World Series: Did You Know?

"Y" had something to do with the pitcher who tossed the last ball in every Fall Classic from 1958-1969.

So I posted some time ago about the surname ending with the letter "Y" from 1958-1962, right? Well, that seemingly came to an end in the 1963 World Series. Previously, Bob Turley, Norm Sherry, Ralph Terry (Twice) and Bud Daley had tossed the last pitch in October's Classic. Terry had mixed success, giving up a walk-off to Bill Mazeroski to end the 1960 World Series, and then winning game seven, 1-0 two years later.

Sandy Koufax opposed Ralph Terry's New York Yankees in the 1963 Fall Classic. Terry didn't start a game, because the series lasted just four contests. All were won by Koufax's Los Angeles Dodgers.

Terry had followed up his 23-win season of '62 with another 17-win season in '63. 40 wins in 2 years. Normally, you are the "ace" of the staff. But this was no ordinary Yankee team. Whitey Ford and Jim Bouton each won 20. Al Downing, a rookie, won 13 games despite not making the club until June. Stan Williams had an up-and-down year (9-8), but still posted a fine ERA of 3.21. Bill Stafford, who'd been excellent the two previous seasons, struggled to a 4-8 record. Bud Daley had pitched just once in 1963, however. He earned the save on April 10th in a game against KC, but that was it for him that year. He had damaged his arm.

So who were candidates to finish the job in October?

Koufax won 25 games. His buddy Don Drysdale won 19 himself. Old pro Johnny Podres won 14. Larry Sherry was still there, by the way. But he was only able to go 2-6 that season. The closer was Ron Perranoski, who won 16 games himself. Bob Miller and Pete Richert were also part of the rotation. They would not be part of the World Series.

Koufax was deadly. He beat the Yankees 5-2 in the first game, fanning 15. Podres and Drysdale won games two and three (Don edged Jim Bouton 1-0 in an excellent pitcher's duel). Sandy then narrowly beat Whitey Ford (Who tossed a combined 2-hitter with help from reliever Hal Reniff) 2-1 in the fourth contest. It was hardly overwhelming, but the Dodgers had a sweep.

Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals had his chance to beat the New York Yankees in 1964. But it was very difficult. The right-handed pitcher went 19-12 in 1964. His nickname was "Gibby"!

Well, Gibby lost game 2, 8-3 at home. He didn't pitch too bad. But New York scored four times off Bob in 8 innings. Gibson won game 5, 5-2 in ten innings. The series went the distance. Gibson was back in game seven. Though the Yankees scored five runs off him and hit three home runs, Bob Gibson won it, 7-5.

Sandy was back in 1965. But his Los Angeles Dodgers would not face the New York Yankees. This time, it was the Minnesota Twins. Koufax actually lost game two. Don Drysdale had lost game one. Were the Dodgers in trouble.

Well, they came home for game three and won it, 5-0 behind Claude Osteen. Drysdale continued to right the ship with a 7-2 win in game four. Koufax was awesome in game five, 7-0 for the Dodgers.

Osteen lost game six, so it was back to Koufax for game seven. Sandy did it! He beat the Twins, 2-0 on a three-hitter. But Los Angeles would not be so lucky next year against Baltimore.

The 1966 World Series was Koufax's last. He retired after the season. Sandy lost game 2, 6-0 as the Dodgers made six errors. Osteen and Drysdale pitched well in games three and four. However, the Dodgers lost them both, 1-0. With that, it was a sweep for the Baltimore Orioles. Dave McNally went the distance for the O's in the fourth contest. He blanked the Dodgers on just four hits.

Bob Gibson and the Cardinals would be back themselves for the 1967 and 1968 World Series. Gibson won game 1, 2-1, game 4, 6-0, and finally game 7, 7-2. Gibby went the distance all three games. He even hit a home run in the finale. The beaten Boston Red Sox got just 14 hits off him.

Gibby looked even better the next Fall Classic. Facing the Detroit Tigers, Gibby was opposed by Denny McLain in the first and fourth contests. Gibson seemed overwhelming. He beat McLain 4-0 in the first game (Denny allowed just 3 hits and 2 earned runs over 5 innings), then 10-1 in the fourth game. St. Louis now had a 3-1 stranglehold on the World Series. But Mickey Lolich won game four at Tiger Stadium, 5-3. Back to St. Louis. McLain got some run support at last in the sixth game, as the Cards tried seven different pitchers to try and stop the Tiger onslaught.

