Born in Hartsville, South Carolina, Newsom was known as a somewhat eccentric and emotional personality, typically referring to everyone, and also himself in the third person, as "Bobo". Newsom pitched valiantly in a losing cause in Game Seven of the 1940 World Series with the Detroit Tigers, two days after pitching a shutout in honor of his father, who had died while visiting from South Carolina and watching his son win the opener. Bobo had said before pitching Game Five "I'll win this one for my daddy." When manager Del Baker named Newsom to take the mound for Game Seven, Bobo was asked by reporters, "will you win this one for your daddy too?" "Why, no," Newsom said, "I think I'll win this one for old Bobo."