quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Backing up a bit: Koufax's early retirement was caused by a rare circulatory problem in his pitching arm. The throwing motion made blood rush to his fingertips, as it does with all pitchers. But he had trouble with the blood getting stuck there. His fingertips turned black and he had to stop until it would return to normal. Eventually he learned that this problem could not be solved, so he retired.
He is the only case of this I have ever heard of. Just a freaky thing, and we'll never know what he might have accomplished had he pitched another 5-10 years.
Koufax missed part of the 1962 season due the finger problem. It healed and he retired after the 1966 season because of elbow pain that at the time was diagnosed as arthritis. Dr. Robert Kerlan who broke in Dr. Jobe told Koufax that if he continued to pitch that he might end up with a crippled elbow. He then retired, but not because of the finger problem from 1962.