Five things you didn’t know about Sandy Koufax

Most Dodgers fans know of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Cubs in 1965 along with the two World Series MVPs and three Cy Young Awards.

The Dodgers gave out Sandy Koufax bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans Thursday night.

But some things get lost in the legend of No. 32.

1. Koufax wasn’t even born a Koufax. He was born Sanford Braun, but took the name of his stepfather after his parents divorced and his mother remarried.

2. Koufax went to the University of Cincinnati, where he walked on to the basketball team and earned a partial scholarship.

3. Mr. Ed hit an inside-the-park home run (including a slide into home) against Koufax at Dodger Stadium in the 1963 episode “Leo Durocher meets Mr. Ed.” See 5:25 for your enjoyment. Koufax also made guest apperances on “Colt.45” and “Dennis the Menace.”

4. When he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, he became the youngest player to ever do so at 36 years old. The record still stands today.

5. In 2007, Koufax was drafted by the Modi’in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League at 71 years old as a tribute to the league’s inaugural season. Although, the Miracle manager partially joked he would start Koufax if the pitching legend came out of retirement.