NEW YORK (JTA) — Sandy Koufax will spend a rare night in the spotlight when he sits down with Joe Torre to help raise money for Torre’s foundation.
Koufax, the elusive Hall of Fame pitcher for the Dodgers, will appear Feb. 27 before a crowd of 7,000 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles to benefit the Safe at Home Foundation, which aims to end the cycle of domestic abuse.
Koufax, who retired at the age of 30 because of injuries, said he agreed to speak with Torre to benefit those in need, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The former stalwart southpaw has kept such a low profile that although he gave his approval for the 2002 book "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy," he would not be interviewed by author Jane Leavy.
A Jewish sports icon, he once famously skipped his turn to pitch in the World Series because it was Yom Kippur.
Torre, the Dodgers’ manager and an All-Star player in the 1960s and ’70s, said he was shocked that Koufax agreed.
"I didn’t think he would," Torre told the Los Angeles Times. "This really is a friend indeed. He said he would do it for me, and I’m touched.
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