career, and they had similar approaches to the game. Spahn once said 'Hitting is timing, and pitching is upsetting the hitter's timing'. I think even these greats would have trouble today, with the changes to the game; juiced balls, juiced players, bandbox ballparks, astroturf, lower pitching mound, shrunken strike zone, and every hitter trying to hit a homer on every pitch regardless of the count or situation. The game is all about offense now; they may as well go to slow-pitch softball.
The game isn't really about offense as much anymore. A 50-homer season is rare these days. Starters (the top end ones) have better stuff than ever and the relievers have gotten so good that stringing together multiple hits is harder than it used to be once you get the starter out of the game.
I doubt koufax would struggle. he'd just do what is current. Koufax wouldn't struggle, Ryan wouldn't struggle, and probably 100 other guys wouldn't. Neither would a lot of the hitters. Can you imagine some of these vintage players on dope?
David W Good god could you imagine a juiced Koufax or Bob Feller? Or hell, a roided-out 1968 Bob Gibson? What would the Babe have accomplished with HGH?
@@RobbyGAMEZ Or Mickey Mantle, of Willie Mays or Henry Aaron, for crying out loud. Can you imagine the kind of shots Harmon Killibrew would have sent to orbit had he taken steroids?
Vin scully who called dodger games for 50 + years, said Koufax was the greatest pitcher he had ever seen, that says it all from Koufax, drysdale, hershiser, kershaw, etc… the best of them all!!
The best one two pitching combo in baseball history was Koufax and Drysdale. What made them great was they pitched for years with very little hitting support from their teams. If you gave them just one or two runs that was enough usually.
peace2014 The really insane thing about that is just imagining how many more wins Sandy could have racked up if his teams bats were even marginally better.
@@RobbyGAMEZ I get the point, but at this point in history, does it really matter. Last year was the death knell of Wins/Losses in the Majors and all for the better.
My dad would take me to Dodger Stadium to see Sandy pitch. I was too young to remember those time's unfortunately. 2-5 years old. He told me later that whether I remembered or not, he wanted me to see him pitch. Bob Feller was his favorite growing up, but he loved Koufax just as much
I was never a Dodger fan but always a fan of unspeakable talent. But Koufax was the best I ever saw and I felt lucky every time I could watch him. Not to draw comparisons, but I feel much the same way these days when Jacob deGrom pitches. The best of his era. For a couple of hours I can be a Mets fan.
Re: 1:10 In '61 Koufax was just coming out of the doldrums and finding his game. He did all right that season but it certainly wasn't a performance that can be described as "unequalled" -- the term normally applied to his five stellar seasons from '62 - '66 - the best five years of pitching by any chucker, righty or southpaw.
I was 11 years old when I was fortunate enough to see Sandy pitch at old Forbes Field against the Pirates. He was unbelievable. My opinion, he was simply the best pitcher, EVER.
When Sandy would come out to take his warmup before a game, the smallish crowds gathered on the sidelines at Dodger Stadium would quietly applaud, like when the conductor of an orchestra appears onstage …. A bygone era, and a beautiful expression of baseball artistry
What an incrediblely calm and eloquent retirement speech. He was an incredible pitcher and it would have been awesome to see him play few more years. But I respect him so much for his decision. Too many guys destroy themselves. Because they don't know when to quit and some even end up crippled for the rest of their lives. These athletes are not gladiators. Normal fans have no idea what pro athletes have to deal with. They are still human beings!
Sanford Koufax was a 400 game winner talent wise driven to near paralysis by a foolhardy culture of toughness and stoicism that as the documentary mentions led to managers leaving their ace workhorses in ballgames for all 9 innings even when the score was 15-3 and other ridiculous scores and circumstances . Koufax like many other pitchers of his time and before then had a tremendous drive and will to persevere , but if he were around today you wonder how long he would be able to continue pitching and to what degree of success . Oh , what could have been …
if sandy Koufax is a hall of famer don mattingly should be too both careers were cut short due to injury but at the time they played they were the best in the majors
1983 he was throwing pitches for fun against the Dodgers during practice and no one could hit his ball and the general manager said we got a game today Sandy and these guys need to rest.....He was doing this almost 20 years after he retired
Fortunate to be old enough and living in LA to have seen him growing up at dodger stadium. Nobody since even comes close. Most players would love to play at his worst.
@@martqbd ...Lol...That's what Joe D. said to a reporter when they asked him what he'd be worth on today's market...At the time he was being interviewed with George Steinbrenner and that's when Joe put his arm over George's shoulder and said, "Howdy partner!" ...Well done...
I was too young to watch Koufax but I remember Gibson. It boggles the mind: of-if Koufax scowled and periodically hit batters on purpose, what would his numbers be like?
I'm not casting doubt on Gibson-he was as awesome a pitcher as Koufax. If my life depended on it, I'd rather have Gibson pitching than Koufax. I'd rather Bird took the shot than Jordan too, if my life was in the line. Jordan and Koufax are the best but Gibson and Bird were psychotic about winning.
Sandy didn't throw at you, Gibby and Drysdale and lot of pitchers did. Sandy didn't have to make you lose your concentration to strike your butt out. He was the best there was. That really is something you can't argue with. Sandy didn't have to throw at you. I rest my case. He was the damn best there was.
Amazing and the greatest pitcher ever, in my opinion. I know he developed arm trouble over time. I have heard it was from throwing too hard early in his career, but could it have been compounded from not following through with his pitch? I by no means am trying to take anything away from his form, just concerned about how he would usually fall back after the pitch. Does anyone else notice this?
Actually, it was a hard tag at second base, on his left arm, during a Cincinatti game, in 1964. He was out for a portion of the season, after that, and then developed arthritis, in that elbow. I think Dennis Menke, was the player who tagged him.
Those were the days when the NL and the AL players knew little about the other. The experience of batting against Koufax in October for the first time since maybe? March spring training or for the first time ever, almost seems unfair today. Today, opposing batters would watch Koufax pitching video religiously.
Univ. of Louisville cards baseball team played Cincinnati against sandy and norm Slusher our clean up batter hit a double off him. It was a one hit victory for him.
Today you wouldn't hear anyone asking a player what they are going to do about income after playing 11 years. The sad reality of just how overpaid players are today, and how underpaid they were back then.
Oh please don't get me started on the Pedro trade. Then Scully said Pedro was better than his brother which told me don't ever trade him. But Tommy made a mistake and said trade him because he'll never last he's too small. So we got John Shelby. Worst trade in Dodgers history.
vibra64 They’re not pampered, and Sandy was criminally underpaid and he went on strike to try and get a raise. Modern pitchers’ rotations are optimized to where their output is maximized and their risk of injury is minimized. They’re modern athletes, and there’s no point using them up in a few years like Sandy for the sake of appearing manly and tough
I will give this analogy-Being hurt, not feeling right. It was their time to get out. Sandy Koufax/Patrick Willis. May seem far fetched, but it is not! GREG I will wait replies on your thoughts. Thank you
