Los Angeles Times

Bill Plaschke: Sandy Koufax statue: Unveiling ceremony a time of gratitude and inclusion

LOS ANGELES — He rolled up the sheets of paper that sat in front of him, tight, tight, tighter still. Standing behind his newly unveiled statue in the center-field plaza Saturday morning, Sandy Koufax was winding up to grace Dodger Stadium with one last pitch. It was, appropriately, a breathtaking curveball. It was, stunningly, a 10-minute speech from a man who hasn’t publicly spoken that much ...
Los Angeles Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax speaks at his statue unveiling ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — He rolled up the sheets of paper that sat in front of him, tight, tight, tighter still.

Standing behind his newly unveiled statue in the center-field plaza Saturday morning, Sandy Koufax was winding up to grace Dodger Stadium with one last pitch.

It was, appropriately, a breathtaking curveball.

It was, stunningly, a 10-minute speech from a man who hasn’t publicly spoken that much in 50 years.

It was, wondrously, the humanizing of Los Angeles’ phantom legend, a rare public pulse from a pitcher whose greatness has mostly existed in Dodgers mythology.

It turns out, at age 86, he just wanted to say thank you.

“Conventional wisdom has always said don’t give an old man a microphone, he’s got too

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times4 min readAmerican Government
Nuclear Waste Storage At Yucca Mountain Could Roil Nevada US Senate Race
LOS ANGELES -- More than 3.5 million pounds of highly radioactive nuclear waste is buried on a coastal bluff just south of Orange County, California, near an idyllic beach name-checked in the Beach Boys' iconic "Surfin' U.S.A." Spent fuel rods from t
Los Angeles Times4 min read
Geopolitics And The Winner Of This Season's 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
TAIPEI, Taiwan — To hundreds of thousands of fans around the world who watched this season's finale of the hit reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," the final plea for victory from one of the contestants wasn't especially memorable. "It would mean a lot
Los Angeles Times5 min readPoverty & Homelessness
Monthly Payments Of $1,000 Could Get Thousands Of Homeless People Off The Streets, Researchers Say
LOS ANGELES -- A monthly payment of $750 to $1,000 would allow thousands of the city's homeless people to find informal housing, living in boarding homes, in shared apartments and with family and friends, according to a policy brief by four prominent

Related