Al Downing (baseball player)

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Alphonso Erwin Downing (born June 28, 1941, in Trenton, New Jersey) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 17 seasons from 1961-1977. He entered the majors with the New York Yankees, and then played for the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Downing is most remembered for surrendering the record-breaking 715th home run hit by Hank Aaron on April 8, 1974.

Downing entered baseball loaded with potential. His fastball exploded and his curveball danced. Called by some "the black Sandy Koufax," he never lived up to that billing, partly because of control problems and inconsistency and later because of arm miseries, but for four seasons he was excellent.

Recalled from the minors to the Yankees for good in June 1963, Downing maintained a summer-long electric pace of low-hit games. The first black starting pitcher in club history allowed a scant 5.84 hits per nine innings and finished with a 13-5 record. In 1964, he led the league with 217 strikeouts. In 1967, Downing became a complete pitcher, cutting down on his walks, mastering a changeup and mixing up his pitches. He finished 14-10 with the ninth-place Yankees.

On August 11, 1967, Downing struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. Downing became the sixth American League pitcher and the 13th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning. He was traded to Oakland prior to the 1970 season in a deal that sent him and catcher Frank Fernandez to the A's for Danny Cater and Ossie Chavarria.

Pitching for the Dodgers in 1971 after being traded by Milwaukee for outfielder Andy Kosco, Downing reached the pinnacle, winning 20 games, including a league-leading five shutouts.

Downing was a radio broadcaster for the Dodgers through 2005. As of 2006, he remains on the Dodgers Speaker's Bureau.