When Nap Rucker retired in 1916, he ranked second in franchise wins for the Dodgers. Among left-handers, his 134 victories set the standard. That mark stood untouched for decades until Johnny Podres collected his 135th win on September 4, 1965.

Two weeks later, another southpaw reshaped the record book. Sandy Koufax fired a four-hit shutout and moved past Rucker while matching Podres. Koufax kept piling up wins and finished with 165 before retiring in 1966.

No-hitters also connect these Dodgers left-handers across eras. Rucker became the first Dodger lefty to throw one on September 5, 1908. Koufax later matched that feat on June 30, 1962, then added three more for good measure.

Podres never completed a no-hitter, though he came painfully close. On August 4, 1963, he silenced the Houston lineup through eight innings. Johnny Temple broke it up with a leadoff single in the ninth, ending the bid.

A piece of memorabilia ties that lineage together. A 1961 baseball card titled “Dodger Southpaws” features Koufax and Podres side by side. Both pitchers signed the card, linking eras through ink and legacy.

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Nap Rucker was one of the greatest pitchers in Brooklyn Dodger history. A glance at the all-time Brooklyn leaderboard shows Rucker first in shutouts and second in ERA, strikeouts and pitcher’s WAR.

Ahead of him on the Brooklyn list in ERA is Jeff Pfeffer. For ERA, strikeouts and pitcher’s WAR only Hall of Fame hurler Dazzy Vance beats him.

Before Vance found fame with Brooklyn he was a fringe prospect with the Yankees. The Hall of Fame hurler appeared in 10 games with New York, going 0-3 with a 4.45 earned run average.

His last two appearances for the Yanks came in 1918. On February 20, 1919 the Yankees transferred his contract to Double-A Sacramento.

In the collection is the document that made that transfer official. The signatures of Vance and Hall of Fame Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert are on it. Autographs from this early in Vance’s career are rarely seen.

Nap Rucker owns one of the lowest ERAs in Dodgers franchise history. His 2.42 mark ranks second in Brooklyn behind Jeff Pfeffer.

Across franchise eras, only a few pitchers edge him out. In Los Angeles history, Zack Greinke leads at 2.30 ERA. Pfeffer follows at 2.31, then Kenley Jansen at 2.37, with Rucker next.

Pfeffer enjoyed peak form from 1914 through 1917. He collected 78 wins and posted a 2.05 ERA during that stretch. Pfeffer’s 1918 season featured only one appearance. He delivered a two-hit complete-game shutout against the eventual NL champion Chicago Cubs.

A surviving letter explains his shortened campaign.

“The reason for my one game appearance during the season of 1918  – I was busy with duties at the Great Lakes Naval Station as a member of the Armed Services where I was stationed for two months during the First World War. I pitched the one game for Brooklyn when they came to Chicago on one of their regular trips of that season.”

He signed the correspondence at its conclusion.

That document carries a later timestamp that adds intrigue. It bears a June 17, 1965 date from Chicago. The timing lands exactly fifty years after a grueling outing in the same city. Pfeffer threw 13 and two-thirds innings there in defeat. Cubs pitcher Zip Zabel threw 18 and one-third innings in relief for a win, still a major league record.