As we get closer to the start of another January, I remember one of my favorite episodes of sitcom. Seinfeld. Titled “The Millennium”, the plot centered on the competition between Kramer and Newman to attract people to their respective New Years parties.
Even though Newman was frequently the antagonist of the series, he was actually worth supporting in this particular episode. After all, its own name makes it all the more worthy of hosting a New Years Eve party.
If baseball was played at that particular time of year, several players could form a team based solely on their names. Here’s what that list might look like, made up of guts whose name includes the syllable pronounced “new.”
Pitcher: Hal Newhouser
Outside of his final two years with the Cleveland Indians, the Hall of Fame lefty spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. He won consecutive MVP awards in 1944 and 1945, accumulating 54 victories in that short span. He finished with more than two hundred career wins and four times led the American League in wins.
Pitcher: Don Newcombe
After already winning Rookie of the Year and five All-Star appearances, the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher won not only the 1956 Cy Young Award but also the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Pitcher: Bobo Newsom
Bobo pitched for nine teams, primarily with the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns from the 1930s through the 1950s. He accomplished the rare feat of not only winning over two hundred games, but also losing over two hundred.
Catcher: Sam Agnew
He spent the second decade of the 20th century dividing his time between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Browns, and finished as runner-up for AL MVP after hitting. 312 in 1915.
First base: Jeff Newman
An All-Star who hit more than twenty home runs for the Athletics in 1979, Newman also served as a receiver who spent his last two seasons with the Boston Red Sox.
Second base: Al Newman
Loved by Minnesota fans for the two World Series titles he helped bring to the Metrodome, Newman became the Twins’ coach long after his retirement.
Shortstop: Skeeter Newsome
Skeeter played for both the Philadelphia teams and the Boston Red Sox during the 1930s and 1940s, when he received strong MVP consideration in 1943 and again in 1945.
Third Base: Eduardo Nunez
One of the most versatile players in the majors today, he became a star in Minnesota before the Giants acquired him for their pennant run in 2016.
Right field: Warren Newson
He played for the White Sox and Rangers throughout the 1990s, including back-to-back seasons in which he hit double figures in home runs.
Center field: David Newhan
A total of five teams employed the services of this versatile athlete during the early part of this century, and his best season was when he hit 315 for the Baltimore Orioles.
Left field: Marc Newfield
He played for three teams in the 1990s and had his best season in 1996. That year he hit double figures in home runs, a performance encouraging enough for the Brewers to give up slugger Greg Vaughn for him.