What can you say about Sandy Koufax in 1963? If hard pressed, you could sum it up in one word: Dominant. Out of the 40 games he started, 11 of them were shutouts. He started off the season by taking a perfect game into the 8th inning before settling with a mere no-hitter, the second out of the four he would record in his career. His walks per nine innings was an astounding 1.7, but what was more incredible was his league leading 306 strikeouts. He also led the NL in ERA with a miniscule 1.88 and wins with 25 – earning him the coveted Pitcher’s Triple Crown.

His tremendous season led to the first ever unanimous Cy Young Award vote and he was named the NL’s Most Valuable Player, only the second time a pitcher won both the Cy Yong and his league MVP Awards in the same season. Koufax’s phenomenal season extended into the post season where he handcuffed the Yankees lineup in Game 1 of the World Series, striking out 15 batters for a new record. Koufax came back for Game 4 where his 2-1 victory against Whitey Ford completed LA’s four-game sweep of their age-old rivals from New York. A conversation overhead after Game 1 between Yankees catcher Yogi Berra and Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills completely sums up Sandy Koufax in 1963:

Yogi: I can see how he won 25 games. What I don't understand is how he lost five.

Maury: He didn't. We lost them for him.

Sandy Koufax donned this classic Dodgers road flannel jersey during that magical summer of 1963. The Rawlings gray road jersey has “Los Angeles” in blue felt script across the chest above Koufax’s number “32” in bright red felt. A Rawlings size 44 label is sewn in the lower left front tail and “Koufax 63” is chain stitched below in blue thread. The greatest lefty in Dodgers history has signed the jersey above the label in blue marker, adding “1963 W.S. Champs.” A washing instruction label is sewn inside the left front tail along with a “SET 1 1963” hangtag. The back of the jersey has Sandy’s number “32” in blue felt, completing this museum-ready gamer. The jersey shows moderate use and wear. With the exception of the top button that has been removed, the jersey retains all its original plastic buttons. There is a single small pull in the fabric located in the lower right front tail that does not affect the display quality or structure of the fabric in any way. The lettering is completely original to the jersey and exhibits medium wear consistent with the rest of the piece, with some loose separation seen on the upper portion of the “2” on the back.

Rarely does a game-worn Koufax jersey appear at auction. His 1955 jersey recently sold for $667,000. Although that jersey was significant for it being worn during his rookie year, this 1963 jersey was donned by the Dodgers ace during one of the greatest single-season pitching performances in the history of the game. This is only the eighth Sandy Koufax jersey we can recall having ever seen at public auction. Its rarity is underlined by the fact that it is one of just three Sandy Koufax jerseys fully authenticated and listed in the Mears census, not to mentioin the highest-graded example as well. A true artifact of baseball history that would be the centerpiece of a Hall of Fame or Smithsonian exhibit. The jersey comes with an LOA from MEARS (312740) for the game use, grading it a near-perfect A9.5 and an LOA from Bob Case, Vice President of the International Boxing Association, who had Koufax sign the jersey at a lunch meeting in 2015. This jersey also comes with a LOA from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A89877) for the signature.

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