Don Newcombe

Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
	Newcombe in 1955
	Pitcher
	Born: June 14, 1926; Madison, New Jersey, U.S.
	Died: February 19, 2019 (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	3.54
Strikeouts	1,183
NPB statistics
Batting average	.262
Home runs	12
Runs batted in	43
Teams
	Negro leagues Newark Eagles (1944–1945); Major League Baseball Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1949–1951, 1954–1958); Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds (1958–1960); Cleveland Indians (1960); Nippon Professional Baseball Chunichi Dragons (1962);
Career highlights and awards
	4× All-Star (1949–1951, 1955); World Series champion (1955); NL MVP (1956); Cy Young Award (1956); NL Rookie of the Year (1949); MLB wins leader (1956); MLB strikeout leader (1951);

Donald Newcombe (June 14, 1926 – February 19, 2019), nicknamed "Newk", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played ten non-consecutive seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his career in the Negro National League and ended it in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Newcombe was the first pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Cy Young Awards during his career. This distinction would not be achieved again until 2011, when Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin 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 a World Series game. In 1951, Newcombe was the first black pitcher to win 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 career batting average of .271 with 15 home runs and was used as a pinch hitter, a rarity for pitchers.^[3]

^ Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.198, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
^ Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.152, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
^ Michael Seidel (March 1, 2002). Streak: Joe Dimaggio and the Summer Of '41. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 126–. ISBN 0-8032-9293-7.

[1] Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.198, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0

[2] Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.152, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0

[Seidel2002-3] Michael Seidel (March 1, 2002). Streak: Joe Dimaggio and the Summer Of '41. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 126–. ISBN 0-8032-9293-7.

[1]

[2]

[3]

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	3.54
Strikeouts	1,183
NPB statistics
Batting average	.262
Home runs	12
Runs batted in	43

Teams
Negro leagues Newark Eagles (1944–1945) Major League Baseball Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1949–1951, 1954–1958) Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds (1958–1960) Cleveland Indians (1960) Nippon Professional Baseball Chunichi Dragons (1962)
Career highlights and awards
4× All-Star (1949–1951, 1955) World Series champion (1955) NL MVP (1956) Cy Young Award (1956) NL Rookie of the Year (1949) MLB wins leader (1956) MLB strikeout leader (1951)