Before Sandy Koufax became one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB history, he was an 18-year-old walking into the baseball offices at the University of Cincinnati on a whim. In 1954, Koufax was a basketball player at Cincinnati, but when he heard the words “New Orleans” mentioned during a meeting about the baseball team’s upcoming trip, his priorities shifted.

“I heard those two magic words, ‘New Orleans,’ and I could think of no other place in the world I would rather be,” Koufax said years later. Without hesitation, he told Coach Ed Jucker, “Coach, I’m a baseball player. I’m a pitcher. I can pitch pretty good.”

Jucker hadn’t even known Koufax could pitch. But when Koufax invited him to the gym to see for himself, Jucker was shocked. “It was almost like the wonder man, the way he could throw—the speed and the curve—you just didn’t find that.”

Koufax took the trip to New Orleans and joined the Bearcats for one season, finishing with a 3-1 record and a 2.81 ERA. In just 32 innings, he struck out 51 batters while walking 30, earning him the nickname of “wild thing.” Right fielder Ike Misali remembered, “All he needed was somebody to teach him control. A kid his age throwing 90 miles an hour—this was 1954.”

One catcher recalled that Koufax was “built like a superhuman,” but his control was nonexistent at times. In one game against a military team from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Koufax walked the first three batter, then struck out the next three on nine straight pitches.

In fact, Koufax’s control issues were such a defining part of his early presence that Coach Jucker reportedly used him to warm up on the sidelines, just to rattle opposing teams.

He would then start receiving attention from major league scouts, the Brooklyn Dodgers gave him a glowing review, the New York Giants gave him a tryout that did not go well as his nerves caused him to be wild, while Branch Rickey, who was the gm of the Pittsburgh Pirates said that he had the greatest arm he had ever seen, but Koufax committed to the dodgers before the pirates could offer him anything.

This all happened very quick for koufax, and apart of his contract gave him a bonus that would allow him to finish college if his career failed. While it would take a while for him to develop, after quitting baseball in 1960 for a brief period, he came back, made a few adjustments, and dominated the league from 1961—1966 like few ever have. And none of this would’ve happened without a chance for a free trip to New Orleans.

Jim Rice set the record of 36 double plays grounded into in 1984, then recorded the 2nd highest total of all time in 1985 at 36.