The span of the Dodgers franchise history includes two centuries and two cities 2,223 miles apart. The legendary franchise is packed with icons and Hall-of-Famers who have altered the game in one form or another.
Names like Koufax, Robinson, Snider, and Campanella have each left their own indelible mark on the Dodgers franchise. However, determining who is the greatest among them is nearly an impossible task.
Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in major league history, not only became a Dodger legend, but he also became an iconic figure for baseball as a whole. Most would assign Robinson the title of Dodgers' greatest player.
However, writers for Major League Baseball selected southpaw legend Sandy Koufax to take the crown. Here's how they arrived at that decision:
Can you decide between Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax? The greatest of the greats extend their on-field dominance and define the legacy of their franchise. Both Robinson and Koufax did for the Dodgers. Both are revered for their impact on the sport, but Jackie was a social icon and Sandy was a model for his franchise's pitching heritage. Robinson excelled despite the incomprehensible burden of breaking down racial barriers. Koufax compiled unapproachable statistics that obscured the toughness and unselfishness necessary to pitch in constant pain. In a photo finish, it's Koufax.
Despite the MLB writers' reasoning for selecting Koufax, it's still a difficult choice to make. There's no way of knowing what a healthy Koufax might have achieved. What he did achieve was otherworldly.
Dodgers history is full of generational pitchers. Sandy Koufax, is the patron saint.
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