Actually, Koufax signed after playing one season of both Basketball and Baseball for the university of Cincinnati.
From Wikipedia: Koufax attended the University of Cincinnati and was a walk-on on the freshman basketball team, a complete unknown to coach Ed Jucker.[6] In spring 1954, he made the college baseball varsity team.[11] That season, Koufax went 3–1 with 51 strikeouts and 30 walks, in 31 innings.[12] Bill Zinser, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, sent the Dodgers front office a glowing report that apparently was filed and forgotten.[13]
After trying out with the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds,[14] Koufax did the same for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.[15] During his Pirates tryout, Koufax's fastball broke the thumb of Sam Narron, the team's bullpen coach. Branch Rickey, then the general manager of the Pirates, told his scout Clyde Sukeforth that Koufax had the "greatest arm [he had] ever seen."[16] The Pirates, however, failed to offer Koufax a contract until after he was already committed to the Dodgers.[17] Dodgers scout Al Campanis heard about Koufax from a local sporting goods store owner. After seeing Koufax pitch for Lafayette, Campanis invited him to an Ebbets Field tryout. With Dodgers manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson watching, Campanis assumed the hitter's stance while Koufax started throwing. Campanis later said, "There are two times in my life the hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball."[18] The Dodgers signed Koufax for a $6,000 ($52,000 today) salary, with a $14,000 ($121,000 today) signing bonus. Koufax planned to use the signing bonus as tuition to finish his university education, if his baseball career failed.[19
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08-20-2012, 05:58 PM
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