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Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy | 
 enlarge | Creators: Jane Leavy, Robert Pinsky
Publisher: HarperAudio
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $1.39
You Save: $24.56 (95%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 1128936
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
Edition: Abridged
Number Of Items: 4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 6.3 x 1.2
ISBN: 0060091347
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.357092
EAN: 9780060091347
ASIN: 0060091347
Publication Date: September 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: AUDIO CASSETTES BRAND NEW STILL IN SHRINK WRAP MAY HAVE REMAINDER MARK
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| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
No immortal in the history of baseball retired so young, so well, or so completely as Sandy Koufax. After compiling a remarkable record from 1962 to 1966 that saw him lead the National League in ERA all five years, win three Cy Young awards, and pitch four no-hitters including a perfect game, Koufax essentially disappeared. Save for his induction into the Hall of Fame and occasional appearances at the Dodgers training camp, Koufax has remained unavailable, unassailable, and unsullied, in the process becoming much more than just the best pitcher of his generation. He is the Jewish boy from Brooklyn, who refused to pitch the opening game of the 1965 World Series on Yom Kippur, defining himself as a man who placed faith over fame. This act made him the standard to which Jewish parents still hold their children. Except for his autobiography (published in 1966), Koufax has resolutely avoided talking about himself. But through sheer doggedness that even Koufax came to marvel at, Jane Leavy was able to gain his trust to the point where they talked regularly over the three years Leavy reported her book. With Koufax's blessing, Leavy interviewed nearly every one of his former teammates, opponents, and friends, and emerged with a portrait of the artist that is as thorough and stylish as was his command on the pitching mound.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 101 more reviews...
 Baseball in a different world January 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'm not a baseball, or even a sports fan, but a good biography is worth reading no matter how the subject spent his or her life. I was drawn to reading this because I happened to see Koufax pitch one of his last games. It was in Chicago, and he lost to the Cubs. I've seen maybe half a dozen pro baseball games, and that's the only one I remember at all. Leavy is a fine writer; her prose is energetic and highly readable. Any really good biography is also history, and she made the historical setting, of the days when Koufax was actively pitching, come alive. Baseball, like the rest of the world, has changed a lot in the last forty years, but if Koufax made an impression on me way back then, he must have been some phenomenon! A fine read from any angle.
Readable & Revealing April 30, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This admirable biography mixes a little baseball history with its revealing insight into one of the game's greatest pitchers. Readers learn much about Sandy Koufax, from his Brooklyn childhood, to his college basketball days, to his modest-then-stellar career with the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers from 1955-1966. As these pages show, Koufax was highly intelligent player who marched to his own drum. He also emerged from several years as a struggling southpaw into the game's most dominant hurler. During the five seasons (1962-1966) that he dominated baseball Koufax sported a phenomenal 111-34 won-loss record and 1.95 ERA - far eclipsing the game's other top hurlers. Sadly, painful arthritis in his pitching arm led him to retire (at age 30) after the 1966 season, when his superb record (27-9, 1.73 ERA) helped lead his team to another pennant. As a Jewish player, Koufax endured occasional Anti-Semitic taunts, and he made headlines by electing not to pitch the opening game of the 1965 World Series due to a major Jewish holiday. Still, many teammates thought him quite cool, and Pirates slugger Willie Stargell said that hitting against Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork.
Author Jane Levy interviewed hundreds of teammates, friends, etc., in writing this book, although Koufax himself declined to participate. His absence leads to a slight feeling of incompleteness, but this remains a very interesting and revealing effort.
It's about the great stories April 5, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'll agree with the author that Sandy was a terrific pitcher and an introvert in a sport where it seems like all the really big stars were all capitalizing on their fame. But the really great thing about the book were all the personal stories...between catcher and pitcher, Drysdale and Koufax, kids and coaches who grew up with Sandy, opposing players and managers who played against the Dodgers, etc.
Certainly there was some myth-making going on...by the author as well as many of the teammates who played with Sandy. I think that's what happens when you meet up with an extraordinary talent who enjoys his privacy on his terms.
Loved the little quotes by Ernie Banks and the one story when Mickey Mantle faced him in the world series. Baseball isn't just a fun game to play...it's the stories that are fun as well and this book tells them very well. You'll enjoy it.
A Story that Surpasses the Title! January 19, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I really do not know much about the history, stats, or events of baseball. This book was so much more than that. It makes you wish you had either known or met Mr. Koufax. This is a story that both men & women from all walks of life would love. It was a reminder that truly complex, compassionate,non-conforming men are out there. Who are not so much impressed by WHAT they do, but more about HOW they do it. Today's athlete would never make the choices and sacrifices that Mr. Koufax did. Sadly, those days are long gone.
 A Dodger Fan's Must Read October 31, 2006
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Growing up a huge LA Dodger fan, I eagerly consumed each page of this book. I received A Lefty's Legacy a few years ago, read a few chapters and put the book down as Jane was a little too down in the details about Sandy's adolescence. How he dealt with his step-father, sandlot ball and his aspirations of playing basketball provided some insight into Sandy's character, but the content was rather dry and dull.
I did find the 9 "innings" of the perfect game, interlaced in between chapters of the book (and Koufax's life) curious and interesting. But honestly, as a perfect game starts out, there is a lack of excitement...even as described within this book.
There has been criticism over Jane's inclusion of Sandy's decision to observe Yom Kippur (instead of pitching game 1 of the '65 Series) and the details surrounding Sandy's Jewish heritage. I found that chapter very telling in who Koufax was then and is now, breaking down the misconceptions of his perceived reclusive life.
For a Koufax or Dodger fan, this book is a must.
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