Sandy Koufax is a former Hall of Fame American baseball player. As of 2023, Sandy’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million. He is known for being a left-handed pitcher who played 12 seasons of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
Koufax is also known as the youngest player ever to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was established in 1972 when he was just 36 years old. He is considered one of baseball’s all-time great pitchers by many.
In this article, we will look at Sandy Koufax’s biography, family, relationships, death rumors, physical appearance, career, net worth, and other interesting facts about the veteran.
Sandy Koufax Wiki/ Biography
Sanford Braun was born on December 30, 1935, and is 87 years old as of 2022. Sandy, as he is known professionally, was taken to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Borough Park.
Sandy’s parents, Jack and Evelyn Braun, had a divorce when he was only three. His mother remarried when he was nine, and he had to live with her and his stepfather in Rockville Center on Long Island, where he attended Lafayette High School.
During Sandy’s high school days, he was so good at baseball. He would later start playing at the Community Center because there were no school sports available at the time. When he left high school, he went to the University of Cincinnati.
| Full Name: | Sanford Braun |
| Career Name: | Sandy Koufax |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York |
| Birthday: | December 30, 1935 |
| Zodiac Sign: | Capricorn |
| Net Worth: | $10 million |
| Age: | 87 years |
| Currently, Live In: | Brooklyn, NY |
| Nationality: | American |
| Religion: | Jewish |
| Ethnicity: | Sephardic Jews of Hungarian descent |
| College: | University of Cincinnati |
| Profession: | Former Baseball player |
| Social Media Accounts: |
Sandy Koufax Family, Wife, and Relationship, Is Sandy Koufax Still Alive?
Sandy Koufax was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Jack Braun and Evelyn Lichtenstein. There is no record of Sandy’s siblings. When his parents divorced, he had to stay with his mom and stepdad after she remarried when he was nine.
Koufax has been in three marriages. First, he married famous artist Anne Widmark in 1969. Her father is the renowned actor Richard Widmark. The couple had no children together and eventually split in 1982 for unknown reasons.
Koufax also married Kimberly Francis in 1985. The marriage lasted for 13 years, and they divorced in 1998 following a series of disagreements. He then married Jane Dee Clarke (née Purucker) in 2008. They have been together since then.
They don’t have any kids, but Koufax is the stepfather of Clarke’s daughter from her previous marriage to artist John Clem Clarke. This is what we know about the legendary baseball star as he prefers to keep his personal life secret.
A bronze statue of Sandy Koufax was unveiled outside Dodger Stadium on June 18, 2022. The statue is to honour the hall of famer for his tremendous performance during his playing days.
Is Sandy Koufax still alive?
Former Los Angeles Dodgers player and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax is alive and healthy. There are no reports about his death. He has been seen in many baseball games where he has been called severally to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
However, it is worth noting that the former star is 87 years old and may suffer from some sicknesses associated with old age. Aside from that, he appears strong and healthy.
| Father Name: | Jack Braun |
| Mother Name: | Evelyn Lichtenstein |
| Brothers Names: | N/A |
| Sister Name: | N/A |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wives Names: | Anne Widmark (m.1969- 1982)
Kimberly Francis (m.1985- 1988) Jane Dee Clarke ( m.2008) |
| Children: | None |
Physical Appearance
Sandy Koufax is known for his tall and lean physique. He is 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighs approximately 95 kg (210 lbs). He has a solid and athletic build, which contributed to his remarkable pitching ability.
Koufax had dark hair, often styled short during his playing days. Today, he has grey hair owing to old age. He has brown eyes and a well-defined facial structure. As an athlete, he enjoys casual wear.
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 95 kg (210 lbs) |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black(young days) Grey( present day) |
Career
In high school, Koufax began playing baseball. He then enrolled at the University of Cincinnati and received a basketball scholarship covering some of his tuition. He attended the baseball team’s tryouts in 1954 and was accepted as a walk-on.
Koufax had caught the attention of MLB scouts, who invited him to try out. He attended tryouts for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants, but neither team extended him a contract.
In front of manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson at Ebbets Field, Dodgers scout Al Campanis invited Koufax to test out for the team. After visiting Koufax, the Dodgers were intrigued and decided to contract him for a $6,000 salary and $14,000 signing bonus.
