The thing that often gets lost in baseball history about Sandy Koufax is how fleeting he really was.
For six years, he made a case as the best pitcher this planet has ever seen. But he also had six mediocre seasons, and arm injuries ended his glory days early.
That's not a knock on Koufax at all. Instead, it's a reminder that when someone peaks as brightly as Koufax did, even for a shortened length of time, it's hard to forget.
Blake Snell is currently putting up a Koufax-ian performance in these MLB playoffs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His outing Monday night was absurd. Snell went 8.0 innings, allowing just a lone single (which he promptly picked off first) and striking out 10.
This stat, from the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikan, might sum it all up best:
- Sandy Koufax in 1965 playoffs: 24 innings, 13 hits, two runs, five walks, 29 strikeouts
- Blake Snell in these playoffs: 21 innings, six hits, two runs, five walks, 28 strikeouts
MORE: Blake Snell joins Don Larsen in MLB playoff history
Koufax, especially in the playoffs, was like a shooting star.
Snell is there now, too.
There's something full circle about this for Snell, as well.
Five years ago, during the 2020 World Series, Snell pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Dodgers. He was pulled from a game early by Kevin Cash, and it backfired on the Rays.
The dialogue that night for some reason centered around Koufax, and how, if it had been Koufax, he would've been left in the game, but this was just Snell. It ignored that on that night, Snell was pitching at Koufax's level.
And now Snell is doing that again. This time, his manager is leaving him in games. You can't mess with greatness.
The Dodgers will be tough to beat if Snell channels Koufax a few more times.
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