Sandy Koufax

Considered one of the best pitchers in baseball history, Sandy Koufax threw the ball so fast and hard that batters watched themselves strike out against him. Studying his moves and pitches made no difference; Koufax could beat the best batter at the plate. Because Koufax played in the majors before he was really ready, he struggled to perfect his skills. For many years, he battled to control the ball. Later, Koufax, who came from a traditional Jewish family, had to overcome public scrutiny because of his religious beliefs.