Page 21 - AT

A21
SPORTS Wednesday 20 February 2019

Newcombe dies at 92

Continued from Page 21 thing they could to break
down the idea.”
“Newk” was a fierce pres- Newcombe’s Dodgers
ence on the mound, a were perennial also-rans
6-foot-4 and 225-pound who specialized in winning
bear of a man who stared the National League pen-
down hitters and backed nant then losing the World
up anyone foolish enough Series to the Yankees. New-
to crowd the plate. combe played on three
He was a four-time All-Star pennant winners with the
and won 20 games three Dodgers and the World Se-
different times. ries champions in 1955, the
“Don Newcombe had a year they finally beat the
ton of talent and he was a Yankees.
great competitor,” former Born June 14, 1926, in
Dodgers manager Tommy Madison, New Jersey,
Lasorda, who was a team- Newcombe pitched in the
mate of Newcombe’s, said Negro Leagues starting in
in a statement. “He was 1944 at age 18. In 1945 he In this June 8, 2016, file photo, former Dodgers player Don Newcombe, second from right, reacts
a helluva pitcher and he had an 8-3 record with the as he stands with his wife, Karen, center, manager Dave Roberts, left, Kenley Jansen, second
was one of the best hitting Newark Eagles and won from left, and Joc Pederson, right, as the Dodgers celebrate Newcombe’s 90th birthday prior to a
pitchers I have ever seen.” the attention of the Brook- baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, in Los Angeles.
His greatest year was 1956 lyn Dodgers organization. Associated Press
when he went 27-7 and In 1989, at a reunion of Ne- Dodgers reliever Kenley ca, who quickly achieved combe defeated in the fi-
won both the Cy Young gro League greats, New- Jansen was close with baseball infamy when Bob- nal game.
Award, then only given combe gave a speech in Newcombe and said he by Thomson lofted a pen- Newcombe faded quickly
to one pitcher for both Atlanta where he reflected was at Jansen’s wedding. nant-winning home run, after 1956 as he pitched
leagues, and the National on his experience. “He’d always talk to me “the shot heard ‘round the for the transplanted Los An-
League MVP award. “I wish that in some few about how strong I have world.” geles Dodgers, Cincinnati
“He was a powerhouse. words I could wipe away to be. He spoke to me a Like many ballplayers of his Reds and Cleveland Indi-
I don’t think he really got that pain you’ve suffered lot about mental tough- generation, Newcombe ans.
enough credit for his over- so long because you have ness and physical prepara- lost some prime years to He had a brief resurgence
all performance,” said skin this color,” he said. “We tion, running, conditioning. military service, giving the for the Reds, going 13-8
former teammate Carl Er- know that we would not be He’d say be aggressive Army the 1952 and 1953 with a 3.16 ERA in 1959.
skine. “He threw a fastball here today if it were not for out there. He kept me mo- seasons. “Wait until next In a 10-year major-league
that had great location the Negro Leagues. I thank tivated,” Jansen said in a year” had become a virtu- career he had a 149-90 re-
and a curveball that was a God I had the chance to statement on Twitter . “He al mantra in Brooklyn as the cord and a 3.56 ERA.
short, hard breaking pitch.” walk shoulder to shoulder taught me about the his- Dodgers won the National He pitched for Spokane,
Newcombe, Robinson and with you.” tory of the game. He talked League title in 1947, 1949, Washington, in the Pacific
catcher Roy Campanella Dodgers manager Dave to me about being a lead- 1952 and 1953, only to lose Coast League in 1961 and
were a trio of black stars Roberts said Newcombe er. He talked to me about the World Series every time. finished his professional ca-
for the Dodgers who often was a friend and mentor being a good husband Then came 1955, “the year reer in Japan in 1962.
supported each other. who had a great impact and a good father.” next year finally came” in Alcoholism helped lead
“We came up with a strat- on his life. Newcombe played in Brooklyn parlance. to his early retirement. He
egy,” Newcombe later “What he did for baseball, Nashua of the New Eng- The Dodgers finally beat the gave up drinking in later
recalled. “We knew the as being one of the first land League and for teams Yankees in the World Series years and worked for drug
impact we were attempt- African-American players, in Montreal, Venezuela and Newcombe went 20-5 and alcohol prevention
ing would have. We had his career with the Dodgers and Cuba before joining during the regular season, programs. He continued
to endure. (Robinson’s) and how he impacted the the parent club in 1949. winning 18 of his first 19 de- working for the Dodgers,
character, his backbone, organization,” Roberts said He went 17-8 in 1949, his first cisions. On the day of his most recently as special
his guts — those were the after spring training work- season with the Dodgers 20th win he hit his seventh adviser to the chairman.
keys. Jackie was the leader outs in Glendale, Arizona. and was named NL Rookie home run of the season, a He was a frequent pres-
under Mr. Rickey.” “Sharing stories about of the Year. National League record for ence at the stadium in re-
The three talked frequent- Jackie Robinson and his On July 8, 1949, Newcombe a pitcher at the time. cent years, always nattily
ly, Campanella and New- plight helped me and fur- and Hank Thompson of the But Newcombe always attired in a suit and tie with
combe from the Dodgers’ thered my education on New York Giants became struggled in the postseason. a fedora atop his head.
Nashua, New Hampshire, our history, so we lost a the first black pitcher and He lost the first game of the He took part with Sandy Ko-
farm team and Robinson great man, a great Dodger hitter to face each other in 1955 series to the Yankees ufax in a first pitch ceremo-
from Brooklyn. today.” a major league game. and was passed over in fa- ny before Game 7 of the
“We talked about how When asked if he shares In 1950 Newcombe went vor of Johnny Podres after 2017 World Series vs. Hous-
things were going,” New- Newcomb’s history with 19-11, and in 1951 went 20- preparing to pitch in Game ton at Dodger Stadium and
combe said. “What if some- current players, so they un- 9, but he failed to win the 7. He was 0-4 with an 8.59 was at the park for last fall’s
body charged the mound derstand his accomplish- season’s most important ERA in career World Series World Series vs Boston.
on me? What would I do? ments and his sacrifices, game. He was the start- appearances. In 2011, Detroit pitcher Jus-
Nobody did. Roberts said, “Absolutely, ing pitcher in the decisive In his MVP year of 1956, tin Verlander joined New-
“I remember in the New Don was around a lot playoff series between the Newcombe became the combe as the second man
England league, a catcher for games and he would Dodgers and the Giants, first black pitcher to lead to sweep the sport’s three
threw dirt in Roy’s face. He spend time with our players and he held a 4-1 lead go- either league in wins. major awards. Newcombe
said, ‘If you do that again, individually and as a team. ing into the ninth inning. But Brooklyn won another pen- introduced Verlander at
I’ll personally take your arm So, for his legacy to live on, he gave up three hits to the nant that year, but lost the the following year’s Base-
out of its socket.’ They chal- through me, through other first four batters and was World Series to the Yankees ball Writers Association
lenged us. They did any- players is paramount.” replaced by Ralph Bran- in seven games, with New- dinner.q