Don Newcombe -- A legend has passed

This morning we were shook by the news that Brooklyn Dodger hero Don Newcombe has died at the age of 92. As you know, he was a frequent attendee at Dodger games, and is known to be a mentor to numerous Dodger players throughout the years/decades. Per a tweet by David Vassegh:

Koufax: "Mentor at first, friend at the end. Missed by anyone that got to know him."

Don Newcombe spent eight of his ten year Major League career as a Dodger, and in that time he achieved heights and accomplishments rarely experienced by others.  He became the Rookie of the Year in 1949, won both the Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1956 and was a 4X All-Star. Newk was also considered one of the greatest hitting pitchers in the game. In nearly 1,000 plate appearances he slashed .271/.338/.367/.705 with 33 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 108 RBI's.

Blog Kiosk: 2/19/2019 - Dodgers Links and News - Some Odds and Ends

Clayton is faced live batter for the first time this spring yesterday. Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1954 the Dodgers signed 19-year old Roberto Clemente to a one-year contract worth $5,000 with a $10,000 signing bonus. He was highly scouted by both the Yankees and Giants, but they all got outbid by the Dodgers. Unfortunately, they would lose Clemente's rights during the upcoming 1954 Rule V Draft to Pittsburgh. In 1983 22-year old Dodger hurler Fernando Valenzuela becomes the first ballplayer awarded an $1,000,000 salary during arbitration. The Dodgers had countered back with a salary of $750,000.
• Happy Birthday, Oscar Roettger, Dick Siebert, Gail Hopkins, Dave Stewart, Josh Reddick & Fabio Castillo!