| Don Newcombe | |
|---|---|
 Newcombe in 1955 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1926-06-14)June 14, 1926 Madison, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Died: February 19, 2019(2019-02-19) (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| NgL: 1944, for the Newark Eagles | |
| MLB: May 20, 1949, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| NPB: June 23, 1962, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: October 1, 1960, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| NPB: October 9, 1962, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 153–96 |
| Earned run average | 3.57 |
| Strikeouts | 1,185 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 12 |
| Runs batted in | 43 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Donald Newcombe (June 14, 1926 – February 19, 2019), nicknamed "Newk", was an American professionalbaseballpitcher who played ten non-consecutive seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB). He began his career in theNegro National League and ended it inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Newcombe was the first pitcher to win theRookie of the Year,Most Valuable Player, andCy Young Awards during his career. This distinction would not be achieved again until 2011, whenDetroit Tigers pitcherJustin Verlander, who was Rookie of the Year in 2006, won the Cy Young and MVP awards. In 1949, he became the first black pitcher to start aWorld Series game. In 1951, Newcombe was the first black pitcher towin 20 games in one season.[1] In 1956, the inaugural year of the Cy Young Award, he became the first pitcher to win the National League MVP and the Cy Young in the same season.[2]
Newcombe was an excellent hitting pitcher who compiled a careerbatting average of .271 with 15home runs and was used as apinch hitter, a rarity for pitchers.
Newcombe was born inMadison, New Jersey, on June 14, 1926, and was raised inElizabeth.[3] He had three brothers and a sister. His father worked as achauffeur.[4]
Newcombe attended Jefferson High School in Elizabeth. The school did not have a baseball team, so Newcombe playedsemi-professional baseball while attending high school.[4]
After playing briefly with theNewark Eagles in theNegro National League in 1944 and 1945, Newcombe signed with the Dodgers. With catcherRoy Campanella, Newcombe played for the first racially integrated baseball team based in the United States in the 20th century, the 1946Nashua Dodgers of theNew England League.[5] He continued to play for Nashua in 1947 before being promoted to theMontreal Royals of theTriple-AInternational League in 1948.[4]
Newcombe debuted for Brooklyn on May 20, 1949, becoming the third African American pitcher in the major leagues, afterDan Bankhead andSatchel Paige.[4]Effa Manley, business manager for the Eagles, agreed to let the Dodgers'Branch Rickey sign Newcombe to a contract. Manley was not compensated for the release of Newcombe.[6]: p.288 He immediately helped the Dodgers to the league pennant as he earned seventeenvictories, led the league inshutouts, and pitched 32 consecutive scoreless innings.[7] He was also among the first four black players to be named to anAll-Star team, along with teammatesJackie Robinson andRoy Campanella and the Indians'Larry Doby. Newcombe was named Rookie of the Year by bothThe Sporting News and theBaseball Writers' Association of America.[4] In 1950, he won 19 games, and 20 the following season, also leading the league instrikeouts in 1951.[8] In the memorable playoff game between the Dodgers and the Giants at the end of the 1951 season, Newcombe was relieved byRalph Branca in the bottom of the ninth inning whenClyde Sukeforth instructed managerChuck Dressen to bring in Branca. Branca then surrendered the walk-off home run toBobby Thomson to give the Giants the pennant.[9]
After two years of mandatory military duty during theKorean War, Newcombe suffered a disappointing season in 1954, going 9–8 with a 4.55earned run average, but returned to form the next year by finishing second in the NL in both wins andearned run average, with marks of 20–5 and 3.20, as the Dodgers won their firstWorld Series in franchise history. He had an even greater 1956 season, with marks of 27–7, 139 strikeouts, and a 3.06 ERA, five shutouts and 18complete games, leading the league in winning percentage for the second year in a row. He was named theNational League'sMVP, and was awarded the first-ever Cy Young Award, then given to the best pitcher in the combined major leagues. He was the only player to win MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards untilJustin Verlander accomplished the feat in 2011.[10] Newcombe had a difficult time in the1956 World Series.[4] He was the losing pitcher in Game 7. Berra, who hit three home runs off of him in the series, hit two of them in Game 7. The Yankees andJohnny Kucks won 9–0.[4]
Following the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles, Newcombe got off to an 0–6 start in 1958 before being traded to theCincinnati Reds forSteve Bilko,Johnny Klippstein, and twoplayers to be named later during the season.[4] He posted a record of 24–21 with Cincinnati until his contract was sold to Cleveland in mid-1960. He finished with a 2–3 mark in Cleveland before being released to end his major league career. Newcombe acknowledged that alcoholism played a significant role in the decline of his career.[11]
On May 28, 1962, Newcombe signed with theChunichi Dragons ofNippon Professional Baseball'sCentral League. Newcombe played one season in Japan, splitting time as an outfielder and a first baseman, only pitching in one game. In 81 games, he hit .262 with 12 home runs and 43runs batted in (RBIs).[12]
In his ten-year major league career, Newcombe registered a record of 149–90, with 1,129 strikeouts and a 3.56 ERA, 136 complete games and 24 shutouts in 2,1542⁄3innings pitched. In addition to his pitching abilities, Newcombe was a dangerous hitter, hitting seven home runs in the 1955 season.[13] Hebatted .271 (ninth-best average in history among pitchers), with 15home runs, 108 RBIs, 238hits, 33doubles, threetriples, 94runs scored and 87walks.[14][15]
A historic marker was installed in Nashua, NH by theBlack Heritage Trail of New Hampshire to celebrate the achievements of Newcombe and Roy Campanella in 2023.[16]
Newcombe rejoined the Dodger organization in the late 1970s and served as the team's director of community affairs. In March 2009, he was named special adviser to the chairman of the team.[17]
Newcombe was inducted into theBaseball Reliquary'sShrine of the Eternals in 2016[18] and into the initial class of "Legends of Dodger Baseball" in 2019.[19]
Newcombe was married three times. His first wife was Freddie Green, whom he married in 1945 and divorced in 1960. They had 3 children, Evit, Gregory (died in 1998), and Robin (died in 2015). Evit resides in Florida. A week after his divorce from Green, he married Billie Roberts, a marriage which lasted until they divorced in 1994. Newcombe's third wife, Karen Kroner, survived him.[4][20]
Newcombe dealt with alcoholism in the 1950s and 1960s, describing himself as "a stupefied, wife-abusing, child-frightening, falling-down drunk". His alcoholism became so severe that, in 1965, he pawned his World Series ring in order to afford alcohol. He quit drinking in 1966, when his wife threatened to leave him.[4] In his personal and professional life, he helped numerous other people including military personnel and Dodgers teammateMaury Wills in their own battles againstsubstance abuse.[21]
At a fundraising event for SenatorBarbara Boxer, PresidentBarack Obama referred to Newcombe (who was attending the event) as "someone who helped... America become what it is.[22]
I would not be here if it were not forJackie and it were not for Don Newcombe.
- - Barack Obama, April 19, 2010.
Newcombe died on the morning of February 19, 2019, at the age of 92, following a long illness. He is interred at theLos Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles.[23]
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| Preceded by | Brooklyn DodgersOpening Day Starting pitcher 1950 1956–1957 | Succeeded by |
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