Dodgers legend Don Newcombe, Yasiel Puig share a special moment
By Tab Bamford
LOS ANGELES – Dodgers legend Don Newcombe is 92 now. After two seasons in the Negro Leagues, he followed Jackie Robinson’s path to the majors and made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 20, 1949, more than 41 years before Cuban slugger Yasiel Puig was born.
Puig, 27, speaks English well enough to blow up social media with every celebration the Dodgers have held this fall. He’s a young, energetic player in his prime.
When Puig saw the Newcombe sitting in the stands before Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium, he made a point to sit and talk with one of the pioneers who helped integrate baseball more than four decades before he was born.
Puig, like Hall of Famer Dave Winfield a few minutes earlier, showed his respect for Newcombe with a hug before sitting down between the Dodgers legend and the field for a moment. The two spoke for about five minutes, and Puig mirrored the respect Winfield had earlier.
A 92-year-old pitcher who appeared in four All-Star Games with the Dodgers before they arrived in Los Angeles sat with the young Cuban outfielder a few hours away before playing a crucial playoff game against the NL Central champion Brewers.
As their conversation came to a close, Puig put his hand on Newcombe’s shoulder and bowed. He jogged back out onto the field to finish warming up as a cloudless sky hung above a 70-degree day at Chavez Ravine.
Baseball and the Dodgers had brought together two men from different eras and countries for a moment of conversation. Before Dodger Stadium vibrates with the echoes of a playoff game, the two shared a moment in the sun.
Featured Image: La Vida Baseball