tate793 wrote:Fernando Valenzuela
Clayton Kershaw
Orel Hershiser
Hideo Nomo
Don Sutton
Koufax
Drysdale
Reuss
And this:
Don Newcombe (1949-51, 1954-58)The New Jersey native was the first black star pitcher in the majors, copping Rookie of the Year honors in 1949 (two years after Jackie Robinson’s debut) with a 17-8 record that ignited a terrific 112-48 record through his first eight years—missing two of those to military service. Newcombe’s run hit its apex in 1956 when he won both the NL MVP and Cy Young Award with a 27-7 record and 3.06 ERA; he thus became the first major leaguer ever to earn a MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year award.
Newcombe’s ERA never dipped below 3.00 in part because he played in an intimate, live ballpark (Ebbets Field), but those conditions also enhanced his reputation as one of the best hitting pitchers in the game; he had a lifetime .271 batting average and hit 15 home runs, seven alone in the Dodgers’ championship season of 1955 when he also sported an outstanding .359 batting average.
In the postseason, Newcombe was a historic dud. In five World Series starts, he was 0-4 with an 8.59 ERA; he also lost the memorable 1950 regular season finale that gave Philadelphia’s “Whiz Kid” Phillies the pennant, and set up the New York Giants’ rally in the decisive game of the 1951 NL playoff, being removed for Ralph Branca—who would only face one batter: Bobby Thomson, who launched the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and won the pennant for the Giants. After losing yet again during the 1956 World Series, he physically took his anger out on a fan who called him a “choke.”
After 1956, Newcombe’s game fell apart and he rarely came close to returning to early career form, finishing out his time in the majors with Cincinnati and Cleveland. A battle with the bottle, which he would later overcome, didn’t help.