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."

Mike Piazza’s story is a baseball impossibility, a 62nd-round draft pick whose entry into the professional ranks was a personal favor from Tommy Lasorda to his father. Initially a first baseman with a specialized bat but no defensive home, he made a tactical switch to catcher in the minors, a move that ultimately made him the greatest offensive force to ever play the position.

After a brief stint in 1992, Piazza took over the starting role in 1993 and delivered one of the most impressive debut seasons ever. He showed a rare ability to consistently hit to all fields, finishing with a .318 average, 35 home runs, and 112 RBIs, earning the National League Rookie of the Year Award unanimously. This breakout season set a new standard for a Dodger catcher, indicating that the organization had unintentionally discovered a once-in-a-generation talent with immense potential.

Between 1996 and 1997, Piazza achieved a historic surge in offensive efficiency, earning back-to-back second-place MVP finishes. His 1997 season stands out as a unique anomaly in franchise history; he hit an astonishing .362 with 40 home runs and 124 RBIs—a statistical feat that seems almost mythical for a full-time catcher. During this period, he was a regular All-Star and Silver Slugger, demonstrating his ability to anchor the middle of the lineup while managing a pitching staff featuring legends like Hideo Nomo and Pedro Martinez. Although some criticized his defensive skills, his offensive contributions largely made those concerns irrelevant.

As a Dodger, he posted a remarkable .966 OPS, a high-volume achievement that still stands as a franchise record for catchers. He demonstrated exceptional durability for the organization, regularly catching over 130 games annually while delivering a powerful bat that compelled opposing managers to adjust their entire game plan.

The departure from Los Angeles in May 1998 is one of the most divisive moments in the franchise's recent history. After a tense contract dispute and a change in team ownership to Fox, the Dodgers traded their star player to the Florida Marlins. This move was a bold sign of a rebuilding phase, although Piazza only spent a week in Florida before being traded again to the Mets.

Piazza compiled 177 home runs, a .331 average, and a .966 OPS in Dodger blue.

One of the most spectacular defensive careers came to an end today as J.J. Watt, who announced two weeks ago that this would be his final NFL season.  With the Arizona Cardinals out of playoff contention, today’s game against the San Francisco 49ers saw Watt ride off into the sunset.

Watt dominated as a Senior at Wisconsin, winning the Lott Trophy and earning All-American honors.  The Houston Texans used their 11^th Overall Pick to take the Defensive End, and he instantly became the face of the franchise.

After a good rookie year, Watt went on a four-year tear where he was easily the best defensive player in football.  A First Team All-Pro in all four of those campaigns, Watt won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2012, 2014 & 2015), twice led the league in Sacks (2012 & 2015) and three times in Tackles for Loss (2012, 2014 & 2015).  Watt was so dominant, that he won the 2014 Bert Bell Award, that institution’s version of the MVP.

Injuries held him to only eight Games in 2016 & 2017, but he added another monster season in 2018, adding a fifth First Team All-Pro, on the strength of a 16-Sack year.

Watt played more two more seasons with the Texans before signing with the Arizona Cardinals.  Injured again for much of 2021, Watt’s final year was solid, accumulating 12.5 Sacks giving him 114.5 in total.  His 195 Tackles for Loss also places him second overall.

As phenomenal as Watt was on the field, he was even more incredible off of it.  Watt won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, after having raised $37 million in relief for those suffering from Hurricane Harvey, and his philanthropic efforts also including covering the funeral costs for the six victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack.

Watt is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028, and he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  He was ranked #5on our pre-2022 Season Ranking of active players, and bluntly, anyone that high is getting a bust in Canton right away.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com wish J.J. Watt the best in his post-playing career.

Pedro Guerrero was a “gift" from the Cleveland Indians, traded for pitcher Bruce Ellingsen before he ever saw a Major League pitch. A powerhouse from the Dominican Republic, he operated with a violent yet controlled swing that eventually led Bill James to label him "the best hitter God has made in a long time.”

After establishing himself as a professional mainstay in 1980, Guerrero reached a legendary plateau during the 1981 World Series. He dictated terms to the New York Yankees by belting two home runs and driving in seven runs, earning World Series Tri-MVP honors alongside Steve Yeager and Ron Cey.

The subsequent four seasons proved to be exceptional for Guerrero, as he recorded three seasons with thirty or more home runs. In 1982, he demonstrated comprehensive mastery of the game, earning a Silver Slugger Award and finishing third in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting after a distinguished season with 32 home runs and 100 runs batted in (RBIs). He reached a historic milestone in 1985, illustrating a season of extraordinary performance; he led the league in On-Base Percentage (.422), Slugging (.577), and On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) (.999), while hitting 33 home runs. During this peak, he earned four All-Star selections and consistently placed in the top five of the MVP voting.

Guerrero had an awful 1986, when a ruptured knee tendon in spring training cost him nearly the entire season. He reached a final summit of Dodger excellence in 1987, authoring a brilliant comeback by batting .338 with 27 home runs to win the UPI Comeback Player of the Year award.  Despite his offensive skills, the organization looked to retool for a stretch run, and they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher John Tudor.

Guerrero had 1,113 hits with Los Angeles, with 171 Home Runs and a batting average of .309.