After a brief time with Newark in the Negro Leagues, Don Newcombe was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. After a few seasons in their minor league system, Newcombe was called up for the 1949 season, making him the third black pitcher in the Majors, but he was arguably the first dominant one.

With a towering 6-foot-4 frame, Newcombe captured the Rookie of the Year award after a 17-8 debut season that included 32 consecutive scoreless innings and a league-leading five shutouts, which he followed up with 19 wins in 1950 and his first 20-win season in 1951, while leading the league in strikeouts.  Newcombe looked ready to dominate, but he was drafted into the U.S. Military and served in Korea for 2 years.  

Following an underwhelming 1954 season, Newcombe demonstrated a remarkable resurgence. In 1955, he owned the mound, posting a 20-5 record that helped the Dodgers secure their inaugural and only World Series championship in Brooklyn. He subsequently delivered a stellar performance in 1956, posting a 27-7 record and leading the league with a WHIP of 0.989. This outstanding achievement granted him the distinction of being the first recipient of the Cy Young Award and concurrently named the National League Most Valuable Player, marking the first occasion on which a player received both honors within a single season.

Newcombe never came close to having another season like that again, and in the middle of the 1958 season, which he started 0-6 with a seven-plus ERA, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds.

As a Dodger, Newcombe compiled a 123-66 record, a 3.51 ERA, and 916 strikeouts.  The Dodgers would honor Newcombe in 2019, along with three others, with plaques as "Legends of Dodger Baseball."

Don Newcombe was more than a great Pitcher, as he was a trailblazer in terms of African Americans in baseball.

After a brief time with Newark in the Negro Leagues, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  After a few seasons in their minor league system, Newcombe was called up for the 1949 season, making him the third black pitcher to be in the Majors.  Newcombe proved his worth instantly, winning the Rookie of the Year with a 17-8 record and an All-Star Game trip.  Newcombe was again an All-Star in 1950 and 1951, posting 19-11 and 20-9 seasons, respectively, but he would be forced to leave the game temporarily.

Newcombe was drafted into the U.S. military and served in Korea for 2 years.  He came back in 1954 and had a mediocre year, but he came back with a vengeance.  Newcombe went 20-5 in 1955, and he helped the Dodgers win their only World Series in Brooklyn.  The following year, he went 27-7, leading the NL in Wins and WHIP (0.989), and he won both the Cy Young and MVP, making him the first player to do that in the same season.

That 1956 season was why he made it on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for 15 years.  He never had anything close to an All-Star season again, and he played until 1960, finishing up with stints in Cincinnati and Cleveland.  He retired with a 149-90 record.