Koufax Says He’ll Remember Drysdale’s Humor and Warmth

For many, Don Drysdale’s name will forever be linked to teammate Sandy Koufax, the other half of the one-two pitching punch the Dodgers relied on in the late 1950s and 1960s. In fact, in 1966, Drysdale and Koufax held out on their contracts, seeking an unheard of $100,000.

On Sunday, a day after Drysdale died in Montreal, Koufax remained somewhat shocked by his teammate’s death.

“Don is one of those people you didn’t think anything could ever happen to,” Koufax said at an autograph show in Anaheim. “This is a very hard thing to deal with. We shared so much.

“We were young kids just starting out,” he said of their initial years in Brooklyn when Drysdale roomed with then-veteran Gil Hodges and Koufax with Carl Furillo. “It was a strange time for us on a team of many established players. I grew up in Brooklyn, so for me (being on the team) was like having my baseball cards come to life. These were exceptional people.

“Don performed well before I did. He earned a spot there at a time when all veterans didn’t exactly welcome newcomers. . . . I think we were good for each other, like a good doubles tennis team. We had some good times, but 1966 wasn’t all that fun when we lost to the Orioles (in the World Series).

“I’ll remember all the little things we shared as friends, things that will never be public. I’ll remember his humor. He was just a warm friendly human being. I just feel so sorry now for Ann and the kids, just awful.”

Koufax said many of the hundreds of fans who were paying $50 for his autograph Sunday were rather subdued as they passed, many of them offering condolences at the loss of his former teammate.

“The people have been very nice,” he said.