David Newhan
Encyclopedia
David Matthew Newhan is a former Major League Baseball
player. He bats left-handed
and throws right-handed. He is currently the hitting coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm
.
, a Hall of Fame baseball writer first for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, then for the Los Angeles Times
, and the 2000 recipient of the Hall of Fame's J. G. Taylor Spink Award, who spent 44 years as a sportswriter in the Los Angeles area covering the Angels, the Dodgers, and the national baseball scene until his retirement in 2004.
Newhan was an infielder
at Esperanza High School
in Anaheim, California
. He starred in high school, but only received scholarship offers at the Division II level.
, a junior college
, in . His coach experimented by putting Newhan at first base, a position that seemed peculiar for a 5' 10" player. To prepare him, the coach had Newhan put on catcher
's gear, and hit grounders at him. Eventually, Newhan became so adept at first base that he played the position for the entire year.
After a season at Cypress, Newhan was recruited to play second base alongside star shortstop
Nomar Garciaparra
at Georgia Tech in . Head coach Jim Morris had lied to him about the position, however, and he ended up playing first base.
He therefore transferred to Pepperdine University
the following year. At Pepperdine, he hit
.313 with 15 home run
s and 71 RBI
s in 103 games in and . He was All-West Coast Conference
as a left fielder
in 1995, after leading the league in slugging and home runs. He graduated from Pepperdine in 1995 with a business administration degree.
as an outfielder
in the 17th round of the amateur draft.
He was primarily considered an outfielder until his second pro season in , when then Single-A Modesto A's
manager Jim Colborn
, now the Texas Rangers
bullpen
coach, found himself in need of an infielder after the team's second baseman was injured. The night of the injury, Colborn walked through the team's parking lot and noticed a car with the license plate: "LV2TRN2." The next day, Colborn asked the team which player had that particular license plate. Newhan raised his hand. "Get your infield glove, you're going to be a second baseman," Colborn said. Newhan hit .301 that season, with a .538 slugging percentage, 25 home runs, and 17 stolen base
s in 117 games.
In three years in the Athletics' minor league system, Newhan never made his way higher than Oakland's Single-A team, and despite signs of improvement, was traded with Don Wengert
to the San Diego Padres
organization for Jorge Velandia
and Doug Bochtler
in November .
Newhan batted .277 over two seasons with San Diego's Double-A team. He was promoted to the Padres' Triple-A team before the season where, over 98 games, he batted .286 with 22 stolen bases.
Through 2008, his minor league batting line was .290/.369/.464, with 109 home runs in 3,331 at bats.
The Philadelphia Phillies added Newhan to their triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs
team as a player-coach in April 2009, and he hit .275 for their AAA team while playing first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield.
for Desi Relaford
.
The Phillies briefly kept him at Triple-A, before calling him up to the major leagues.
In the off-season, Newhan was traded to his previous club, the Padres, who then traded him back to the Phillies before the season. During the 2001 season, Newhan appeared in seven games for the Phillies before injuring his shoulder making a play in the outfield. "I ran into a wall, and it didn't move," he said. He had season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum on May 25. In October, he was released by the Phillies.
Newhan was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in February and released in October. He signed with the Colorado Rockies
in May , and played in their minor league system, hitting .348 with a .392 on base percentage
in Triple-A. He became a free agent
after the season.
Newhan signed with the Texas Rangers. His contract included a clause requiring the Rangers to release him by June 15, 2004, if he were not on the Major League team. He was not promoted, and subsequently earned his release.
signed Newhan in June 2004. He was hitting .328, with a .557 slugging percentage and 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts in Triple-A when the Orioles called him up.
In with the Orioles, he had 42 hits
through 100 at bat
s, and were it not for a pinch hit
appearance in which he flied out he would have had a 21-game hit streak. He finished with a .311 batting average, seven triples
(seventh in the AL), 8 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. He hit .343 with runners in scoring position, and .400 with runners in scoring position and 2 out. One of his more exciting hits was an inside-the-park home run
off Pedro Martínez
with a runner on base on a drive off the center field wall on July 21 against the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park
.
was a disappointment for Newhan. Because there were so many "everyday" starters on the Orioles, Newhan was relegated to the bench. He saw very limited action and struggled at the plate. Rarely playing on consecutive days, he claimed it was impossible to be consistent offensively. He was briefly demoted to Triple-A, where he hit .366.
During spring training
of he batted .400. While the Orioles had planned to use him as a backup, they started him in seven of their first ten games due to his spring stats. He had seven runs
, two home runs, and three stolen bases. On his third stolen base, he slid awkwardly and had to leave the game with a broken right fibula on April 17. Newhan was placed on the disabled list
and was out until the end of August. He finished the season with a .252 average and 4 home runs.
on January 5, , turning down an offer from the Chicago Cubs
.
Newhan was used mainly as a pinch hitter by the Mets for much of April and early May 2007, but was given a great deal of playing time after that due to a slew of injuries that landed several Mets starters on the disabled list. Newhan hit .200, driving in only four runs (including a solo home run) with the Mets, as he played left field and second base. On June 8, the Mets optioned Newhan to the New Orleans Zephyrs
. In July, the Mets recalled Newhan from the Zephyrs, sent him down, and recalled him once again. In 108 at bats with the Triple-A team through the end of July, he batted .358/.405/.569. Newhan was sent to Triple-A New Orleans after the season, but declined the assignment, making him a free agent.
