Editing Sandy Koufax (section)

===Salary dispute===
After his successful 1963 season, Koufax asked the Dodgers for a salary raise to $75,000, later writing in his autobiography: "I felt I was entitled to a healthy raise. Like double of the $35,000 I had received the year before, plus another $5,000 for good measure, good conduct, and good luck. They could hardly say I didn't deserve it."<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], p. 278.</ref> However, during his meeting with Dodgers general manager [[Buzzie Bavasi]], the latter stated Koufax had not earned such a big raise, using numerous excuses to justify his stance, including that he had not pitched enough innings the year before. Bavasi instead offered him $65,000.<ref>[[#Leahy|Leahy]], p. 147–151.</ref>

Angered at Bavasi's reasoning, Koufax held his ground. After tense negotiations, the pair finally agreed to $70,000 and Koufax signed just before the team was about to leave for [[spring training]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Koufax Signs $70,000 Contract As Dodgers Double His Salary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/29/archives/koufax-signs-70000-contract-as-dodgers-double-his-salary.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=United Press International |date=February 29, 1964}}</ref> Soon after his signing, however, the ''[[Los Angeles Herald-Examiner]]'' published a story which incorrectly stated that Koufax had threatened to retire if he did not get a salary of $90,000. Shocked and angry that the story painted him as greedy, Koufax responded in an interview with [[Frank Finch]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' that he did neither of those things, saying: "I've been hurt by people I thought were my friends."<ref>[[#Leahy|Leahy]], p. 173–175.</ref>

The story continued into spring training, with the usually quiet and reserved Koufax telling his side of the negotiations to sportswriters. He strongly suspected that somebody in the front office leaked the story. Koufax dropped the matter only after both Bavasi and Dodgers owner [[Walter O'Malley]] met with him separately. However, due to the bitter negotiations and what he felt was disrespect from the front office, Koufax's relationship with both men never fully recovered.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bavasi Says Koufax Still On Good Terms |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/06/archives/bavasi-says-koufax-still-on-good-terms.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=United Press International |date=March 6, 1964}}</ref>

====1964 season====
On April 14, Koufax made the only [[Opening Day]] start of his career, pitching a 4–0 shutout against the [[1964 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]].<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Box Score: April 14, 1964 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196404140.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> In his next start, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the third inning of a 3–0 loss to the [[1964 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]], becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to throw three immaculate innings.<ref name="9pitch9strike"/> On April 22, in St. Louis, however, Koufax "felt something let go" in his arm during the first inning, resulting in three [[Hydrocortisone|cortisone shots]] in his left elbow and three missed starts.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 150.</ref>

On June 4, against the [[1964 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] in [[Connie Mack Stadium]], Koufax threw his third career no-hitter, tying [[Bob Feller]] as the only modern-era pitchers to hurl three no-hitters. He needed just 97 pitches and faced the minimum 27 batters while striking out 12. The only full-count he allowed was to [[Dick Allen]] in the fourth inning. Allen walked and was thrown out trying to [[stolen base|steal]] second base; he was the Phillies' only baserunner that day.<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], pp. 219–221; [[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 151–153.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Aaron |first1=Marc |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-4-1964-sandy-koufax-puts-everything-together-in-third-career-no-hitter/ |title=June 4, 1964: Sandy Koufax 'puts everything together' in third career no-hitter |work=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref>

On August 8, during a game against the [[1964 Milwaukee Braves season|Milwaukee Braves]], Koufax jammed his pitching elbow while diving back to second base to beat a pick-off throw by [[Tony Cloninger]]. He managed to pitch and win two more games, but on the morning after his 19th win, a shutout in which he struck out 13 batters, Koufax woke up to find his elbow "as big as his knee" and that he could no longer straighten his arm. He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician [[Robert Kerlan]] with traumatic [[arthritis]].{{efn|Dr. [[Frank Jobe]], inventor of the [[Tommy John surgery]], later disagreed with Koufax's diagnosis. He believed that Koufax suffered a torn [[Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint|ulnar collateral ligament]] but stated there were no means to diagnose or treat such an injury when Koufax was an active player.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pouliot |first1=Matthew |title=Dr. Frank Jobe: 'It could have been Sandy Koufax surgery' |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/dr-frank-jobe-it-could-have-been-sandy-koufax-surgery |work=[[NBC Sports]] |date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>}}<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], pp. 222–228; [[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 155–157.</ref> With the Dodgers out of the pennant race, Koufax did not pitch again that season, finishing with a 19–5 win-loss record and leading the National League with a 1.74 ERA and seven shutouts, and the majors with a 2.08 FIP.<ref name="bbref-skoufax"/>