A guy who grew up in Massachusetts wants to contribute to the Boston Red Sox this season..Middleborough native Sean Newcomb is a non-roster invitee at Boston Red Sox spring training this season.The left-handed pitcher has appeared in 175 Major League Baseball games since 2018 (including 60 starts) and is 28-25 with a 4.51 career Earned Run Average.The 31-year-old grew up a Red Sox fan and hopes to contribute to the big league club this season, either as a starter or reliever. That said, here are five things you should know about Newcomb:1. Three Favorite Players Growing UpNewcomb was a Red Sox fan growing up and he had three favorite players, according to MLB.com: outfielder Manny Ramirez, starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, and designated hitter David Ortiz.Ramirez is widely considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time, while Ortiz is often regarded as the greatest designated hitter of all time. Both have more than 500 career home runs, though, unlike Ortiz, Ramirez is not a Hall of Famer due to his confirmed use of performance-enhancing drugs. Meanwhile, Martinez, one of the best pitchers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is a Hall of Famer with over 3,000 career strikeouts.All three men were a part of the 2004 World Series championship team, which reversed an 86-year championship drought for the Red Sox. Newcomb was 11 years old in 2004. 2. Had A Pick-Six In Middleborough High School FootballThe 2011 Middleborough High grad was a two-sport star who was recruited to play Division 1 college football by the University of Rhode Island and North Carolina State, according to Wicked Local. (He attended the University of Hartford in Connecticut for baseball.) One example of that football success: while playing defense he had a pick-six on September 18, 2010. In a 49-7 win over Coyle-Cassidy (a now-shuttered private Catholic school in Taunton, Massachusetts), Newcomb intercepted a pass and ran 50 yards for a touchdown.In addition to his success at linebacker, he was also a tight end. In a 40-32 win over Apponoquet on September 11, 2010, Newcomb made three touchdown catches. 3. Came Within One Strike Of A Major League Baseball No-HitterThe southpaw has thrown a no-hitter before, but it wasn't in a big league game.In college, Newcomb threw a no-no against Yale College on March 24, 2012. However, while pitching for the Atlanta Braves on July 29, 2018, Newcomb came within one strike of throwing a no-hitter.In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Newcomb had batter Chris Taylor in a 2-2 count. However, Newcomb allowed a hard grounder that ended up being a single hit in the hole between the shortstop and third baseman. The Braves then pulled Newcomb and went on to win the game 4-1, as a reliever gave up a run-scoring base hit before securing the final out. 4. Won A Game Without Completing A Plate AppearanceNewcomb made Oakland Athletics history last season.He became the first player in the team's 124-year history to record a win without facing a batter, as ESPN reported at the time.Newcomb picked up the win in a June 21, 2024 game against the Minnesota Twins; the A's won 6-5.The pitcher entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. After throwing two pitches -- a ball and a strike -- he picked off the runner at first base, ending the inning.Technically, Newcomb never faced the batter, who went back up to the plate to start the top of the ninth inning with a 0-0 count.Meanwhile, in the bottom of the eighth, the A's got a two-run home run to take a 6-5 lead. Then, leading in the top of the ninth, the team put in its closer, who earned a save.Newcomb got credit for the win -- his lone win in seven relief appearances for the A's last season. 5. Insane Scoreless StreakNewcomb had a great junior year at the University of Hartford in 2014. He went 8-2 with a 1.25 ERA, striking out 106 batters in 93.1 innings as he won the America East Pitcher of the Year Award. However, it was the fact that he started the season with a 39.2 scoreless inning streak that helped boost his draft stock, according to The Middleboro Gazette.The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected him 15th overall in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft and gave him a $2.518 million signing bonus.Now, a decade after being a first-round pick, Newcomb is hoping to make his childhood team and contribute at Fenway Park.
A guy who grew up in Massachusetts wants to contribute to the Boston Red Sox this season..Middleborough native Sean Newcomb is a non-roster invitee at Boston Red Sox spring training this season.The left-handed pitcher has appeared in 175 Major League Baseball games since 2018 (including 60 starts) and is 28-25 with a 4.51 career Earned Run Average.The 31-year-old grew up a Red Sox fan and hopes to contribute to the big league club this season, either as a starter or reliever. That said, here are five things you should know about Newcomb:1. Three Favorite Players Growing UpNewcomb was a Red Sox fan growing up and he had three favorite players, according to MLB.com: outfielder Manny Ramirez, starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, and designated hitter David Ortiz.Ramirez is widely considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time, while Ortiz is often regarded as the greatest designated hitter of all time. Both have more than 500 career home runs, though, unlike Ortiz, Ramirez is not a Hall of Famer due to his confirmed use of performance-enhancing drugs. Meanwhile, Martinez, one of the best pitchers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is a Hall of Famer with over 3,000 career strikeouts.All three men were a part of the 2004 World Series championship team, which reversed an 86-year championship drought for the Red Sox. Newcomb was 11 years old in 2004. 2. Had A Pick-Six In Middleborough High School FootballThe 2011 Middleborough High grad was a two-sport star who was recruited to play Division 1 college football by the University of Rhode Island and North Carolina State, according to Wicked Local. (He attended the University of Hartford in Connecticut for baseball.) One example of that football success: while playing defense he had a pick-six on September 18, 2010. In a 49-7 win over Coyle-Cassidy (a now-shuttered private Catholic school in Taunton, Massachusetts), Newcomb intercepted a pass and ran 50 yards for a touchdown.In addition to his success at linebacker, he was also a tight end. In a 40-32 win over Apponoquet on September 11, 2010, Newcomb made three touchdown catches. 3. Came Within One Strike Of A Major League Baseball No-HitterThe southpaw has thrown a no-hitter before, but it wasn't in a big league game.In college, Newcomb threw a no-no against Yale College on March 24, 2012. However, while pitching for the Atlanta Braves on July 29, 2018, Newcomb came within one strike of throwing a no-hitter.In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Newcomb had batter Chris Taylor in a 2-2 count. However, Newcomb allowed a hard grounder that ended up being a single hit in the hole between the shortstop and third baseman. The Braves then pulled Newcomb and went on to win the game 4-1, as a reliever gave up a run-scoring base hit before securing the final out. 4. Won A Game Without Completing A Plate AppearanceNewcomb made Oakland Athletics history last season.He became the first player in the team's 124-year history to record a win without facing a batter, as ESPN reported at the time.Newcomb picked up the win in a June 21, 2024 game against the Minnesota Twins; the A's won 6-5.The pitcher entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. After throwing two pitches -- a ball and a strike -- he picked off the runner at first base, ending the inning.Technically, Newcomb never faced the batter, who went back up to the plate to start the top of the ninth inning with a 0-0 count.Meanwhile, in the bottom of the eighth, the A's got a two-run home run to take a 6-5 lead. Then, leading in the top of the ninth, the team put in its closer, who earned a save.Newcomb got credit for the win -- his lone win in seven relief appearances for the A's last season. 5. Insane Scoreless StreakNewcomb had a great junior year at the University of Hartford in 2014. He went 8-2 with a 1.25 ERA, striking out 106 batters in 93.1 innings as he won the America East Pitcher of the Year Award. However, it was the fact that he started the season with a 39.2 scoreless inning streak that helped boost his draft stock, according to The Middleboro Gazette.The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected him 15th overall in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft and gave him a $2.518 million signing bonus.Now, a decade after being a first-round pick, Newcomb is hoping to make his childhood team and contribute at Fenway Park.
