After seven years in the minors and a stint in the military, 28-year-old Jack Sanford compiled a 19-8 record for the fifth-place 1957 Phillies, striking out a league-high 188 batters and winning NL Rookie of the Year honors. He fanned 13 Cubs in one game, tying what was then a club record.
After falling to 10-13 in 1958, Sanford was dealt to San Francisco. When Sandy Koufax fanned 18 Giants on August 31, 1959, Sanford was his final strikeout victim. Though Sanford had just 12 victories in 1960, he led the NL with six shutouts. In 1962, he won 16 consecutive games, his 24-7 record sparking the Giants to the pennant. He had tough luck in the World Series after shutting out the Yankees on three hits in Game Two. He struck out 10 in a 5-3 Game Five loss, and lost 1-0 to Ralph Terry in the final contest.
Sanford pitched more than 200 innings each of his first five seasons with San Francisco and topped the NL with 42 starts in 1963. He suffered a shoulder injury in 1964 that limited him to 18 games. Moved to the bullpen by the Angels, he recorded a league-high 12 wins in relief in 1966.
