Al Downing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al Downing |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 28, 1941 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 19, 1961, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 13, 1977, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 123–107 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.22 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,639 | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Alphonso Erwin Downing (born June 28, 1941) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. His career lasted from 1961 to 1977. Al Downing was chosen as an All-Star in 1967. He also won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1971. This award was for his amazing return to form. He is also known for giving up Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974. This home run broke a famous record.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Al Downing was born in Trenton, New Jersey. As a young person, he took part in the Police Athletic League. This program helps kids get involved in sports. He went to Trenton Central High School. Later, he studied at Muhlenberg College and Rider College. Before playing professionally, he also played baseball as a semi-professional player.
Playing for the Yankees
Al Downing joined the New York Yankees in 1961. He signed as an amateur free agent. By July of that same year, he was playing in the major leagues. In 1963, he had a great first full season. He won 13 games and lost 5. His earned run average (ERA) was very good at 2.56. The Yankees won many games that year. However, they lost the 1963 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 1964, Downing continued to pitch well. He won 13 games and had 217 strikeouts. This number of strikeouts was the most in the league that year. In 1967, he was chosen for his only All-Star team. He had a strong record of 9 wins and 5 losses. During the All-Star game, he pitched two innings. He did not allow any runs and struck out two batters.
On August 11, 1967, Al Downing did something special. He struck out three batters in a row on just nine pitches. This rare event is called an "immaculate inning". It was the first time this had happened in MLB since 1964. Injuries affected Downing in 1968. In 1969, his manager started using him as a relief pitcher more often. Before the 1970 season, the Yankees traded him to the Oakland Athletics.
Amazing Comeback with the Dodgers
After a short time with the Oakland Athletics, Downing was traded again. He went to the Milwaukee Brewers in June 1970. He had a good ERA of 3.34. However, his team struggled, and he ended the season with 5 wins and 13 losses.
Before the 1971 season, the Brewers traded Downing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move was a turning point for him. In his first year in the National League (NL), he had an incredible season. He won 20 games, which is a big achievement for a pitcher. He also pitched five shutouts, which means he didn't let the other team score any runs.
Because of his amazing performance, Downing won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. He also finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. This award goes to the best pitcher in each league.
On April 8, 1974, Al Downing was pitching for the Dodgers. He threw a pitch that Hank Aaron hit for a home run. This home run was Aaron's 715th career home run. It broke the all-time record set by Babe Ruth. Downing played two more full seasons with the Dodgers. He left the team during the 1977 season.
After Baseball: Broadcasting
After his playing career, Al Downing stayed involved in baseball. He worked as a color analyst for Dodgers cable-TV broadcasts. He did this from 1980 to 1987. He also broadcasted for Dodgers radio in 2005. In the 1990s, he worked for CBS Radio. In 2000, he broadcasted for the Atlanta Braves. As of 2006, he was still part of the Dodgers Speaker's Bureau. This means he gave talks about baseball.
See Also
- Black Aces, a group of African-American pitchers who won 20 or more games in an MLB season.
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