, who invited him to spring training. Newhan split the season between Triple-A Round Rock
, where he hit .308 .with a .535 slugging percentage, and the Astros, where he batted .260 in 64 games (and .408 in games that were late and close), primarily at second base.
On January 29, , Newhan re-signed as a non-roster free agent with the Astros, who invited him to spring training. He did not make the team out of spring training, and on March 29, Newhan was released. On July 23, 2009 Newhan was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
.
, receiving an invitation to spring training.
Newhan plays all infield positions, except shortstop
, as well as all outfield positions. Through 2008, he had played 4 games at first base, 57 games at second base, 29 games at third base, and over 300 games split among the three outfield positions. His range is average both in the infield and outfield, and he throws accurately.
, Newhan was a solid student while growing up in California, and later at Pepperdine, but he never considered following in his father's journalistic footsteps. "Playing seemed a lot more fun than writing," he says. "My dad writes at home, and one thing I've seen a lot of is his cussing up a storm, yelling at the laptop. I understand what the sportswriter goes through. I don't think anyone has to worry about me pulling an Albert Belle
."
He is a member of the Pepperdine Waves Hall of Fame.
Newhan considers himself Jewish, but he says he has also accepted Jesus Christ.
Newhan injured his cervical vertebra 2, a potentially life threatening injury, during a surfing incident in 2009.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He bats left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and throws right-handed. He is currently the hitting coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
.
Early life
Newhan's father is Ross NewhanRoss Newhan
Ross Newhan is a former columnist for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Los Angeles Times before retiring in 2004. He has garnered the 1997 Associated Press Sports Editors Award for his story on the sale of the Dodgers and was given the 2000 J. G...
, a Hall of Fame baseball writer first for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, then for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and the 2000 recipient of the Hall of Fame's J. G. Taylor Spink Award, who spent 44 years as a sportswriter in the Los Angeles area covering the Angels, the Dodgers, and the national baseball scene until his retirement in 2004.
Newhan was an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
at Esperanza High School
Esperanza High School
Esperanza High School is a 9th–12th grade public high school located in Anaheim, California and is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District....
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. He starred in high school, but only received scholarship offers at the Division II level.
College
Newhan attended Cypress CollegeCypress College
Cypress College is a community college located in Cypress, California. Opened on September 12, 1966 , the southern California college offers a variety of general education , transfer courses , and 141 vocational programs leading to Associate's degrees and certificates.-Overview:Cypress College's...
, a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
, in . His coach experimented by putting Newhan at first base, a position that seemed peculiar for a 5' 10" player. To prepare him, the coach had Newhan put on catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
's gear, and hit grounders at him. Eventually, Newhan became so adept at first base that he played the position for the entire year.
After a season at Cypress, Newhan was recruited to play second base alongside star shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
at Georgia Tech in . Head coach Jim Morris had lied to him about the position, however, and he ended up playing first base.
He therefore transferred to Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
the following year. At Pepperdine, he hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.313 with 15 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 71 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s in 103 games in and . He was All-West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
as a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in 1995, after leading the league in slugging and home runs. He graduated from Pepperdine in 1995 with a business administration degree.
Minor leagues
Newhan was drafted by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in the 17th round of the amateur draft.
He was primarily considered an outfielder until his second pro season in , when then Single-A Modesto A's
Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts are a minor league baseball team in Modesto, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Colorado Rockies. The Modesto Nuts play home games at John Thurman Field. Opened in 1955 and renovated in 1997, the park seats 4,000 fans...
manager Jim Colborn
Jim Colborn
James William Colborn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The right-handed Colborn pitched for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers , Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners ....
, now the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
coach, found himself in need of an infielder after the team's second baseman was injured. The night of the injury, Colborn walked through the team's parking lot and noticed a car with the license plate: "LV2TRN2." The next day, Colborn asked the team which player had that particular license plate. Newhan raised his hand. "Get your infield glove, you're going to be a second baseman," Colborn said. Newhan hit .301 that season, with a .538 slugging percentage, 25 home runs, and 17 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 117 games.
In three years in the Athletics' minor league system, Newhan never made his way higher than Oakland's Single-A team, and despite signs of improvement, was traded with Don Wengert
Don Wengert
Donald Paul Wengert is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates.-External links:...
to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
organization for Jorge Velandia
Jorge Velandia
Jorge Luis Velandia Macias [ve-LAHN-deah] is a former Major League Baseball shortstop.Velandia played with the San Diego Padres , Oakland Athletics , New York Mets , Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Toronto Blue Jays , and Cleveland Indians...
and Doug Bochtler
Doug Bochtler
Douglas Eugene Bochtler is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball from -.-External links:...
in November .
Newhan batted .277 over two seasons with San Diego's Double-A team. He was promoted to the Padres' Triple-A team before the season where, over 98 games, he batted .286 with 22 stolen bases.
