“I have seen the perception of the baseball writer change from a more innocent time in the early 60s… to the current environment, when it almost seems as if there is an adversarial relationship.” Ross Newhan was one of those rare voices who saw baseball journalism evolve with time. After four decades chronicling the stories that shaped Los Angeles baseball, Newhan has taken his final bow at 89, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that stretched far beyond the headlines he wrote. His passing marks the end of an era for LA baseball journalism. But his contributions remain etched in the history of the game.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and readers of longtime distinguished LA Times baseball writer Ross Newhan, who passed away at 89. Ross was a true gentleman, a highly respected voice in his 43-year career, and a baseball Dad to former Major Leaguer David Newhan. He will be missed,” MLB Communications shared via X.

Newhan was a titanic figure in baseball journalism, widely considered a giant of the profession during his 43-year career. He spent the vast majority of his career covering MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 1968 until his retirement in 2004. Thus, chronicling the eras of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels.

Newhan began covering the newly formed Los Angeles Angels franchise in their inaugural 1961 season as their local beat writer for the Long Beach Press Telegram. He was then hired by the Times in late 1967 as a traveling beat writer. There he covered both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Angels for 11 years, bridging two fan bases.

Newhan was assigned exclusively to the Angels beat starting in 1979. It made its way into his book The California Angels, which was published in 1982. Between 1986 and 2004, Newhan acted as the national baseball writer for the LA Times. He also covered major non-baseball events, including the Winter Olympics, Triple Crown horse racing, and major golf tournaments.

While Ross Newhan’s work included high-impact, analytical opinion pieces, he maintained direct access to owners and executives. His reporting on the historic sale of the Dodgers won the top Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) Award for the top news story of 1997.

“The Dodgers today mourn Ross Newhan, the Hall of Fame sportswriter, who passed away this morning at the age of 89,” the Dodgers shared. “We send our condolences to his wife, Connie, and their friends and family.”

At the time of his passing, he held the distinction of being the longest-tenured active member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

One of the most notable works of Newhan was exposing the ownership collusion in the late 1980s. Back then, MLB team owners allegedly banded together to artificially depress player salaries and destroy the free-agent market. Newhan was one of the loudest, sharpest voices exposing the scam.

He aggressively covered leaked testimonies, identifying how commissioner Peter Ueberroth and club owners blatantly shared information to set illegal caps on free-agent offers. His reporting continuously held leadership accountable, famously asserting that management should “pay a stiff price” for violating bargaining agreements.

Apart from his journalism work, Ross had another connection with the game: his son David. While Ross built a legendary career writing about baseball from the press box, David made it to the field. He carved out a professional baseball career that spanned over two decades as both a player and a staff strategist.

David Newhan was drafted by the Athletics in the 17th round of the 1995 MLB Draft out of Pepperdine University. He made his big league debut with the San Diego Padres in 1999.

With someone of such stature, Ross Newhan’s absence would be hard to fill, especially in the LA baseball community.