Auction Name: 2025 December 19 - 21 Winter Sports Catalog Auction

Lot Number: 82551

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/50081*82551

1956 Sandy Koufax Game Used & Signed Fielder's Glove from The Reggie Jackson Collection, PSA/DNA Authentic.

UPDATE: Koufax wears this exact style--and quite likely this exact glove--in Getty Image #51251109.

Sandy Koufax's Hall of Fame career is widely celebrated for its extraordinary peak from 1961 to 1966, but his path to greatness was far from immediate. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 as a bonus baby, Koufax struggled with control and consistency during his early seasons, including the team's final years in Brooklyn. He didn't become a dominant force until 1961, when improved mechanics and confidence transformed him into the game's most overpowering left-hander. Over the next six seasons, Koufax won three Cy Young Awards, threw four no-hitters (including a perfect game in 1965), and was instrumental in the Dodgers' World Series titles in 1963 and 1965. His 1963 season, which included 25 wins and a 1.88 ERA, cemented his status among the all-time greats.

Due to this late-career ascent, game used memorabilia from Koufax's formative years-particularly from his brief Brooklyn tenure-is notably scarce and carries exceptional appeal. Unlike the better-documented and more plentiful Los Angeles-era items, Brooklyn-period pieces reflect an earlier, less commercially saturated era of his career. Collectors place significant value on these early artifacts for their rarity and historical context, as they represent the foundational years of one of baseball's most revered and enigmatic figures.

The subject Rawlings model HH (Harvey Haddix) fielder's glove finds the iconic southpaw engaged in the final National League Championship season of Brooklyn Dodgers history, pitching 58 2/3 innings to post a record of 2-4 and an ERA of 4.91, a far cry from his five consecutive seasons as the Senior Circuit's ERA leader to close out his Hall of Fame career.

The glove exhibits substantial game use, with dark staining in the pocket that the experts theorize could be remnants of pine tar, a common tactic of the day. The leather both inside and out is supple from the effects of sweat and impact. A faded number "32" appears in marker to the left of the wrist strap, while "Koo Foo" (Sandy's nickname) is likewise written in faded marker on the exterior pinky.

The oral history of the glove suggests it was gifted to 1956 Dodgers teammate Ken Lehman (another lefty pitcher), who sold it to a collector in 1983. For a time, the glove resided in the personal collection of Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson, and an array of photographs included in the lot include those of Koufax signing the glove for Jackson (twice, as Koufax was unsatisfied with his first attempt) and Jackson posing alone with it, the latter inscribed and signed by Jackson. LOA from PSA/DNA, Authentic. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.

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