Don Newcombe 1926-2019

Don Newcombe just passed away at the age of 92. [SABR Bio] In his honor some of his achievements were compiled by JP Wanamaker of Binghampton, New York.   Recipient of the first ever Cy Young Award in 1956 (Cy Young himself had just passed away the previous November).   Still the only National League player to win Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and MVP during his career (NL ROY 1949; NL MVP 1956; MLB Cy Young Award 1956).   First black pitcher to appear in an All-Star game. Replaced Warren Spahn after 3 batters in the 1949 ASG and got an RBI in his first AS AB. Newcombe hit 15 home runs in his major league career.   Played for the Newark Eagles in 1944 and 1945. Had been teammates with Hall of Famers Mule Suttles, Ray Dandridge, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, and Willie Wells in the Negro Leagues. Also played with Larry Doby in Japan after their MLB careers.   Was told by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. how he and other African American players helped prepare the country for the civil rights era. Dr. King had stayed at his home in Los Angeles.   Maury Wills credited him with saving his life after Wills had gotten into drug abuse. Newcombe was legendarily patient with helping Wills. He and Wills eventually had bridges at the Los Amigos Country Club named after them in honor of their work with recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. Newcombe admitted that his drinking was the reason he did not end up in the Hall of Fame. Most home runs by a pitcher:   37 Wes Ferrell PH=1 35 Warren Spahn, Bob Lemon PH=2 34 Red Ruffing PH=2 33 Earl Wilson PH=2 29 Don Drysdale 24 Bob Gibson, Carlos Zambrano, John Clarkson 23 Walter Johnson PH=1 21 Jack Stivetts plus 14 playing other positions 20 Milt Pappas, Dizzy Trout 19 Jack Harshman plus 2 playing first 18 Cy Young 17 Madison Bumgarner active leader 16 Jim Kaat, Mike Hampton, Jim Tobin (PH), Schoolboy Rowe (PH=2)   15 Lefty Grove, Don Newcombe, Rick Wise, Don Caldwell, Joe Nuxhall, Early Wynn (PH=2), Gary Peters (PH=4), Pedro Ramos, Dick Donovan, Claude Passeau, Hal Shuimacher, Jouett Meekin.   Babe Ruth only hit 14 home runs while he was pitching. Phil Niekro hit seven. Maddux and Smoltz five. Glavine only hit one home run. In 1966 Tony Cloninger hit two grand slams in one game, and hit five for the year, but only eleven in his career.