Editorials

Dodgers’ Playoff Moment: Koufax Sweeps Yankees In 1963 World Series

The year was 1963 and the Dodgers had just won the National League pennant with a 4-2 series win against the Cardinals. They were then off to the World Series to face off with the New York Yankees, which is always a daunting task, but the Dodgers took the first two games at Yankee Stadium.

Sandy Koufax was able to outduel Yankees’ ace Whitey Ford in Game 1 and then the Dodgers were able to take the next two games to set-up a rematch of Game 1 starters in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.



Ford and Koufax went at it again as Koufax was attempting to sweep the Bronx Bombers. The game was scoreless through five as both pitchers were dominating, until Dodgers slugger Frank Howard launched a monster home run to left.

Mickey Mantle evened the score with a blast of his own in the seventh, but Maury Wills, known primarily for his speed, regained the lead for the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning and from there on it was all Koufax and the Dodgers needed to lock up the sweep.

Koufax went on to keep the Yankees’ bats quiet as he finished the game allowing just six hits on eight strikeouts in a complete game 2-1 victory and bring the Dodgers their only World Series title won at Dodger Stadium. All the Dodgers’ other World Series titles in L.A. were won on the road.

Take a look back at that memorable performance:

Staff Writer

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2 Comments

  1. What a marvelous performance by Koufax- who just ate up the vaunted Yankees. When he retired just 3 years later it was like someone had ripped my stomach out. ..Maurice H Bank

  2. I too was physically sick when he retired, like I was having something special stolen from me…. Over 50 years later, it still bugs me what he could have accomplished had he not retired so early in his career.. as far as the 63 series was concerned, beating the vaunted Yanks in 4 straight…. it was THE single greatest moment in Dodgers history until I was in attendance when Kirk Gibson hit his famous home run…. Wishing Sandy a Happy 79th birthday yesterday…. he’s my all-time greatest sports hero, bar none….

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