DON NEWCOMBE

Don played for the Newark Eagles team from 1944-45.

Called up by the Brooklyn Dodgers from their minor league farm club,  Newcombe was the first great African American pitcher. In his rookie year, 1949, Newcombe went 17-8, 3.17 ERA, started 31 games, completed 19 along with 3 shutouts and was voted the Rookie of the Year.

In 1956, Don Newcombe won the Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player Awards.

Known for his quite demeanor, Newcombe's alcoholism got the best of him, and at the age of 31 his major league career was over. Newcombe later said, "In 1956 I was the best pitcher in baseball. Four years later, I was out of the major leagues. It must have been the drinking. When you're young, you can handle it, but the older you get, the more it bothers you."

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