In 1955, Koufax skipped the Minor Leagues and joined the Dodgers right away.
On June 24, 1955, Koufax played his first MLB game against the Milwaukee Braves. He pitched two relief innings, giving up one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts.
In 12 Major League games that season, Koufax tossed 41.2 innings and had a record of 2-2, 3.02 ERA, 3.64 FIP, and 1.46 WHIP. His command was poor, and he gave out a career-low six walks every nine innings.
The following year, Koufax was able to reduce his walks, but other aspects of his statistics skyrocketed. Throughout 16 games, he recorded career-highs in ERA (4.91), FIP (5.05), and WHIP (1.62).
Koufax’s workload for the Dodgers rose during the 1957 season. A career-high 34 games saw him play, 13 of which were starts.
Koufax continued to serve as the club’s swingman in 1958, the team’s first year in Los Angeles. In 40 games, he pitched and made 26 starts.
With the Dodgers, Koufax won his first World Series title in 1959, going 2-0 against the Chicago White Sox in the Fall Classic while compiling a 1.00 ERA.
During the early 1960 season, Koufax made a trade request because he was dissatisfied with his inability to secure a regular spot in the starting rotation. At the end of the season, he considered retirement, but in 1961, he joined the Dodgers again.
Koufax had a breakthrough season, pitching a career-high 255.2 innings and setting an MLB record with 269 strikeouts. He was chosen for both National League All-Star teams that year and came in at number 18 in the MVP voting.
In 1962, the first year the Dodgers played at Dodger Stadium, Koufax continued to excel, leading the league in ERA (2.54), FIP (2.15), and WHIP (1.04).
The left-hander led the league in wins (25), ERA (1.88), and strikeouts (306) in 1963, earning the historic Triple Crown. He led the Dodgers to another World Series victory that year, winning MVP honors for his 18 innings of shutout pitching against the New York Yankees.
On September 9, 1965, Koufax threw a perfect game, moving to ninth place all-time in MLB history. In his pitch, he struck out 14 Chicago Cubs hitters. It was Koufax’s fourth career no-hitter, which at the time was a record.
Later that October, Koufax defeated the Minnesota Twins to capture his third and last World Series title. While following the Yom Kippur holiday, he could not pitch in Game 1, but he was available for Game 2 and put in a strong start.
In three starts versus the Twins, Koufax had a meager 0.38 ERA, once more winning MVP honors.
Koufax and partner Don Drysdale held out to start the 1966 season because they were dissatisfied with their pay. During the last week of Spring Training, they returned to the Dodgers.
Despite continuing to rule that season, Koufax’s final season would be his career’s most successful. He announced his retirement due to arthritic symptoms after winning his third Triple Crown and Cy Young Award.
With 86.87% of the voting, Koufax was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. The Dodgers retired Koufax’s No. 32 on June 4 of the same year.
Awards and Achievements
- Three times Cy Young Awards (1963 – 1965)
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, Unanimously (1963)
- World Series Championships. Koufax played a crucial role in helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series title three times during his career (1955, 1959, and 1963)
- Four No-Hitters (June 30, 1962, May 11, 1963, June 4, 1964, and September 9, 1965)
- Triple Crown Pitching Titles. Koufax led the National League in three major pitching categories, earning the Triple Crown for pitchers three times (1963, 1965, and 1966)
- All-Star Appearances. Koufax was selected to the All-Star Game six times during his career (1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967)
- Hall of Fame Induction. In 1972, Koufax became the youngest player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Sandy Koufax Net Worth Summary
Sandy Koyfax’s net worth is estimated at $10 million as of 2023. During his playing days, he was one of the most handsomely paid baseball players, where he made as much as 10 million dollars or even more.
At one time, he got paid $130,000 after a season holdout. That was the highest he ever got paid throughout his career. Other times, he earned $70,000 to $80,000.The truth is that if Sandy were to be playing in the present-day league, he would be double as rich as he presently is.
This is because he would have been earning more than double what he got paid those days. Regardless, he still did very well for himself and is even richer than some players today.
Currently, Sandy Koufax earns from his very own sports memorabilia website — the first and only of its kind. SPS INC., the longtime agency of the three-time World Series champion, oversees the site operations.
