Dodgers great Newcombe dies

Don Newcombe, the hard-throwing Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who was one of the first black players in the major leagues and who went on to win the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards, died. He was 92. The team confirmed Newcombe died after a lengthy illness. “Don Newcombe’s presence and life established him as a role model for Major Leaguers across the country,” Dodgers President Stan Kasten said. “He was a constant presence at Dodger Stadium, and players always gravitated to him for his endless advice and leadership. The Dodgers meant everything to him, and we are all fortunate he was a part of our lives.” Newcombe, like Dodgers teammate Jackie Robinson, was signed by Branch Rickey from the Negro Leagues and went on to make a huge mark in the major leagues. “Newk” was a fierce presence on the mound, a 6-foot-4 and 225-pound bear of a man who stared down hitters and backed up anyone foolish enough to crowd the plate. He was a four-time All-Star and won 20 games three different times.

DIETRICH, REDS AGREE >>

Cleveland native and former St. Ignatius standout Derek Dietrich and Cincinnati have finalized a minor-league contract, giving the Reds another infield and outfield option. The 29-year-old had spent all six of his previous big league seasons with the Marlins and would have been eligible for salary arbitration, but he was designated for assignment on Nov. 20 and became a free agent. He made $2.9 million last year, when he hit .265 with 16 home runs in 149 games while playing mostly in left field. FREE-AGENCY ISSUE MAY BE ‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’ >> Commissioner Rob Manfred predicts top free agents will all get deals and the second slow free-agent market won’t have lasting significance. “In some ways I feel like it’s a little much ado about nothing if in fact those players all sign at the end of the day,” he said. “The season’s going to go on. We’re going to have the right players out there playing on the field, and it’s kind of no harm, no foul.” Bryce Harper, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel remain on the market just ahead of the start of spring training games this week. Throughout the major leagues, players have criticized teams for not spending to land top available stars and started to push for significant changes in the collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2021 season.

STEELERS STAR BROWN MEETS WITH ROONEY >>

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has ended his lengthy standoff with the team by meeting with president Art Rooney II, though any shot at reconciliation between the two sides appears to be out of the question. Brown, who has asked to be traded, posted a picture on various social media accounts that showed him arm in arm with Rooney at the Palm Beach International Airport. “We discussed a lot of things and we cleared the air on several issues!” Brown wrote. “We both agreed that it is time to move on but I’ll always have appreciation and gratitude towards the Rooney family and @steelers organization!”