And Don’t Forget That Koufax Went Out on Top

Jim Murray, in an otherwise excellent column on Parnelli Jones quitting racing at the peak of his career, says that “Only one other man, also a Jones--Bobby--had ever quit at the height of his powers in this way.”

But Murray seems to have missed another one who quit at the top. Try this: a three-time Cy Young Award winner in his last four years in the majors. In these four years, his records were 25-5, 19-5, 26-8 and 27-9. The ERAs were 1.88, 1.74, 2.04 and 1.73. In each of his last two years, he had more than 300 innings pitched and more than 300 strikeouts.

During these four years he won four World Series games and lost two. In the Series at one point he had 27 consecutive shutout innings.

In his final official major league (World Series) game, his center fielder made three errors in one inning, two of them on one play. In the four-game Series, his teammates amassed 14 hits and two runs. They ended the Series with 33 scoreless innings in support of their pitchers.

The (final year): 1966.

The pitcher: Sandy Koufax.

His age: 30.

LARRY BERG

San Gabriel