Editing Sandy Koufax (section)

====1962 season====
In 1962, the Dodgers moved from the Los Angeles Coliseum – a [[American football|football]] stadium which had a {{convert|250|ft|adj=on|round=5}} left-field line and a {{convert|40|ft|adj=on|round=5}} tall screen – to [[Dodger Stadium]]. The new park was pitcher-friendly, with a large foul territory and a relatively poor hitting background. Koufax, whose numbers were hurt by the peculiar dimensions of the Coliseum, was an immediate beneficiary of the move.{{efn|Between 1958 and 1961, while the Dodgers were at the Coliseum, Koufax's home record was 17–23, with a 4.33 ERA and 56 home runs allowed while his road record was 28–20 with a 3.57 ERA and 33 home runs allowed.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Home Like No Other: The Dodgers in L.A. Memorial Coliseum |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/a-home-like-no-other-the-dodgers-in-l-a-memorial-coliseum/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |quote=Among Dodgers pitchers, no one was hampered by the Coliseum more than Sandy Koufax—despite some great individual games there. From 1958 through 1961 Koufax was 28–20 with a 3.57 ERA and 33 home runs allowed in Dodger road games; in the Coliseum, he was 17–23, 4.33 with 56 home runs allowed.}}</ref>}}<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], pp. 127–128; [[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 116.</ref> Subsequently, he recorded what would be his first great season, leading the NL in ERA and the majors in [[hits per nine innings]], [[strikeouts per nine innings]], and FIP.<ref name="bbref-skoufax"/>

[[File:Portrait of the baseball player Sandy Koufax ca1950 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Koufax at [[Dodger Stadium]], {{circa|1962}} |alt="A man in the Los Angeles Dodgers home uniform and cap with a glove, posing in fielding position."]]

On April 24, Koufax tied his own record of 18 strikeouts in a 10–2 win over the [[1962 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in [[Wrigley Field]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN196204240.shtml |title=Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs Box Score: April 24, 1962 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> On June 13, against the Braves at [[Milwaukee County Stadium]], he hit his first career [[home run]] off future Hall of Famer [[Warren Spahn]], providing the winning margin in a 2–1 victory.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 116.</ref>

On June 30, Koufax threw his first career [[no-hitter]] against the expansion [[1962 New York Mets season|New York Mets]]; it was also the first Dodgers no-hitter since their move to Los Angeles. In the first inning, he threw an [[immaculate inning]], becoming the sixth NL pitcher and the 11th overall to throw one; he remains the only one to do so in a no-hitter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-30-1962-sandy-koufax-hurls-first-career-no-hitter-against-mets/ |last1=Aaron |first1=Marc |title=June 30, 1962: Sandy Koufax hurls first career no-hitter against Mets |work=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref><ref name="9pitch9strike">{{cite web |title=Immaculate Innings |website=Baseball Almanac |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats17.shtml }}</ref> His no-hitter, along with a 4–2 record, 73 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA, earned him the [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award|Player of the Month Award]] for June. It was the only time in his career he earned this distinction.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major League Baseball Players of the Month |website=Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mlb-players-of-the-month.shtml}}</ref>

Throughout the first half of the season, Koufax dealt with an injured pitching hand.<ref name=look-koufax/> In April, while at bat, he had been jammed by a pitch. A numbness soon developed in his left index finger and it slowly turned cold and pale. Due to his strong performance, Koufax ignored the condition, hoping it would clear up in due time. The condition worsened, however, with his whole hand turning numb by July. During a start against Cincinnati, his finger split open.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Finch |first1=Frank |title=Koufax to Return for Treatment |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-koufax-treatment/116614830/ |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 18, 1962}}</ref> A vascular specialist determined that Koufax had a crushed artery in his palm. Ten days of experimental medicine successfully reopened the artery, preventing the possibility of [[amputation]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Creamer |first1=Robert |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/03/04/an-urgent-matter-of-one-index-finger|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513192352/https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/03/04/an-urgent-matter-of-one-index-finger|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 13, 2021|title=An Urgent Matter of One Index Finger |date=March 4, 1963}}</ref>

Koufax was finally able to pitch again in September, when the team was locked in a tight pennant race with the Giants.<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], pp. 165–176; [[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 120–121.</ref> However, after the long layoff, he was rusty and ineffective in three appearances and, by the end of the regular season and in part due to Koufax's absence from the Dodgers rotation, the Giants caught up with the Dodgers and forced a [[1962 National League tie-breaker series|three-game playoff]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Plaut |first1=David |title=Chasing October: The Giants-Dodgers Pennant Race of 1962 |url=https://archive.org/details/chasingoctoberdo00plau |year=1994 |pages=84–87 |publisher=Diamond Communications|isbn=978-0912083698 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

With an overworked pitching staff, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the first game. Koufax obliged but, still being rusty, was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to [[Willie Mays]] and [[Jim Davenport]]. After winning the second game of the series, the Dodgers blew a 4–2 lead in the ninth inning of the deciding third game, losing the pennant.<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], pp. 176–177; [[#Leahy|Leahy]], pp. 54–59.</ref>