I talk about Sandy Koufax a lot for someone who isn't Jewish and isn't a particularly big Dodgers fan. Every time Yom Kippur (or the World Series) rolls around, I find some new person to wildly discuss the story of what I consider the most courageous acts in baseball.

Jewish readers (Shana Tova to you all) or Dodgers fans (hi dad) can skip this next part, but for the rest of you, allow me to paint you a picture.

It's October 6th, 1965. It's game one of the world series, Los Angeles Dodgers against the Minnesota Twins. Sandy Koufax was the pitcher for the Dodgers, and had just a month prior pitched a perfect game, becoming the eighth person in baseball history to do so. Sandy Koufax is a big deal, and him pitching could mean the difference between a win and a loss in a world series game. But October 6th is also Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement when most Jewish people fast and spend the entire day in services. Either Koufax pitches in game one, turning his back on his Jewish heritage, or he sits the game out, likely drawing ire from fans.