Joe Black, a 28-year-old right-hander with the Brooklyn Dodgers, garnered 19 of 24 first-place votes, making him the clear winner of the National League Rookie of the Year award on November 21, 1952. Eddie Mathews, Dick Groat, and Hoyt Wilhelm were also voted in first place.

With this achievement, Black became the third player in Dodgers history to earn Rookie of the Year, following Don Newcombe in 1949 and Jackie Robinson in 1947. Jim Gilliam joined the Dodgers list the next season, taking home the 1953 award.

After pitching 142.1 innings in 56 games, Black concluded the 1952 season 15-4 with a 2.15 ERA, 2.90 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 85 strikeouts, 41 walks, and 15 saves in addition to his 1.9 WAR. He began three games in seven days against the New York Yankees during the 1952 World Series. He won the first game with a six-hitter but lost the fourth and seventh.

After that, Black was never able to find success again. In 1953, he recorded a 5.33 ERA over 72.2 innings; in 1954, he recorded an 11.57 ERA over seven innings; and in 1955, he recorded a 4.05 ERA over 117.2 innings.

However, he was not a member of the Dodgers’ World Series title team since they moved him to the Cincinnati Redlegs during the 1955 campaign. Years later, Walter O’Malley’s son, Peter O’Malley, the owner of the Dodgers, did in fact give Black a World Series ring.

Darryl Strawberry breaks the Dodgers’ record for rookie of the year.Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets ended the Dodgers’ four-year run as Rookie of the Year on November 21, 1983. Since Bob Horner of the Atlanta Braves won the award in 1978, Strawberry is the first person who isn’t a Dodger to have won it.

Rick Sutcliffe (1979), Steve Howe (1980), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), and Steve Sax (1982) were the previous Dodgers winners.

After hitting, Strawberry garnered 18 of 24 votes for first place.257/.336/.512 with 122 games played, 26 home runs, 74 RBI, and 63 runs scored. With six more first-place votes, Braves pitcher Craig McMurty finished in second place, followed by Chicago Cubs outfielder Mel Hall in third.

Although Dodgers first baseman Greg Brock finished ninth in the voting with just three points, he did garner votes for Rookie of the Year that season. Until Eric Karros won in 1992, the Dodgers had not had another Rookie of the Year winner.

With eighteen players earning Rookie of the Year awards, the Dodgers continue to hold the record for most such victories.