Newhan, David

David Matthew Newhan

Nicknamed "Son of Scribe," because his father, Ross Newhan, is a long-time baseball writer for the Los Angeles Times (Ross was inducted into the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in August 2001), Newhan is a member of the New York Mets. During the 2006 campaign, David played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Newhan considers himself Jewish � he had his bar mitzvah at a Conservative synagogue � but he also says that he has accepted Jesus Christ. David observes Passover and Hanukkah and describes himself as a Messianic Jew.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. September 7, 1973

Career Highlights:
Before his major league career, Newhan attended Cypress Junior College, Georgia Tech, and Pepperdine; he was All-West Coast Conference in 1995 after leading the league in slugging and home runs. Drafted in the 17th round of the 1995 draft by the Oakland A's, Newhan was traded to the San Diego Padres two years later. In 1999, he made his big league debut with the Padres, hitting only .140 in 32 games. He did have a great debut, though, going 3-for-4 against Oakland on June 8 while becoming the first San Diego player in 19 years to get hits in his first two at-bats.

David started the 2000 season as a second baseman for the San Diego Padres, for whom he hit .150. He was sent to AAA Las Vegas, then traded to the Phillies, for whom he played the final weeks of the 2000 season. David played in 10 games and hit .176 for the Phils. During the 2001 season, David appeared in 7 games for the Phillies, going 2-6 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored before injuring his shoulder; he had season-ending shoulder surgery on May 25. Before going on the DL, Newhan also played in 13 games with AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, hitting .109 (6-55).

After a couple of years out of the majors, David played the 2004 season with the Baltimore Orioles, who finished 78-84 and in third place in the AL East. Newhan played in 95 games and hit .311 (116-373) with eight home runs, 54 RBI, and 66 runs scored. His emergence with Baltimore was so stunning that David's spectacular comeback was featured in The New York Times sports section on July 4, 2004.

Career Dates:
Newhan played for the San Diego Padres, 1999 -2000, the Philadelphia Phillies, 2000 - 2001, and the Baltimore Orioles, 2004-present.

Position:
Mostly second base, but David has also played in the outfield and third base.

Physical description:
5'10", 180 pounds
Throws right, bats left

Career Statistics:
(through 2005 season):

Games: 254
Batting Avg.: .257
Slugging Avg.: .388

At-bats: 677
Hits: 174
Doubles: 27
Triples: 7

Home Runs: 16
Home Run %: n/a
Runs: 114
RBI: 84

BB: 59
Strike Outs: 141
Stolen Bases: 22

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: n/a
Hits: n/a

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 242
Assists: 86
Errors: 8
Double-plays: 20

Fielding Avg: .976

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