Bobo Newsom

__NOTOC__Infobox MLB retired
name=Bobo Newsom
position=Pitcher

---

bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1907|8|11
city-state|Hartsville|South Carolina
deathdate=death date and age|1962|12|7|1907|8|11
city-state|Orlando|Florida
debutdate=September 11
debutyear=by|1929
debutteam=Brooklyn Robins
finaldate=September 17
finalyear=by|1953
finalteam=Philadelphia Athletics
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=211-222
stat2label=Strikeouts
stat2value=2,082
stat3label=Earned run average
stat3value=3.98
teams=
* Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers (by|1929–by|1930, by|1942-by|1943)
* Chicago Cubs (by|1932)
* St. Louis Browns (by|1934-by|1935, by|1938-by|1939, by|1943)
* Washington Senators (by|1935-by|1937, by|1942, by|1943, by|1946-by|1947, by|1952)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1937)
* Detroit Tigers (by|1939-by|1941)
* Philadelphia Athletics (by|1944-by|1946, by|1952-by|1953)
* New York Yankees (by|1947)
* New York Giants (by|1948)
highlights=
* 4x All-Star selection (1938, 1939, 1940, 1944)
* World Series champion (1947)
* Led AL in strikeouts in 1942 with 113

Louis Norman (Bobo) Newsom (August 11 1907 – December 7 1962) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for a number of teams from 1929 through 1953. He batted and threw right handed.

Life and career

Born in Hartsville, South Carolina, Newsom was known as a somewhat eccentric and emotional personality, typically referring to everyone, and also himself in the third person, as "Bobo".

Newsom pitched valiantly in a losing cause in Game Seven of the 1940 World Series with the Detroit Tigers, two days after pitching a shutout in honor of his father, who had died while visiting from South Carolina and watching his son win the opener. Bobo had said before pitching Game Five "I'll win this one for my daddy." When manager Del Baker named Newsom to take the mound for Game Seven, Bobo was asked by reporters, "will you win this one for your daddy too?" "Why, no," Newsom said, "I think I'll win this one for old Bobo." ["The Official Encyclopedia of Baseball", by Turkin & Thompson] ["Baseball's Unforgettable Games", by Reichler and Olan, 1960]

Newsom's performance in 1941 was a disappointment, as he lost 20 games, winning only 12. When the Tigers' general manager Jack Zeller negotiated a contract with Newsom, he said, "You'll have to take a salary cut, Newsom, since you lost 20 games last season."The plain-spoken Bobo, remembering what Commissioner Landis had done to release players on minor-league teams that were under major-league teams' control, snapped, "Hell, you lost ninety-one of Briggs' [the team owner] ball players last year, and I don't see you taking no cut." Zeller was not amused and traded Newsom to the Washington Senators. In 1947, although he had a poor outing, Newsom garnered a Series ring while with the New York Yankees.

In a 20-season career, Newsom posted a 211-222 record with 2082 strikeouts and a 3.98 ERA in 3759.1 innings pitched. He also made the American League All-Star team from 1938-40 and 1944. With 211 wins, he is one of the 100 winningest pitchers of all time. His 222 loses also make him one of only two major league pitchers to win 200 games and still have a sub .500 career winning percentage. The other is Jack Powell. Upon his retirement in 1953, he was the last major leaguer to have played in the 1920s to still be active.

Al Benton is the only major-league pitcher to have faced both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Newsom was the only other pitcher whose career spanned that of both hitters. He did face Ruth in 1934; however, in 1951, Mantle's first year, Newsom was out of the majors, and in 1952, Newsom never faced the Yankees--and the one time he faced them in 1953, Mantle was out of the lineup with an injury.

Newsom died in Orlando, Florida at age 55 from cirrhosis of the liver and was buried in his home town of Hartsville, which has a street named in his honor.

Newsom is mentioned in the poem "Lineup for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:

Quote box2 |width= 18em |border= 4px |align= center |bgcolor= #FAF0E6 |halign= center | title="Lineup for Yesterday"|quote="N is for Newsom," "Bobo's favorite kin." "You ask how he's here," "He talked himself in."
source= — "Ogden Nash", "Sport" magazine (January 1949) [cite web|title=Baseball Almanac|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_line.shtml|accessdate=2008-01-23 ]

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
* List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
*Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
* Major League Baseball titles leaders

References

External links

*baseball-reference|id=n/newsobo01
* [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=757&pid=10374 Society for American Baseball Research]
* [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=757&pid=10374 Baseball Biography Project]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/N/Newsom_Bobo.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Newsome.Bobo.Obit.html The Deadball Era]