Al Downing (baseball) 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 on June 28, 1941, is a former professional baseball pitcher from America. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These 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 for the National League. He is also known for pitching to Hank Aaron when Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run in 1974.
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Al Downing's Early Life
Al Downing was born in Trenton, New Jersey. As a young person, he was part of the Police Athletic League. He went to Trenton Central High School. Later, he studied at Muhlenberg College and Rider College. He also played baseball as a semi-professional before joining the big leagues.
Playing for the New York Yankees
Downing started his MLB career with the New York Yankees. He signed with them in 1961 as a free agent. By July of that year, he was playing in the major leagues.
First Full Season and Strikeout Leader
In 1963, Downing had his first full season. He had a great record of 13 wins and 5 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was very good at 2.56. The Yankees won 104 games that year. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1963 World Series.
In 1964, Downing won 13 games and lost 8. He led the league with 217 strikeouts. This showed he was a strong pitcher.
All-Star and Immaculate Inning
Downing was selected for his only All-Star team in 1967. At that time, his record was 9 wins and 5 losses. His ERA was 2.66. He pitched two innings in the All-Star game and did not give up any runs. He also struck out two batters.
On August 11, 1967, Downing did something special. He struck out all three batters in one inning using only nine pitches. This rare event is called an "immaculate inning". It was the first one in MLB since 1964.
Moving to Other Teams
Injuries limited Downing's playing time in 1968. In 1969, the Yankees manager, Ralph Houk, started using Downing more as a relief pitcher. This meant he would come into games after the starting pitcher. Before the 1970 season, Downing was traded to the Oakland Athletics.
Comeback Player of the Year
After playing for the Oakland Athletics, Downing was traded again. On June 11, 1970, he went to the Milwaukee Brewers. Even though his ERA was good at 3.34, he had a tough season. He won only 2 games and lost 10 for the Brewers. Overall that season, he had 5 wins and 13 losses.
Joining the Los Angeles Dodgers
Before the 1971 season, the Brewers traded Downing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was a big change for him. It was his first time playing in the National League (NL).
In 1971, Downing had an amazing year. He won 20 games, which is a great achievement for a pitcher. He also led the league with five shutouts. A shutout means a pitcher does not let the other team score any runs. Because of his great performance, he won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. He also finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award, which goes to the best pitcher.
Hank Aaron's Record-Breaking Home Run
On April 8, 1974, Al Downing was pitching for the Dodgers. He allowed a home run to Hank Aaron. This home run was very famous because it was Aaron's 715th career home run. This broke the all-time record set by Babe Ruth.
Downing played in the post-season for the third and final time that year. His Dodgers team lost to the Oakland A's. Downing played two more full seasons with the Dodgers. He was released from the team during the 1977 season.
Broadcasting Career
After his playing career, Al Downing became a sports announcer. He worked as a color analyst for Dodgers TV broadcasts from 1980 to 1987. He also broadcast for Dodgers radio in 2005. In the 1990s, he worked for CBS Radio. In 2000, he broadcast for the Atlanta Braves. As of 2006, he still works with the Dodgers Speaker's Bureau.
See also
- Black Aces, African-American pitchers with a 20-win MLB season
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
Images for kids
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Al Downing playing baseball.
