After years of flying under the radar, Sandy Koufax will have a more official role with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He'll serve in an advisory role to one of the owners, Mark Walter, the team announced Tuesday.
Koufax will be with the team for part of spring training to work with pitchers, and he'll be consulted throughout the season.
Koufax, a private man, has dropped by the Dodgers' spring camps from time to time, but he has preferred to do so in quiet, unofficial ways.
"I'm delighted to be back with the Dodgers," Koufax said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to spending time with the team during spring training and to contributing in any way I can to help make the team a success for the fans of Los Angeles.
"Some of my most cherished memories came at Dodger Stadium."
Some of the most cherished baseball memories for older Dodgers fans came courtesy of Koufax. Considered one of the best pitchers of all time, the left-hander won four World Series and three unanimous Cy Young Awards. The youngest player, at 31, ever elected to the Hall of Fame, he threw four no-hitters, struck out more than 300 batters in a season three times and had a 0.95 World Series ERA.
Koufax, 77, lives in Florida. He served as a spring training adviser to the Dodgers from 1978 to 1989. Koufax began distancing himself from the organization when it was owned by Fox, and he was an infrequent visitor under the Frank McCourt regime.
"Sandy's experience and perspective will be invaluable as we endeavor to do everything in our power to bring the city of Los Angeles a World Series champion," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said in a statement.