Downs pitched in a grand total of four games for the Phillies in 1972, all starts, going 1-1 with a shutout and very nice 2.74 earned run average over 23 innings.
I don’t know why he never made it back based on that performance, though I’m sure injury had something to do with it as he missed the 1973 season completely, even Minors, then followed that up with only six games in 1974 with Rocky Mountain of the Carolina League (A-Ball).
He would also miss the 1975 season, before playing out his final 11 pro games in 1976 with Spartanburg in A-Ball, going 1-6 with a bloated 9.39 ERA.
