Sept. 5 has given Dodgers history a little bit of everything: a pitcher rewriting the record book with his bat, a rare weather twist in Southern California, and even a note of connection to a former Dodger slugger getting passed in the NL record chase.
The biggest headline belongs to Don Newcombe. On Sept. 5, 1955, he launched his seventh home run of the season, setting a National League record for a pitcher. The mark broke the old standard shared by Hal Schumacher of the New York Giants in 1934 and Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves in 1942.
That day at Ebbets Field was part of Brooklyn’s 11-4 win over the Phillies, and it came during one of the strongest seasons of Newcombe’s career. It was the second of three seasons in which he won 20 or more games for the club.
At the plate, Newcombe was far more than a novelty. He finished the season hitting .359/.395/.632 with seven homers, nine doubles, one triple, 18 runs scored and 23 RBI, plus one stolen base. On the mound, he went 20-5 in 31 starts, logged 233.2 innings, posted a 3.20 ERA and struck out 143.
That performance earned Newcombe his fourth and final All-Star Game selection. His career had been shortened by two years of military service from 1952-1953, but in 1955 he was still very much one of the defining arms in the game.
The Dodgers capped that season by winning their first and only World Series title in Brooklyn, beating the New York Yankees. Newcombe’s lone World Series start, though, didn’t go the way he wanted. He lasted 5.2 innings, allowed six runs and took the loss, while going 0-for-3 at the plate.
Sept. 5 also brings a much stranger Dodgers note from 1978. That day, the Dodgers and California Angels were both scheduled to play at home, a rare setup in itself. Then both games were rained out, making the situation even more unusual.
It would be nearly another decade before both clubs had home games washed out on the same day again, near the end of the 1986 season. The Dodgers had been set to face the San Francisco Giants after taking the opener of the series 5-4 on Sept.
- They got back on the field on Sept. 6 and won again, 9-2.
Two more meetings followed on Sept. 11 and 12, and the Dodgers kept rolling with 7-2 and 8-0 wins. Los Angeles finished 95-67, won the National League West, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Championship Series and then lost the World Series to the Yankees in six games.
More recently, during the 2023 season, the Dodgers and Angels had home games moved into doubleheaders because of a likely rainout tied to Hurricane Hilary.
And on Sept. 5, 1998, Barry Bonds made his own bit of NL history by reaching base in 15 straight plate appearances for the Giants. The stretch included five singles, two doubles, two home runs and six walks, and it broke the previous record of 14 consecutive plate appearances safely reached, set by Pedro Guerrero in 1983.
Guerrero’s 1983 season stood out in its own right. He was an All-Star that year and hit .298/.363/.531 with 32 home runs, 103 RBI and 87 runs scored.
In Other News...
Dodgers Prospects Last Move Before Leaving Said Plenty About This Shuffle
Jos Rodrguezs move out of the Dodgers system came on September 1, but the trail leading to the trade had already been telling a story about how this organization keeps recalibrating its pitching depth. Before changing hands with Toronto, Rodrguez had been working for Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he gave the Dodgers one more look at a live arm in the upper minors. For a team that constantly cycles through pitching inventory, even a brief stop like that can matter when the front office is sorting out who fits into the next wave.
Rodrguez then surfaced with Buffalo and worked a scoreless inning in his Blue Jays Triple-A debut, a small but notable first impression after the swap. The Dodgers, in turn, brought back right-hander Sebastian Rodriguez and sent him to their Dominican Summer League affiliate, another reminder that this was as much about rebalancing the pipeline as it was about the present day roster. Trades like this rarely grab headlines, but they can say plenty about where the Dodgers see value and how fluid the back end of the system really is. [Read more 🡒]
Mookie Betts Is Giving Dodgers Fans Another Reason To Watch Tuesday
Mookie Betts has been one of the Dodgers most dependable watch points all season, and he gives Los Angeles fans another reason to keep an eye on Tuesday night even with the action unfolding elsewhere. The broader baseball spotlight is shifting with Aaron Judge set to return to the Yankees after a rib injury, but Betts remains right in the thick of the home run conversation, with recent performance and matchup context giving him a strong case to produce again.
The appeal here is the kind of nightly variance that keeps fans tuning in, because Betts is not the only star drawing projection-based buzz. Pete Alonso is also in the mix in the same game of long-ball speculation, and the opposing pitchers on tap help explain why both hitters are being viewed as prime candidates to go deep. For Dodgers fans, it is another reminder that even when the headline is about someone else, Betts can still make the night feel like must-watch baseball. [Read more 🡒]
Shohei Ohtanis Dodgers Role Just Took A Major Turn
Shohei Ohtanis place in the Dodgers day-to-day plans has shifted in a significant way, with the two-way star now set to stay in the lineup as a designated hitter rather than return to the mound. He has not pitched since July 3, and both Dave Roberts and Ohtani have made clear that the focus moving forward is on keeping him in the role that has made him one of the sports most dangerous hitters.
The decision was reached together, with health and team needs driving the conversation. For the Dodgers, it simplifies a player usage puzzle that has hovered over the roster all season, even as it leaves open the bigger question of whether Ohtanis pitching days in Los Angeles are truly on hold, or something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]