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cary lichtenstein

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Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« on: June 28, 2008, 01:45:16 PM »
I was thinking this morning about other great athlete's who had physical aliments in a non contact sport like golf who were dominant like Tiger Woods who were forced to retire in their 30's.

I'm showing my age, but Sandy Koufax comes to mind. He retired at age 31 in 1966 due to an arthritic elbow. For you youngsters out there, Koufax's previous season, he was 27-9 with an era of 1.79.  His last 5 years he was 132-47, won 5 straight era titles, hurled 4 no hitters, and won 3 unanimous Cy Young Awards.

Do you know of any other great athlete's who were forced into retirement in their early 30's due to non contact physical aliments?
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Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

Pete_Pittock

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Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2008, 03:16:00 PM »
lest wie forget Lew Gehrig -36
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John_Conley

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Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2008, 04:24:17 PM »
Cary, I posted something along these lines a few days ago.  Obviously Lemieux with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  Yes, he did come back.  A few times.

Jordan with the gambling bug.  He too came back.
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Jim_Kennedy

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Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2008, 05:10:30 PM »
Georges Vezina - tuberculosis

Jimmy Pearsall -  mental illness
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"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

David_Tepper

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Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2008, 08:12:56 PM »
Gale Sayers!
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MargaretC

Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2008, 10:08:09 PM »
Quote from: John_Conley on June 28, 2008, 04:24:17 PM
Cary, I posted something along these lines a few days ago.  Obviously Lemieux with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  Yes, he did come back.  A few times.

Jordan with the gambling bug.  He too came back.


John:

With Mario Lemieux, I think his back problems more than the lymphoma lead to his retirement.  Hockey is definitely a contact sport.
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Bob_Huntley

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Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2008, 11:55:01 PM »
The thing with Sandy Koufax was interesting. The most retiring of great athletes he never was an extrovert.

As a member of Riviera C.C. back in the early seventies I would spend a great deal of time on the range but nothing quite as long as Koufax. He clearly wanted to excel at golf but after a few months his appearances became less frequent. It was not long after that he seemed to retire to Paso Robles and less and less was heard of him.

I always thought of him as one of natures gentleme.

Bob 

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Mike_Cirba

Re: Tiger Woods and Sandy Koufax
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2008, 12:02:16 AM »
Bob,

I think Sandy Koufax is likely the most mysterious, most enigmatic, and the most briefly gifted with godlike genius and talent of any sportsman during our lifetimes.

I know so little about him and part of me almost doesn't want to know any more.

What's known is enough for me, however, and in a day and age that seems more intent on destroying heros than emulating them, I'm certain I'd rather believe in a mythical Sandy than understand a flawed one.
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