Bob Gibson was not one of them. The year before, he faced Jim Lonborg in the seventh game. Coming into that game, both pitchers were 2-0. Now, a year later, both he and Lolich were 2-0. And once again, the seventh game had both pitchers going for a third win. And a World Series crown.

Gibson pitched well, but Curt Flood misjudged a flyball to centre by Jim Northrup in the top of the seventh. Detroit ended up with three runs that inning. They added a fourth in the top of the ninth. A Mike Shannon home run off Lolich made it 4-1 in the bottom of the frame, but St. Louis got no closer. Lolich had beaten Gibson. Detroit had beaten St. Louis.

Neither team was in the World Series in 1969. But Baltimore was back. They looked for another World Series crown against the underdog New York Mets.

It got off on the right foot for the home team (Baltimore) in the first contest. Mike Cuellar beat Tom Seaver, 4-1. But then Jerry Koosman won the second contest, 2-1. It was off to Shea Stadium for the next three games.

There, it was the Mets with a 5-0 win in game three as Gary Gentry overcame Jim Palmer. But, that really doesn't show how close it was. Tommie Agee did it all. Batting in the last of the first, he hit a Palmer pitch outta here for a 1-0 lead. Then he made two great catches in centre to keep Baltimore off the scoreboard.

Tom Seaver edged the Orioles 2-1 in extras in game four. Ron Swoboda got into the act with an excellent catch off Brooks Robinson in the top of the ninth. Though Boog Powell scored on the play, Baltimore had looked poised for more than inning.

Baltimore wasn't about to let the underdogs think it was ever gonna be easy. McNally was back after pitching so well in game two. And he pitched well in game five. Would you believe it? He even hit a home run. A two-run blast by Frank Robinson made it 3-0, Orioles in the top of the third.

Now New York needed some magic, or it was back to Baltimore. They got some in the last of the sixth. Cleon Jones was hit by a pitch after shoe polish showed that fact. Don Clendenon followed with a home run to left. 3-2.

McNally got the next three batters out. New York then got a home run from a most unlikely source the next inning. Al Weis, who was never much of a player (.219 with 7 home runs in his career), tied the game with a home run! Wow! Were these guys unreal?

Better still, Jerry Koosman had shook of his earlier troubles and held Baltimore at bay since. 1-2-3 went the O's in the eighth. The Mets? They had just been warming up in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.

Cleon Jones started the rally again. Double. An out later, it was Ron Swoboda with one of his own for a 4-3 Met lead! A Jerry Groat grounder was bobbled by Boog Powell. His toss to reliever Eddie Watt was dropped by the new pitcher. Swoboda scored! Perhaps taking McNally out hadn't been a good idea by Baltimore's manager Earl Weaver.

Weaver, though, was a genius. However, none of his task-master skills could stop the good fortune that was going the way of the hometown New York Mets in game five! Though Frank Robinson drew a walk off Koosman to start the top of the ninth, Jerry bore down again.

Powell forced Robinson. Then the other Robinson, Brooks, was retired on a fly to right. When Davey Johnson flied to Jones in left, the Mets were on top of the world in 1969!

Jerry...There's another "Y"! Koosman and the New York Mets, World Series winners the year of Woodstock? "Y" not?

Common Denominator: Don Larsen

"Pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees in the World Series, subsequently lost a game to Hoyt Wilhelm via one against."

Don Larsen came out of nowhere in 1956 to help the Yankees win the Fall Classic. He'd been 10-33 in two seasons with the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles in 1953 and 1954. (The franchise moved after 1953). But his move to New York brought about more questions than answers.

He'd went 9-2 with a nice ERA of 3.06 in '55, his first year with the Bronx Bombers. But the Brooklyn Dodgers handed him his first World Series loss in game four of the Fall Classic. The next year, Larsen went 11-5, saw his ERA climb and he posted an ERA of 3.26. These numbers are actually pretty good for a 3rd/4th starter. The Yankees used Whitey Ford as their #1 guy in the 1950s. At this point, an old teammate of Larsen's on Baltimore, Bob Turley, was seeing at lot of action on the mound. There was no question he was better than Larsen. To begin with, Bob was 14-15 on the 1954 Orioles. Larsen was 3-21. You read that right.

