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.

Dolph Camilli came up with the Chicago Cubs, and they arguably gave up on him as he was prone to strikeouts, and he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.  With Philly, he still struck out a lot but was developing a strong power game.  In 1935, through 1937, the First Baseman would have at least 25 Home Runs, and in the latter two years, he would bat over .310.  In that last season, Camilli would have a league-leading On Base Percentage (.446).

In what would be a surprise move, the Brooklyn Dodgers traded for him, and he would help the "Bums" become contenders.  Camilli was an All-Star in both 1939 and 1941, and while he still whiffed a lot, he remained a power threat and a strong contender to walk.  In 1941, he would lead the National League in Home Runs (34) and Runs Batted In (120), and won the MVP.  He continued to play for a few more seasons, but age and injury caught up to him. 

Camilli would go deep 239 times over his career and received MVP votes in seven seasons.

From the island of Cuba, Bert Campaneris would go down in history as one of the most versatile players in Major League history, and he would become the first man to ever play all nine positions in a Major League Game.  He accomplished that early in his career in 1965 when he was with the Kansas City Athletics.

Kansas City was the first team he played for, joining in 1964.  He was the starting Shortstop the following year, where he would lead the American League in Triples and Stolen Bases, a stat he would finish first in six times.  "Campy" went to his first All-Star Game in 1968, which coincided with the Athletics’ relocation to Oakland.

Campaneris was the cornerstone of what became a powerful dynasty when the A's won the 1972, 1973, and 1974 World Series, and he was also an excellent defensive player who finished in the top ten in Defensive bWAR nine times.

He also played for the Texas Rangers, California Angels, and New York Yankees, and he would finish his career with 649 Stolen Bases and 2,249 Hits.

The baseball historians have been batting a kind eye to Jack Glasscock, who many have regarded as the best defensive infielder of the 1880s.

“Pebbly” Jack (he had the habit of collecting pebbles in the infield) would lead his league in Defensive bWAR three times (1883, 1885 & 1889), and though there were no sabremetricians back then, the casual fan knew that he was a level above most of the other players with his defensive skills.

Glasscock played for eight different teams, many of which are no longer in existence, which does not help keep his name alive.  The West Virginian may always have been known for his defense, but he would surprisingly show exemplary offense in the late 1880s.  He finished second in Batting Average in 1889, and won the Batting Title in 1890, and in both seasons, he was atop the National League leaderboard in Hits.

He would accumulate 2,041 Hits over his career, and a BWAR that puts him higher than many Hall of Fame infielders.