October 6: Sweeping the Yankees

A four-game World Series sweep of the New York Yankees by the Los Angeles Dodgers was completed by Sandy Koufax on this date in 1963. Koufax combined with Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres, and ace reliever Ron Perranoski to give up only four runs in four games. Game Four was Koufax’s second victory of the series, a 2-1 game, following a 5-2 victory in Game One, in which he struck out 15, including the first five Yankees he faced. In both of his appearances, Koufax pitched complete games. The World Series capped a remarkable season for the lefthander, who ended with a 25-5 record, 306 strikeouts, an earned run average (per nine innings) of only 1.88, and a total of eleven shut-outs. To see him in action, look below. “I think it’s incredible because there were guys like Mays and Mantle and Henry Aaron who were great players for ten years... I only had four or five good years.” —Sandy Koufax