Bob improved to 17-13 in 1955, then slumped to 8-4. But what about the World Series that year? Larsen was hammered in game 2, not even making it out of the 2nd inning against Brooklyn. Following Don Larsen's perfect game in the fifth contest, Bob Turley went out to seal the deal at Ebbets Field in the sixth game.

And Turley had been good. 1-2-3 inning in the 1st game, with 2 K's. He'd then fanned the only batter he face in game 2. So he liked to pitch at Ebbets? Well, he'd also lost game 3 of the 1955 Classic, which would have put his team up 3-0. A year later, despite 9 2/3 innings of shutout ball, Bob lost 1-0 to Clem Labine in the sixth game. The Yankees won it in the winner-take-all seventh contest. Bob and Don did not appear.

Both made key contributions the next season and in the World Series. Don won 11, and lost just 5. Bob won 13, and lost only 6. But the difference was ERA. Turley's was 2.71 and Larsen's 3.74. In the World Series, though, Larsen came to the rescue of Turley in the 3rd game against Milwaukee.

It was time for Turley to exit without getting six man out to start the game. Larsen took over, and won the game 12-3. Turley was not done. This time, he won game six, which the Yankees needed. Larsen was beaten 5-0 in game seven, alas.

So in 1958, Turley won 21 games and 2 more in the Fall Classic, walking away with the MVP. Whitey Ford, unlike 1955-1957, did not win a single game in the World Series. Don Larsen, did. In fact, he won a key game. The Yankees trailed 2-0 against the Braves. At home for game three, Larsen and another product of the St. Louis Browns, Ryne Duren, shut 'em out, 4-0. When Larsen took the hill in game seven, he seemed poised for another win, but it was Turley in relief who got it.

So there. I've established Larsen as a solid #3 guy in the New York Yankees rotation from 1955-1958 (Don would ultimately be shipped out of New York following a disappointing 6-7 season in 1959). But in 1958, Larsen won 9 games again, and again had a good ERA, 3.07. But he should have won 10 games and not lost 6. 10-5 should have been his record.

The Baltimore Orioles rolled out a recent acquisition from Cleveland against New York on September 20, 1958. That by the name of Hoyt Wilhelm. Wilhelm was no stranger to good pitching. He'd led the league in ERA in 1952 as a rookie relief pitcher. Then, for the New York Giants in 1954, he helped that team sweep the Cleveland Indians in the World Series that year. Cleveland was soon the next stop for Hoyt. And then Baltimore late in 1958.

Wilhelm started this game at home, and Larsen matched him pitch for pitch. Though his record was just 2-10 coming in, Wilhelm made this a game for the ages.

Larsen wasn't too bad himself.

The game was in Baltimore. And after Wilhelm got New York out 1-2-3 in the top of the first, it Bob Boyd, the second batter who Larsen faced who singled. But with one out, that was the only man to reach against Don that inning. Larsen got ex-Yankee Gene Woodling out on a fly and Bob Nieman out on a liner.

Neither pitched allowed a man to first base in the 2nd. In the 3rd, it was Bobby Richardson who walked for the Yankees. Hoyt Wilhelm himself reached on an error in the bottom of the frame. Jerry Lumpe got the second Yankee walk with one down the next inning, making it to second on a passed ball. But Mickey Mantle flied to centre and Moose Skowron grounded out.

Larsen allowed a walk in the fifth and sixth, but neither scored. When he was through after six innings, Don had allowed just one hit and two walks. His successor, Bobby Shantz, wasn't so lucky. In two innings, he surrendered a run and gave up four hits. That was all Hoyt Wilhelm needed.

As it turns out, Lumpe was the last man to reach first safely off Wilhelm. He finished with no hits and no runs allowed. Hoyt fanned 8 in the no-no.

References

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Ford, Whitey, and Phil Pepe. Slick. New York: W. Morrow, 1987. Print.

Freedman, Lew. Knuckleball: The History Of The Unhittable Pitch. Sports Publishing, 2015.

Gallagher, Mark. Explosion!: Mickey Mantle's Legendary Home Runs. New York: Arbor House, 1987. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.

Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Retrosheet. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.  <www.retrosheet.org>

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 27 Feb. 2018.

Whiteford, Mike, and Taylor Jones. How To Talk Baseball. Revised ed. New York: Dembner, 1987. Print.

Common Demoninator: The Torres

"Last out of game six of the 1958 Fall Classic. Brother hit the first player to hit a home run in Atlanta Braves history."

Now, if you'd asked me that, I would have said "Hank Aaron or Eddie Mathews," but I know Aaron had singled in the Braves' last at bats in the bottom of the tenth inning of game six. Mathews struggled in the World Series that year (Hitting just .160 as his team lost in seven games to the Yankees), batted in that last inning and fanned. But he was just the second out as some dramatic stuff was going on.

The New York Yankees trailed 3-1 to the Milwaukee Braves in the 1958 World Series, and had lost to them in seven frustrating games the previous year. They simply couldn't hit Lew Burdette, who beat them three times. The trend seemed to continue in 1958, as Warren Spahn won game one at home and Burdette easily won the second game, 13-5. Mickey Mantle managed to hit two home runs off him, however.

Don Larsen and Ryne Duren combined on a 4-0 win in game three, as the action was now at Yankee Stadium. Spahn beat Whitey Ford 3-0 in game four, and suddenly, the Braves were just a win away. Burdette seemed poised to provide the coup-de-grace in game five, right there in front of the New York crowd. He battled Bob Turley, trailing only 1-0 through 5 1/2. But then the Yankees exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Turley finished with a shutout. It was heading back to Milwaukee.

The Braves led 2-1, but the Yankees made their move in the sixth again. In the top of that frame, Spahn couldn't get an out in time. The Mick singled. As did Elston Howard. Mickey motored to third on an error. Yogi Berra sent one of Warren's pitches to centre, and Mickey tagged, scoring the tying run. Ryne Duren sent the game into extras as he got the Braves 1-2-3 on K's in the bottom of the ninth.

Spahn came undone in the top of the tenth. His arm probably gave out. Gil McDougald homered to start it. Then, three singles made it 4-2, New York. The Braves needed two.

Red Schoendienst hit a grounder to second and nearly beat the throw. Two more outs was all the tall right-hander needed to square this World Series at three games each. Johnny Logan walked. Eddie Mathews fanned. Milwaukee was down to their last out, but Duren would not get it.

Duren seemed to forget about Logan, who took off towards second. No throw. Hank singled to left, and that lapse by the Yankees had cost them at least one run. 4-3. Joe Adcock bounced one into centre. Tying run ninety feet away. Winning run is any hit past the outfielders. That was it for Duren.

Bob Turley (1-1 in this Fall Classic), came in looking not for the win, but rather the save. The win would be Duren's if he could get pinch hitter Frank Torre out. But the team needed the win. I don't think Duren much cared. His job, to get the save, was now Turley's.

And Bob did just that.

Frank lined to Gil McDougald at second, the very man who'd broken the 2-2 tie in the top of the frame. Turley then came in relief of Don Larsen in game seven and beat Burdette and the Braves, 6-2. Coincidentally, it was Mathews that got on via a walk to start the bottom of the ninth. A single with two down gave the Yankees a tad of a scare. But then Schoendienst flied to Mantle in centre to end that.

Amazingly enough, that was it for the postseason as far as the Milwaukee Braves went. They nearly won in 1959, but it was the Los Angeles Dodgers that not only beat them in a two-of-three playoff, but won the Fall Classic, too.

The Braves soon had to deal with the Dodgers some more in the coming years, and after the Dodgers won again in 1963 and 1965, it was time for the Braves to make another move. They were in a Brave New World in Atlanta to start the 1966 season.

So on April 12th, 1966, in Atlanta, the Braves started their season in their new home. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who'd won the National League flag in 1960, were their opposition. Joe Torre was now their catcher. Frank had been purchased by Philadelphia after the 1961 season. He spent a good deal of time in the minors in 1963, then retired.

Joe proved to be the better of the two brothers, and this was long before his managerial career began.

But getting back to the Braves' first game in Atlanta, it was scoreless through 4 1/2. In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Joe sent a Bob Veal pitch out of the park, making it 1-0 for the home team. With the Braves trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the 13th, Joe was again going downtown.

