Rumor has it that a Koufax glove will be auctioned here in April

Jan. 19, 2009
Posted By Noah

Okay, so it’s more than rumor. The thing is actually in house and sitting in a vault somewhere known only to a few people, or to a bunch who have no hope of getting in to see it. I’m one of those people, right now at least. Being in the position I’m in, a very lucky one btw, I could call our Director of Sports, Chris Ivy, and ask him if I could arrange a viewing, or an audience, as I like to think about it, given who once wore the glove…

It was actually the editor of Heritage’s Magazine, Hector Cantu – if you know your daily comic strips then that name is familiar to you from a little strip called Baldo – who told me of the auction, and it was Ivy, who I cornered in the hallway between the break room and the rest room, where he couldn’t possible escape without answering my question, if it was true. Actually, Chris is a very pleasant man and he acknowledged my excitement with a smile and a nod, and told me I was welcome to see it.

There are a lot of big-leaguers out there whose game worn memorabilia and equipment could reduce grown men to tears, but for me, and countless other Jewish kids of mine and previous generations – Today’s kids? Meh… - Koufax was held up as a true hero of the game, and the faith. I know this blog is a secular thing, but Koufax’s Jewish-ness cannot be avoided and – let’s face it – the list great Jewish sports stars is probably almost enough to count on one hand. Agents? That’s another matter. But full-blown stars? That’s a precious few… Koufax was an amazing pitcher, of great ability, and he famously refused to pitch in Game One of the 1965 World Series on Yom Kippur, one of the Jewish high holy days. It may have bummed out a lot of Dodger fans, but it sure endeared him to Jews around the world, and the thought that one of his gloves is actually here, and that I might actually see it, and that – if I were a rich man – I could actually own it… Well that does indeed make me tear up a little bit.

More on this, I can only assume, to come….