Don Newcombe, baseball player, 1949-1960

Don Newcombe

Born: 6/14/1926 in Madison, NJ, USA

Died: 2/19/2019 in Sherman Oaks, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1949-05-20 | Final Game: 1960-10-01

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Donald Newcombe

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Biography

Don Newcombe was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1949 to 1960. Born in 1926, Newcombe made his mark during an era when baseball was evolving, especially as it embraced the integration of African American players. He played primarily for the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he became known for his powerful right arm and remarkable versatility on the mound. Newcombe finished his career with a record of 149-90 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.56, showcasing his effectiveness as a starter and reliever alike. Over his career, he struck out 1,129 batters and recorded 7 saves, demonstrating his ability to dominate opposing hitters. Newcombe's impact on the game was further underscored by his accolades, which included being named Rookie of the Year and winning the prestigious Cy Young Award. He was a four-time All-Star, reflecting his status as one of the top pitchers in baseball during his playing days. His blend of power pitching and control made him a standout player in a time of transition for the sport, and he remains a significant figure in baseball history, remembered not only for his on-field achievements but also for his role in paving the way for future generations of players.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
61.0 55.0 8.0 13.0 1.0 0 0 4.0 5.0 0 0 0.236 0.311 0.255 0.566

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
63.0 0 0 27.0 20.0 0 0 0.0 146.0 99.0 32.0 9.0 0 0 1.40

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1944 16.0 15.0 2.0 5.0 1.0 0 0 3.0 0 0 0 0.333 0.375 0.400 0.775
1945 45.0 40.0 6.0 8.0 0 0 0 1.0 5.0 0 0 0.200 0.289 0.200 0.489

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1944 25.0 0 0 9.0 4.0 0 0 0.0 43.0 38.0 21.0 5.0 0 0 2.98
1945 38.0 0 0 18.0 16.0 0 0 0.0 103.0 61.0 11.0 4.0 0 0 0.69

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
153 96 359 305 145 24 7 2247.0 2185 891 255 528 1185 3.57 0

Career ERA 3.57 vs. league average 3.91 across their career seasons — 8.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1944 NE NN2 1 3 8 5 3 0 0 37.0 40 23 22 23 5.59 3.57 (-57%) -550.2
1945 NE NN2 3 3 7 6 6 0 0 55.3 43 16 16 33 2.60 3.67 (+29%) 1304.2
1949 BRO NL 17 8 38 31 19 5 1 244.3 223 86 73 149 3.17 4.12 (+23%) 6360.0
1950 BRO NL 19 11 40 35 20 4 3 267.3 258 110 75 130 3.70 4.36 (+15%) 5750.5
1951 BRO NL 20 9 40 36 18 3 0 272.0 235 99 91 164 3.28 4.04 (+19%) 5677.7
1954 BRO NL 9 8 29 25 6 0 0 144.3 158 73 49 82 4.55 3.90 (-17%) -2413.4
1955 BRO NL 20 5 34 31 17 1 0 233.7 222 83 38 143 3.20 4.00 (+20%) 2494.4
1956 BRO NL 27 7 38 36 18 5 0 268.0 219 91 46 139 3.06 3.96 (+23%) 3425.4
1957 BRO NL 11 12 28 28 12 4 0 198.7 199 77 33 90 3.49 3.83 (+9%) -327.1
1958 LAD NL 0 6 11 8 1 0 0 34.3 53 30 8 16 7.86 3.86 (-104%) -
1958 CIN NL 7 7 20 18 7 0 1 133.3 159 57 28 53 3.85 3.86 (avg) -1448.5
1959 CIN NL 13 8 30 29 17 2 1 222.0 216 78 27 100 3.16 3.90 (+19%) 2125.9
1960 CIN NL 4 6 16 15 1 0 0 82.7 99 42 14 36 4.57 3.82 (-20%) -721.3
1960 CLE AL 2 3 20 2 0 0 1 54.0 61 26 8 27 4.33 3.82 (-14%) 548.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
470 916 99 246 34 3 15 109 2 90 147 0.269 0.336 0.361 0.698 -61.6

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .336 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .361 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 6.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.698 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1944 NE NN2 8 14 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1945 NE NN2 10 24 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1949 BRO NL 39 96 8 22 4 0 0 10 0 5 16 0.229 .262 (-13%) .343 (-22%) .384 (-29%) .727 (-26%) -447.1
1950 BRO NL 40 97 8 24 3 1 1 8 0 10 19 0.247 .265 (-7%) .346 (-8%) .401 (-18%) .747 (-13%) -232.0
1951 BRO NL 40 103 11 23 3 1 0 8 0 8 9 0.223 .260 (-14%) .336 (-15%) .385 (-29%) .721 (-23%) -404.5
1954 BRO NL 31 47 6 15 1 0 0 4 0 4 6 0.319 — — — — -10.8
1955 BRO NL 57 117 18 42 9 1 7 23 1 6 18 0.359 .258 (+39%) .332 (+19%) .393 (+61%) .726 (+42%) 810.0
1956 BRO NL 52 111 13 26 6 0 2 16 1 12 18 0.234 .258 (-9%) .331 (-6%) .397 (-14%) .728 (-10%) -194.8
1957 BRO NL 34 74 8 17 2 0 1 7 0 11 11 0.230 .257 (-11%) .323 (+2%) .391 (-24%) .715 (-12%) -116.7
1958 LAD NL 11 12 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.417 — — — — 0.0
1958 CIN NL 39 60 9 21 1 0 1 9 0 8 10 0.350 .257 (+36%) .324 (+29%) .394 (+6%) .719 (+16%) 0.0
1959 CIN NL 61 105 10 32 2 0 3 21 0 17 23 0.305 .256 (+19%) .323 (+24%) .392 (+4%) .715 (+13%) 329.4
1960 CIN NL 24 36 0 5 1 0 0 1 0 3 8 0.139 — — — — 0.0
1960 CLE AL 24 20 1 6 1 0 0 1 0 1 7 0.300 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1956 WS BRO 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1955 WS BRO 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1949 WS BRO 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 4 5 5 0 22.0 29 21 8 19 8.59

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1956 WS BRO 0 1 2 2 0 4.7 11 11 3 4 21.21
1955 WS BRO 0 1 1 1 0 5.7 8 6 2 4 9.53
1949 WS BRO 0 2 2 2 0 11.7 10 4 3 11 3.09

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 359 203 161 341 22 28

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1944 NE P 8 5 0 15 1 1
1945 NE P 7 6 2 13 3 0
1949 BRO P 38 0 17 40 0 2
1950 BRO P 40 0 19 43 2 3
1951 BRO P 40 0 24 45 3 3
1954 BRO P 29 25 11 16 2 2
1955 BRO P 34 31 15 24 4 5
1956 BRO P 38 36 25 39 1 5
1957 BRO P 28 28 13 41 2 1
1958 LAN P 11 8 2 6 0 0
1958 CIN P 20 18 9 13 0 2
1959 CIN P 30 29 14 31 1 4
1960 CIN P 16 15 6 11 2 0
1960 CLE P 20 2 4 4 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 359

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1956 Cy Young Award
1956 Most Valuable Player
1956 TSN All-Star P
1956 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1955 TSN All-Star P
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1949 Rookie of the Year
1949 TSN Rookie of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1956 Cy Young Award ML 1st 10.0 16 10
1956 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 223.0 336 8
1955 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 89.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player NL 22th 3.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 14.0 336 0
1949 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 55.0 336 0
1949 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 21.0 24 21