The problem was, there wasn't anyone on base again. The Pirates held on for a 3-2 win, just as the Yankees had held on in game six of '58.

The Braves finished their inaugural season in Atlanta with a 85-77 record. Joe finished the year with 36 home runs. Aaron hit 44. Felipe Alou hit 31, but Mathews hit only 16. He'd be elsewhere in 1967. Burdette and Spahn were long gone, and the pitching staff the Braves had wasn't gonna get them near the Dodgers that year. Sandy Koufax won 27 games alone, although Drysdale was only 13-16. Tony Cloninger and Ken Johnson led the Atlanta staff that year in wins with just 14 each.

References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. "1958." Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print. pp. 331-337.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print. pp. 270-274.

Common Denominator: Haddix And Burdette

 "Opposed each other on May 26, 1959. Pitched at least once in game seven vs, the Yankees in the World Series. Won one of the game sevens they pitched vs. the mighty Bronx Bombers."

Lew Burdette gave up 12 hits over 13 innings pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves vs. The Pittsburgh Pirates on May 26, 1959. Harvey Haddix retired the first 36 batters to face him. He ended the game with 12 2/3 IP.

And poor Harvey lost the game.

The Braves had just come off back-to-back seven game Fall Classics with the mighty New York Yankees, who don't lose too many game sevens, you see. Lew Burdette was masterful in 1957 vs. the Yankees. The scored just two runs off him his first start, none in his second.

So that brings us to game seven at Yankee Stadium. Don Larsen, who like Harvey Haddix knows a thing or two about perfect games (Well, at least what was considered one at the time) started for New York. But he was over-matched.

Don left early. Lew carried a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. And there was a "4" under the hit total on the scoreboard for the home team. The Yankees went down fighting, getting three hits in their last at-bats, including one by pitcher Tommy Byrne.

However, with two down, it was Eddie Mathews taking Moose Skowron's grounder, stepping on third and ending the 1957 World Series. The Yankees took their revenge the next year, beating Burdette 6-2 at County Stadium. The Braves were up 3-1 at one point, only to see the Yankees, behind Bob Turley (2 wins and a save) battle back.

The Braves did not make it back to the Fall Classic in 1959. They lost a two-of-three playoff to the Dodgers, who were now in Los Angeles. However, they weren't the only team missing from the World Series that year. The Yankees couldn't catch the Chicago White Sox, so for just the second time in the 1950s, they weren't around in October.

It was the Pittsburgh Pirates turn the next season to make it. Harvey Haddix got to pitch. But New York looked too strong. They won game two 16-3 in Pittsburgh. Game three, 10-0 at home. Game six, 12-0 right there at Forbes Field.

Haddix put the Buckos up three games to two with a 5-2 win in game five, despite a solo home run from Roger Maris. Game seven saw Pittsburgh lead 4-0, trailed 7-4, regain the lead 9-7. Oh, they scored five runs in the bottom of the eight frame! The Pirates needed just three more outs for the championship, but no pitcher could hold the fort. Bobby Richardson got it all started with a single. While Haddix came in and got Maris this time, Mickey Mantle singled home a run to put the Yankees to within a run. A grounder by Yogi Berra scored the tying run. Haddix, the lefty, got out with no further damage.

Bill Mazeroski stepped in to begin the bottom of the ninth. The series was tied at three, the game at nine. But two pitches later, it was all over. Maz belted Ralph Terry's second offering over Berra's head in left for a dramatic finish to a wild World Series. Haddix may have lost a heartbreaker to Burdette, but the record book also shows that they were right next to each other (Chronologically) when it came to the winning pitcher in game seven against the great New York Yankees.

References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 28 July. 2016.

Koufax And Drysdale: A Most Dominating Twosome!

The Dodgers were on their way out west after the 1957 season. But that year Don Drysdale had his breakout. Sandy Koufax was also there that season, and Jackie Robinson was retired. Sandy didn't quite emerge until 1961, but what Brooklyn / Los Angeles had were two pitchers who showed up in a lot of important top tens.

