Brian Downing

Designated hitter / Left fielder / Catcher

Born: October 9, 1950 (age 66)
Los Angeles, California

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

MLB debut

May 31, 1973, for the Chicago White Sox

Last MLB appearance

October 4, 1992, for the Texas Rangers

MLB statistics

Batting average

.267

Home runs

275

Runs batted in

1,073

Teams

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (1979)

Brian Jay Downing (born October 9, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 20 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Texas Rangers. He began his major league career as a catcher then, switched to playing as an outfielder and designated hitter for the remainder of his career.

Downing played at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, and was originally cut from his high school team. Although he was on the "taxi squad" as a bullpen catcher, he failed to make the team at Cypress College. But he had an impressive showing at an "all comers" Chicago White Sox tryout, and scout Bill Lentini signed him as an amateur free agent on August 19, 1969. His early career with the White Sox (1973–1977) was not so promising. On the first pitch of his first inning in his first Major League game, he severely damaged his knee making a diving catch near third base, sliding down the dugout steps and landing on the 60-day DL. He hit .225 as a rookie catcher (1974), and .240 in his second year, with seven home runs in 138 games.

On December 5, 1977, the White Sox traded Brian Downing, along with Dave Frost and Chris Knapp, to the California Angels for slugger Bobby Bonds and prospects Thad Bosley and Richard Dotson. This trade allowed Downing to come home to Southern California and avoid the pressures of Chicago fans' expectations. It gave Downing's career new life. Although his 1978 numbers were uninspiring (.255 batting average, 7 HR, 46 RBI), in the offseason he committed to serious weight training and in 1979 dramatically changed his batting stance, and hit an impressive .326 (third in the American League). He also made the AL All-Star team for the first and only time.

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