Koufax deals final pitch of the1963 World Series
Dodgers Hall of Fame leftie, Sandy Koufax will participate in a charity event to benefit Safe At Home, Joe Torre's foundation.
Torre, the Dodgers manager created Safe At Home while managing the N.Y. Yankees. Its goal is to raise awareness and develop educational programs aimed at ending the cycle of domestic violence and saving lives.
Koufax's participation in the February 27 event will include a Q&A session on the stage of the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. He and Torre will be joined by moderator T.J. Simers, the Los Angeles Times' columnist.
The fact that the very private Koufax will answer questions in a forum that large is surprising even to those that know him well. Dodgers legendary broadcaster Vin Scully told Simers, "I'm surprised Sandy will be doing it, but happy for him," Scully said. "He deserves a little more attention.
Stories abound about the Dodger great's devotion to remain out of the limelight but Torre told Simers it didn't take a lot to get Koufax to agree.
"I didn't think he would," said Torre, who hit two home runs off Koufax, while also striking out 15 times. "This really is a friend indeed. He said he would do it for me, and I'm touched."
The most famous tale of Koufax's reclusive nature surrounds the 2002 biography " Sandy Koufax: a Leftie's Legend" . He sanctioned the book but declined to sit for even one interview with author Jane Leavy.
Koufax can be seen periodically around the Dodgers at their stadium in Los Angeles and as an unannounced spring training instructor. He just shows up without any fanfare stunning most in attendance. Slimmer than when he played the game, Koufax still seems to glide around the baseball diamond.
Tickets to this rare evening of talk with Koufax are available via ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.
Special VIP experiences to join Koufax & Torre for dinner start at $2,500 and are available through Jennifer Lynch at (213) 742-7166.
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
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