Through 2008, his minor league batting line was .290/.369/.464, with 109 home runs in 3,331 at bats.
The Philadelphia Phillies added Newhan to their triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
team as a player-coach in April 2009, and he hit .275 for their AAA team while playing first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield.
Early career
Newhan made his Major League debut with the Padres in . He began the season as the second baseman for the Padres, but hit for a batting average of only .150, and was soon demoted to Triple-A. While in the minors, he was traded to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Desi Relaford
Desi Relaford
Desmond Lamont "Desi" Relaford is an American former professional baseball infielder. He has played for the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies.Known more for his defense than his bat, his versatility was...
.
The Phillies briefly kept him at Triple-A, before calling him up to the major leagues.
In the off-season, Newhan was traded to his previous club, the Padres, who then traded him back to the Phillies before the season. During the 2001 season, Newhan appeared in seven games for the Phillies before injuring his shoulder making a play in the outfield. "I ran into a wall, and it didn't move," he said. He had season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum on May 25. In October, he was released by the Phillies.
Newhan was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in February and released in October. He signed with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in May , and played in their minor league system, hitting .348 with a .392 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in Triple-A. He became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the season.
Newhan signed with the Texas Rangers. His contract included a clause requiring the Rangers to release him by June 15, 2004, if he were not on the Major League team. He was not promoted, and subsequently earned his release.
Baltimore Orioles (2004–06)
The Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
signed Newhan in June 2004. He was hitting .328, with a .557 slugging percentage and 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts in Triple-A when the Orioles called him up.
In with the Orioles, he had 42 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
through 100 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, and were it not for a pinch hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
appearance in which he flied out he would have had a 21-game hit streak. He finished with a .311 batting average, seven triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(seventh in the AL), 8 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. He hit .343 with runners in scoring position, and .400 with runners in scoring position and 2 out. One of his more exciting hits was an inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
off Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
with a runner on base on a drive off the center field wall on July 21 against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
.
was a disappointment for Newhan. Because there were so many "everyday" starters on the Orioles, Newhan was relegated to the bench. He saw very limited action and struggled at the plate. Rarely playing on consecutive days, he claimed it was impossible to be consistent offensively. He was briefly demoted to Triple-A, where he hit .366.
During spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
of he batted .400. While the Orioles had planned to use him as a backup, they started him in seven of their first ten games due to his spring stats. He had seven runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, two home runs, and three stolen bases. On his third stolen base, he slid awkwardly and had to leave the game with a broken right fibula on April 17. Newhan was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
and was out until the end of August. He finished the season with a .252 average and 4 home runs.
New York Mets (2007)
Newhan signed a free agent one-year, $575,000 contract with the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on January 5, , turning down an offer from the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Newhan was used mainly as a pinch hitter by the Mets for much of April and early May 2007, but was given a great deal of playing time after that due to a slew of injuries that landed several Mets starters on the disabled list. Newhan hit .200, driving in only four runs (including a solo home run) with the Mets, as he played left field and second base. On June 8, the Mets optioned Newhan to the New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
. In July, the Mets recalled Newhan from the Zephyrs, sent him down, and recalled him once again. In 108 at bats with the Triple-A team through the end of July, he batted .358/.405/.569. Newhan was sent to Triple-A New Orleans after the season, but declined the assignment, making him a free agent.
Houston Astros (2008)
On January 29, , he signed a minor league deal with the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, who invited him to spring training. Newhan split the season between Triple-A Round Rock
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
, where he hit .308 .with a .535 slugging percentage, and the Astros, where he batted .260 in 64 games (and .408 in games that were late and close), primarily at second base.
On January 29, , Newhan re-signed as a non-roster free agent with the Astros, who invited him to spring training. He did not make the team out of spring training, and on March 29, Newhan was released. On July 23, 2009 Newhan was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
San Diego Padres (2011)
Newhan signed a minor league contract for the 2011 season with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, receiving an invitation to spring training.
Playing style
Newhan hits lefty and righty pitchers equally well. His swing is compact and level, mostly generating line drives and groundballs. He has batted from every position in the batting order, but has mostly been batted second through 2008.Newhan plays all infield positions, except shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, as well as all outfield positions. Through 2008, he had played 4 games at first base, 57 games at second base, 29 games at third base, and over 300 games split among the three outfield positions. His range is average both in the infield and outfield, and he throws accurately.
Personal life
Nicknamed "Son of Scribe," because his father, Ross, is a long-time baseball writer for the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Newhan was a solid student while growing up in California, and later at Pepperdine, but he never considered following in his father's journalistic footsteps. "Playing seemed a lot more fun than writing," he says. "My dad writes at home, and one thing I've seen a lot of is his cussing up a storm, yelling at the laptop. I understand what the sportswriter goes through. I don't think anyone has to worry about me pulling an Albert Belle
Albert Belle
Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
."
He is a member of the Pepperdine Waves Hall of Fame.
Newhan considers himself Jewish, but he says he has also accepted Jesus Christ.
Newhan injured his cervical vertebra 2, a potentially life threatening injury, during a surfing incident in 2009.