To Koufax, it was only a game

On Oct. 6, 1965, the L.A. Dodgers and Minnesota Twins opened the first game of the fall classic.

Dodger pitching ace Sandy Koufax, who was the Cy Young winner that season, was scheduled to start for L.A. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Oct. 6 translated into the tenth of Tishri on the Hebrew calender.

During game one of the World Series, Koufax and his baffling curve spent the day in a St. Paul synagogue observing Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Meanwhile, his Dodger teammates suffered a sobering defeat, losing 8-2. The greatest southpaw ever to pitch didn't take the mound that day; instead, he took refuge in the House that God Built.

Koufax went on to pitch two shutouts in games five and seven to lead the Dodgers to their second World Series championship in three years.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Sanford Koufax was raised in a Jewish community that was both vibrant and close-knit. His devotion to the faith was fostered within the borough while his baseball game developed in the local Jewish Community clubs.

His hard work payed off. From 1962 to 1966, Koufax amassed a 111-34 record in a Dodgers uniform, pitching four no-hitters and winning three Cy Young awards, five ERA titles, and a Most Valuable Player award. During his three World Series appearances, his overall ERA was an astonishing 0.95.

Because of severe arthritis in his pitching arm, Koufax retired in 1966 at the age of thirty, cutting short a legendary career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. And while Koufax certainly earned his place in the Hall with his courageous performances and brilliant statistics, it was his perspective of the game in the whole of his life that cemented his seat in Cooperstown.

Sandy Koufax displayed what few modern athletes can claim for themselves: integrity. Despite the fact that Koufax was the most dominant pitcher of the 1960's, placing baseball second made himself a legend among Jewish athletes and a genuine role model for any kid of any belief.