June 1, 1955 In a tryout with the Pirates, a Koufax fastball broke the thumb of his catcher, and Pirate G.M. Branch Rickey (forced out of Brooklyn by Walter O’Malley four years earlier) said Koufax had the greatest arm he had ever seen.

By the time the Pirates made their offer, however, Sandy had already signed with Brooklyn. “There are two times in my life the hair on my arms stood up,” said a Dodger scout. “The first time (when) I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the second time (when) I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.”