Give it up for Newk
If there's a chance to get out to Dodger Stadium early tonight, the team is holding a pregame ceremony tonight to honor Don Newcombe on the 50th anniversary of his 1956 MVP and Cy Young Award-winning season, complete with a resolution from the City of Los Angeles.
The resolution will be adopted by the Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 8 and the certificate he will receive tonight is signed by L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City attorney Rocky Delgadillo, City controller Laura Chick and the entire City Council.
The 80-year-old Newcombe was the very first Cy Young Award winner. Combined with the fact he won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1949, he's the first and only to date to win all three major awards in big-league history.
The right-handed pitcher spent the first seven years of his 10-year big league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers before joining the franchise in its move to L.A. in 1958. He helped the Dodgers win their first World Championship in 1955, leading the National League that season with an .800 winning percentage (20-5). That season, he also became the first NL pitcher to hit seven home runs in a season.
Ten years after his retirement in 1960, Newcombe started the Dodgers’ Community Relations Department in 1970 and he still serves as its Director. He makes dozens of appearances throughout the Los Angeles area each season, speaking to youngsters and participating in the Dodgers’ Speakers Bureau.