When Dodgers scout Al Campanis stood in the batter’s box to face a young Sandy Koufax during an Ebbets Field tryout, he felt like the ball being pitched in his direction was alive.
“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 second time, I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball,” he later recalled.
It took a few years for him to truly figure everything out but the player Campanis saw that day would eventually become the greatest lefty of all time.
Our Photo of the Day is an original photograph taken of Koufax after he’d signed with the Dodgers in 1955. The photo session was likely the same one that produced the image which became his Topps rookie card later that year. Koufax had yet to play in a regular season game.
Before his career was over, Koufax would own four no-hitters including a perfect game, win three Cy Young Awards and two World Series MVPs.
The 7×9 photo is among more than 1,000 being offered in RMY’s Premier Auction, which is set to close August 19.
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