Meeting Sandy Koufax

By Uriel Gottesman

I lived in Borough Park (55th St.) from the middle 1940s until 1955 but in addition, lived in other sections of Brooklyn until 1966.

One of my favorite memories was the opportunity my father, brother and I had to Visit with Sandy Koufax in his home on 48th Street within a couple of days of his signing his contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

This was made possible through my father and Sandy’s father knowing each other.

My father called his father to ask if we could meet him. He said yes, so off we went.

As a 15 year old, and also a pitcher, it was a thrill to meet with who was to Become my idol. In fact I was such a fan of his, that to this day I remember his license plate number – 7K7864.

I have numerous Sandy Koufax autographs which I cherish even today.

As an aside, Sandy was an inaugural member of the Bnai Brith Sports Haal of Fame in 1991 and would be a terrific choice to receive a similar honor from this Organization.