Why did Sandy Koufax retire so early?

Sandy Koufax, a legendary baseball player, known for his powerful pitching and dominant performance on the mound retired at the early age of 30.

One of the primary reasons for Koufax’s early retirement was his ongoing battle with arthritis, a condition that had plagued him throughout his career.

Sandy Koufax was told in April 1966 that he couldn’t pitch another season, but he did just that, winning a career-high 27 games with a 1.73 ERA.

According to an article in the New York World-Telegram and Sun, “Sandy pitches in excruciating pain that can only be overcome by his motivational urge.”

Despite receiving numerous treatments and injections, the pain and stiffness in his left elbow persisted, and Koufax ultimately decided that he could no longer continue to play at the level he expected of himself.

He famously remarked, “I’ve got a million dollars in the bank, and arthritis in my arm.” Upon his retirement, Koufax’s career ERA of 2.76 trailed only Whitey Ford among pitchers with at least 2,000 innings pitched since 1925; his.655 winning percentage ranked third among both left-handers and modern NL pitchers.