Stat Set 1

Year	Pitcher	GS	Wins	K	CG	SHO	IP
1957	Drysdale		17 (4)	148 (5)		4 (2)	221.0 (10)
	Koufax			122 (9)
1958	Drysdale			131 (6)			211.2 (9)
	Koufax			131 (6)
1959	Drysdale	36 (4)	17 (7)	242 (1)	15 (8)	4 (1)	270.2 (4)
	Koufax			173 (3)
1960	Drysdale	36 (T3)		246 (1)	15 (6)	5 (2)	269.0 (5)
	Koufax			197 (2)
1961	Drysdale	37 (2)		182 (3)		3 (3)	244.0 (9)
	Koufax	35 (4)	18 (4)	269 (1)	15 (2)		255.2 (4)
1962	Drysdale	41 (1)	25 (1)	232 (1)	19 (4)	2 (10)	314.1 (1)
	Koufax					2 (10)
1963	Drysdale	42 (1)	19 (6)	251 (3)	17 (5)		315.1 (2)
	Koufax	40(3)	25 (1)	306 (1)	20 (2)	11 (1)	311 (3)
1964	Drysdale	40 (1)	18 (8)	237 (3)	21 (2)	5 (2)	321.1 (1)
	Koufax		19 (4)	233 (4)	15 (6)	7 (1)
1965	Drysdale	42 (1)	23 (3)	210 (9)	20 (3)	7 (3)	308.1 (2)
	Koufax	41 (2)	26 (1)	382 (1)	27 (1)	8 (2)	335.2 (1)
1966	Drysdale	40 (3)		177 (10)	11 (9)		273.2 (5)
	Koufax	41 (1)	27 (1)	317 (1)	27 (1)	5 (1)	323.0 (1)
Year	Pitcher	GS	Wins	K	CG	SHO	IP

Stat Set 2

Year	Pitcher	ERA	WHIP	H/9	K/9	K/BB	OBA
1957	Drysdale	2.69 (2)	1.167 (3)	8.0 (7)	6.0 (6)	2.43 (5)	.236 (4)
	Koufax
1958	Drysdale				5.6 (8)
	Koufax			7.5 (2)	7.4 (2)		.220 (1)
1959	Drysdale			7.9 (4)	8.0 (1)	2.60 (5)	.233 (3)
	Koufax
1960	Drysdale	2.84 (3)	1.063 (1)	7.2 (4)	8.2 (2)	3.42 (3)	.215 (4)
	Koufax			6.8 (2)	10.1 (1)		.207 (1)
1961	Drysdale	3.69 (9)			6.7 (4)	2.19 (10
	Koufax	3.52 (7)	1.205 (4)	7.5 (1)	9.5 (1)	2.80 (1)	.222 (1)
1962	Drysdale	2.83 (4)	1.113 (3)	7.8 (4)	6.6 (7)	2.97 (4)	.230 (4)
	Koufax	2.54 (1)	1.036 (1)	6.5 (1)	10.5 (1)	3.79 (2)	.197 (1)
1963	Drysdale	2.63 (9)	1.091 (10)		7.2 (7)	4.40 (2)
	Koufax	1.88 (1)	0.875 (1)	6.2 (1)	8.9 (2)	5.28 (1)	.189 (1)
1964	Drysdale	2.18 (2)	0.965 (2)	6.8 (2)		3.49 (8)	.207 (2)
	Koufax	1.74 (1)	0.928 (1)	6.2 (1)	9.0 (1)	4.21 (2)	.191 (1)
1965	Drysdale	2.77 (8)	1.090 (5)			3.18 (6)	.233 (9)
	Koufax	2.04 (1)	0.855 (1)	5.8 (1)	10.2 (1)	5.38 (1)	.179 (1)
1966	Drysdale					3.93 (6)
	Koufax	1.73 (1)	0.985 (2)	6.7 (2)	8.8 (1)	4.12 (4)	.205 (2)
Year	Pitcher	ERA	WHIP	H/9	K/9	K/BB	OBA

Amazingly, it could have been better, too. Koufax actually fanned 122 batters in just 104 1/3 innings in 1957, so he might have made an appearance in the top ten in K/9. In 1959, opponents batted just .235 against him, which would have been good enough for about sixth spot. But because he didn't pitch 156 innings that year (Los Angeles won a best two-of-three playoff vs. Milwaukee and Sandy threw just 153.1 innings), he did not qualify for that. Nor did his 10.2 K/9 qualify.

References

Baseball Reference (Baseball-Reference.com) http://www.baseball-reference.com/