Don Newcombe: I'll Start the Second Game
By Harold Friend , Chief Writer Jul 19, 2010
One of the most talented of all pitchers has been almost forgotten.
He is the only player to have been been the Rookie of the Year (1949), the Cy Young Award winner (1956), and his league's MVP (1956).
Don Newcombe won 17 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers at the age of 23 in 1949. He pitched 244.3 innings, had a 130 ERA+, and was a major factor in Brooklyn winning the pennant.
The following season, the Dodgers were involved in a dogfight for the pennant with the Philadelphia Phillies. On September 6th, the Dodgers were in Shibe Park to play a doubleheader against the Phils, who led them by seven and one-half games.
Don Newcombe started the opener and pitched a three-hit shutout.
Brooklyn was short of starting pitchers, so Newcombe, who had shut out the New York Giants on September 2nd, started the second game.
In seven innings, Newcombe had allowed the Phillies only two runs, but Curt Simmons had held Brooklyn scoreless.
Brooklyn manager Burt Shotton pinch-hit for Newk, who was a pretty good hitting pitcher (.271 lifetime batting average). The Dodgers rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to win.
Imagine any pitcher starting both ends of a doubleheader today. Imagine a 24-year old pitcher working 16 innings in one day.
Where have you gone, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn?
But there was much more to Iron Man Donald James Newcombe.
In 1951, Brooklyn was again involved in a struggle for the pennant, this time with the hated New York Giants.
On September 26th, Newcombe pitched a complete game against the Boston Braves to notch his 19th victory. His next start was on two days rest in Philadelphia.
All Newk did was shut out the Phillies, beating the great Robin Roberts to keep the Dodgers and Giants tied for first place.
The next day, the Giants won to clinch a tie for the pennant. Preacher Roe started for the Dodgers, gave up four runs in the second inning, and was relieved by Ralph Branca, who gave up two more runs.
Brooklyn never said die, and after seven innings, they had fought back to an 8-8 tie. Guess who went to the mound to pitch the eighth inning?
Newcombe, who had pitched less than 24 hours before, made his third appearance in five games. What would Joe Girardi have said?
Newcombe wasn't the only iron man. When the Dodgers threatened to go ahead in the eighth inning, Robin Roberts came in to pitch. Imagine that happening in 2010.
Roberts led off the 12th inning against Newcombe with a walk. Yes, they both were still pitching, and pitchers used to bat in those days.
Here is what Newcombe had to say.
"I think I was getting tired." No kidding?
Eddie Pellegrini reached on a fielder's choice when Roberts was called safe on his attempted sacrifice. Richie Ashburn forced Pellegrini at second, with Roberts, the potential winning run, moving to third.
Newcombe was instructed to walk the dangerous Willie "Puddin'head" Jones to load the bases, which set up a force at home. Power-hitting Del Ennis was the batter.
"Del Ennis was a good power hitter and didn't strike out very much. This was a situation where the pitcher has to reach down and find the other 10 or 15 percent of effort that every athlete has."
Hey, someone ought to tell that to today's managers and general managers. Modern pitchers don't reach down for that little extra because they are taken out for a seventh or eighth inning specialist like Joba Chamberlain.
Newcombe struck out Ennis with a fastball.
Now Newcombe had to get Eddie Waitkus. Dick Young described what happened:
"Eddie Waitkus shot a low, slightly looped liner to the right of second. It seemed ticketed for the hole, labeled Hit...Game...Pennant. But Robby (Mr. Jackie Robinson), diving face-first, speared the ball an instant before he hit the ground."
Roberts retired the Dodgers in order in the 13th inning. Yes, Newcombe batted for himself, but after retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the 13th inning, Newcombe walked two. Bud Podbielan came in for Newcombe and got out of the inning.
Jackie Robinson hit a home run off Roberts in the 14th inning to win the game.
Newcombe had a memorable career, but two things prevented him from being ranked among the greatest.
He missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons defending the freedoms of the American people, and he had an alcohol problem.
In 1957, the Brooklyn Dodgers and their fans were in turmoil. The most loyal fans in the history of sports knew that their team was being taken from them.
Newcombe won only 11 games and in 1958, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for household names Steve Bilko, Johnny Klippstein, Art Fowler, and Charlie Rabe.
How things have changed.
References:
Schweppe, Robert."Don Newcombe Recalls Historic Game Against the Phillies." Baseball Digest . Dec. 2004.
By ROSCOE McGOWEN Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES . (1950, September 7). BROOKS OVERCOME LEADERS BY 2-0, 3-2 :Newcombe Hurls 3-Hitter and Then Goes 7 Innings of 2d Game. New York Times (1923-Current file),43. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 86453285).
bleacherreport.com |
