Don Newcombe: Elizabeth Roots and Baseball Integration
Born in 1926, Don Newcombe emerged from the Elizabeth-area baseball pipeline during a pivotal moment in American sports history, rising from Negro League competition with the Newark Eagles to become one of Major League Baseball’s first dominant Black pitchers. Joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949, Newcombe helped anchor a championship-caliber rotation during baseball’s early integration era, earning Rookie of the Year honors and later becoming the first player to win the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Cy Young Awards. Newcombe later recalled being told by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that the success of Black athletes like himself, Jackie Robinson, and Roy Campanella helped make the work of the civil-rights movement possible by changing public attitudes through everyday visibility—reinforcing Elizabeth’s connection to figures whose careers shaped both the game of baseball and the broader American story.
Watch Archival Footage
MLB Network: “Remembering Don Newcombe” (2019)
Don Newcombe Biography
Professional Career Overview
The first outstanding black pitcher in major league history, Newcombe is the only player to have won the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Cy Young awards. Physically imposing, the 6’4, 220-lb. Newcombe had an explosive fastball which was likened by Ted Williams to those of American League stars Bob Feller and Virgil Trucks. He anchored the pitching rotation for the “Boys of Summer” Dodgers and was one of baseball’s dominant forces from 1949 to 1956.
Negro Leagues and Major League Debut
After one season with the Negro League Newark Eagles, Newcombe signed with the Dodgers, arriving in Brooklyn in 1949 and immediately helped the Dodgers to a pennant. He shut out the Reds 3-0 in his May 22 debut and finished with a record of 17-8, with a 3.17 ERA, and a league-leading five shutouts. In the heat of the pennant race, which the Dodgers won by a single game over the Cardinals, Newcombe pitched 32 consecutive scoreless innings and was named Rookie of the Year.
Early 1950s Seasons
Newcombe was a strong 19-11 pitcher in the 1950 season and recorded a 20-9 record in 1951, striking-out a National League high 164 batters. He also shut out the Phillies on the second to last day of the season to help force a three game playoff with the Giants.
Military Service and Peak Performance
After two years in the military, Brooklyn’s number 36 suffered a disappointing 1954 with a 9 – 8 record and a 4.55 ERA, but returned to form in 1955, going 20-5, with a 3.20 ERA. The following year he had a sterling 27-7 record, five shutouts, and a 3.06 ERA, and was named National League MVP. He was also the first ever recipient of the Cy Young Award, then given only to one pitcher each year rather than one from each league.
Batting Ability
In addition to his success on the mound, Don was a threat at the plate with a powerful right-hand stroke and a lifetime .271 average, the 9th highest ever recorded among pitchers. In 1955 he hit .359 with 7 home runs, including two two-home-run games, which earned him the National League record for pitchers.
Career Summary
Don’s record speaks for itself, with a career 149 – 90 record and a 3.56 ERA, he is clearly one of baseball’s outstanding athletes.
