Dave Downs
Encyclopedia
David Ralph "Dave" Downs (born June 21, 1952) is a retired professional baseball
player. He appeared for several minor league teams between 1970 and 1976, arriving in Major League Baseball
in 1972 for four games with the Philadelphia Phillies
. He was officially listed as standing 6 in 5 in (195.58 cm) and weighing 220 pounds (99.8 kg). He is the brother of pitcher Kelly Downs
.
on June 21, 1952. He attended Viewmont High School
in Bountiful, Utah
, one of six baseball players drafted from that institution. He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies
with the sixth pick of the sixth round (128th overall) of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft
.
, where he posted a 5–7 win–loss record in 14 games played
(all starts
); his seven losses were the highest total on that year's team. In 80 innings pitched
, Downs collected a 5.62 earned run average
(ERA), walking
26 batters and allowing 103 hits
. He was promoted to the Spartanburg Phillies in 1971, a member of the A-level Western Carolinas League
. Downs amassed a 5–4 record in 12 starts with Spartanburg, walking 28 batters in 65 innings. He notched a 4.43 ERA and allowed only two home runs in his tenure.
of the Eastern League for the 1972 season. As a hitter, he batted
.167 with one double
and one home run
, scoring seven runs
. On the mound, he started 26 games, comping a 15–7 record with 15 complete game
s. He struck out
96 batters and walked 40 in 183 innings, earning a promotion to the major league club in Philadelphia.
Downs made his major league debut on September 2 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
in the second game of a doubleheader
against the Atlanta Braves
. He allowed his first hit to the opposing pitcher, Mike McQueen
, in the third inning of the game. Downs allowed eight hits in the contest, walking one batter and striking out two; he pitched a complete-game shutout to earn his first major league victory
. He started again for the Phillies on September 8, pitching seven innings and allowing the first runs of his career on a two-run home run by Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs
. He did not earn a decision in the game, as the Phillies lost, 4–3. Downs took his first loss against the New York Mets
on September 13, allowing three runs in three innings pitched; the game's winner was future Phillie Tug McGraw
. He pitched in one more game for the Phillies, a four-inning start against the St. Louis Cardinals
on September 19, before he injured his shoulder and was deactivated for the season.
, Downs was sent back to the minor leagues. In the spring of 1974, he underwent an "exploratory surgery" to enlarge the groove in his shoulder by removing a piece of the tendons. He started six games for the Rocky Mount Phillies
in 1974, winning two games and losing one while amassing a 5.10 ERA.
Downs did not pitch in 1975, but returned in 1976 with Spartanburg. He collected a team-worst 9.39 ERA with a 1–6 record in 46 innings before shutting down for the year. Downs was invited to Phillies spring training for the 1977 season, but opted to retire instead of reporting.
, a changeup
, a curveball
, and a slider
, whose development he credited to his Spartanburg manager—Hall of Famer
, Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
member, and perfect game
pitcher Jim Bunning
. He added the slider on promotion to Reading in 1972 and claimed that Bunning gave him "the confidence that I can get it over any time I need to".
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He appeared for several minor league teams between 1970 and 1976, arriving in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in 1972 for four games with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He was officially listed as standing 6 in 5 in (195.58 cm) and weighing 220 pounds (99.8 kg). He is the brother of pitcher Kelly Downs
Kelly Downs
Kelly Robert Downs is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics from 1986-1993...
.
Early life
Downs was born in Logan, UtahLogan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
on June 21, 1952. He attended Viewmont High School
Viewmont High School
Viewmont High School is a public high school located in Bountiful, Utah. The school is a member of the Davis School District. The principal, as of 2011, is Dan Linford. In 2011, VHS was identified by Newsweek Magazine and the Washington Post as being in the top 5% of all public high schools in...
in Bountiful, Utah
Bountiful, Utah
Bountiful is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 42,552, a three percent increase over the 2000 figure of 41,301...
, one of six baseball players drafted from that institution. He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
with the sixth pick of the sixth round (128th overall) of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft
1970 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
.
1970–1971: Walla Walla and Spartanburg
At 18 years old, Downs was assigned to the low-A level Walla Walla Phillies of the Northwest LeagueNorthwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
, where he posted a 5–7 win–loss record in 14 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(all starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
); his seven losses were the highest total on that year's team. In 80 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
, Downs collected a 5.62 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA), walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
26 batters and allowing 103 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. He was promoted to the Spartanburg Phillies in 1971, a member of the A-level Western Carolinas League
Western Carolinas League
The Western Carolinas League was a Class D and a low Class A full-season league in American minor league baseball. The WCL changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been known since as the South Atlantic League, a highly successful low Class A circuit with teams up the Eastern Seaboard...
. Downs amassed a 5–4 record in 12 starts with Spartanburg, walking 28 batters in 65 innings. He notched a 4.43 ERA and allowed only two home runs in his tenure.
1972: Reading and Philadelphia
Downs moved up to the AA-level Reading PhilliesReading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
of the Eastern League for the 1972 season. As a hitter, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.167 with one double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, scoring seven runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. On the mound, he started 26 games, comping a 15–7 record with 15 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s. He struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
96 batters and walked 40 in 183 innings, earning a promotion to the major league club in Philadelphia.
Downs made his major league debut on September 2 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
in the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He allowed his first hit to the opposing pitcher, Mike McQueen
Mike McQueen (baseball)
Michael Robert McQueen is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball between 1969 and 1974 for the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds.- Braves :...
, in the third inning of the game. Downs allowed eight hits in the contest, walking one batter and striking out two; he pitched a complete-game shutout to earn his first major league victory
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
. He started again for the Phillies on September 8, pitching seven innings and allowing the first runs of his career on a two-run home run by Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He did not earn a decision in the game, as the Phillies lost, 4–3. Downs took his first loss against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on September 13, allowing three runs in three innings pitched; the game's winner was future Phillie Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
. He pitched in one more game for the Phillies, a four-inning start against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on September 19, before he injured his shoulder and was deactivated for the season.
Return to the minors
After spending the 1973 season on the disabled listDisabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, Downs was sent back to the minor leagues. In the spring of 1974, he underwent an "exploratory surgery" to enlarge the groove in his shoulder by removing a piece of the tendons. He started six games for the Rocky Mount Phillies
Rocky Mount Phillies
The Rocky Mount Phillies were the Carolina League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1973 through 1975. The Rocky Mount Phillies replaced the Rocky Mount Leafs which had been affiliated with the Detroit Tigers from 1965 through 1972. The club played at Rocky Mount Municipal...
in 1974, winning two games and losing one while amassing a 5.10 ERA.
Downs did not pitch in 1975, but returned in 1976 with Spartanburg. He collected a team-worst 9.39 ERA with a 1–6 record in 46 innings before shutting down for the year. Downs was invited to Phillies spring training for the 1977 season, but opted to retire instead of reporting.
Pitching style
Downs threw four pitches: a standard four-seam fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, a changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
, a curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
, and a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, whose development he credited to his Spartanburg manager—Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
, Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
The Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame is a collection of plaques, mounted on a brick wall in the Ashburn Alley section of Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark of the Philadelphia Phillies...
member, and perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
pitcher Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
. He added the slider on promotion to Reading in 1972 and claimed that Bunning gave him "the confidence that I can get it over any time I need to".