On this day, September 9, in 1965, Sandy Koufax — “The Last Arm of God,” now 89 and still attending games — pitched the fourth perfect game in Major League Baseball history, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium.
The game was a pitcher’s duel, with the opposing Cubs pitcher, Bob Hendley, also pitching a brilliant one-hitter. Koufax recorded 14 strikeouts, including the final six batters, and the only run of the game was unearned in the fifth inning. This was Koufax’s fourth no-hitter in four consecutive seasons, a first in MLB history, and the final no-hitter of his career.
What was even more memorable was the radio broadcast of the game by another baseball immortal — Vin Scully — who is sadly no longer with us, passing away in 2022 at age 94:
“And Koufax with a new ball, takes a hitch at his belt and walks behind the mound. I would think that the mound at Dodger Stadium right now is the loneliest place in the world…”
You can catch it on YouTube.