Special day for Special K

Sandy Koufax 70 years ago today after his first victory in the major leagues

Sandy Koufax, then a 19-year-old rookie armed with a blazing fastball but with sporadically brilliant command of the strike zone, earns his first major league victory 70 years ago today.

The left-hander allows only two hits while striking out 14 and walking five in Brooklyn's 7-0 victory over Cincinnati before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 7,204 at Ebbets Field.

Roy Campanella (39), Jackie Robinson and Gil Hodges (14) congratulate Sandy Koufax after the game

In a microcosm of his early career wildness, Koufax in this game misses the strike zone on 53 of his 135 pitches.

The Reds swing and miss on just 11 of those 135 pitches with plate umpire Frank Secory calling 33 of Koufax’s pitches for strikes.

Koufax wins another 164 games over the next 11-plus seasons for the Dodgers with 97 of those victories coming in his final four seasons of his first-ballot, Hall of Fame career.

Koufax is one of six future Hall of Famers in Brooklyn’s lineup 70 years ago today against the Reds – joining Jackie Robinson, who is playing third base for this game; shortstop Pee Wee Reese; first baseman Gil Hodges; center fielder Duke Snider and catcher Roy Campanella.

The only hits Koufax gives up come with two outs on a first-inning single by Ted Kluszewski and a ninth-inning double by Sam Mele.

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