Former Dodgers ace Don Newcombe dies at 92

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Don Newcombe, the hard-throwing Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who was one of the first black players in the major leagues and who went on to win the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards, has died. He was 92.

The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed that Newcombe died Tuesday morning after a lengthy illness.

“Don Newcombe’s presence and life established him as a role model for Major Leaguers across the country,” Dodgers President Stan Kasten said. “He was a constant presence at Dodger Stadium, and players always gravitated to him for his endless advice and leadership. The Dodgers meant everything to him, and we are all fortunate he was a part of our lives.”

Newcombe, like Dodgers teammate Jackie Robinson, was signed by Branch Rickey from the Negro Leagues and went on to make a huge mark in the major leagues.

“Newk” was a fierce presence on the mound, a 6-foot-4 and 225-pound bear of a man who stared down hitters and backed up anyone foolish enough to crowd the plate.

He was a four-time All-Star and won 20 games three different times.

“Don Newcombe had a ton of talent and he was a great competitor,” former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who was a teammate of Newcombe’s, said in a statement. “He was a helluva pitcher and he was one of the best hitting pitchers I have ever seen.”

His greatest year was 1956 when he went 27-7 and won both the Cy Young Award, then only given to one pitcher for both leagues, and the National League MVP award.

“He was a powerhouse. I don’t think he really got enough credit for his overall performance,” said former teammate Carl Erskine. “He threw a fastball that had great location and a curveball that was a short, hard breaking pitch.”

Newcombe, Robinson and catcher Roy Campanella were a trio of black stars for the Dodgers who often supported each other.

“We came up with a strategy,” Newcombe later recalled. “We knew the impact we were attempting would have. We had to endure. [Robinson’s] character, his backbone, his guts — those were the keys. Jackie was the leader under Mr. Rickey.”