Kyle Newsome, who was the first overall pick in the 1972 draft, is already at the age of 23 a real fan favorite in the El Paso area. As the Dawgs closer in 1976 he finished 5th in the SJL Reliever of the Year voting and 6th in the Rookie of the Year voting.
And it was beginning to look like this might be the year that he might begin his transition into the starting rotation. But now, having suffered a torn UCL, it will likely be at least a year before he is ready to pitch again. Not only is it a devastating setback for a young budding star pitcher but it is a real blow to a Dawgs team that after years of futility finally found themselves in contention in 1976 and broke the 90-win mark for the first time in team history.
