Up on the blog today, we have a 1978 "career-capper" for former starter Al Downing, who put together a very nice 17-year Major League career:
Downing appeared in 12 games for the National League champs in 1977, going 0-1 with an ERA at 6.75.
It
was his seventh and final season with the Dodgers after resurrecting
his career after a transition season in 1970 split between the Oakland
A's and Milwaukee Brewers when he struggled, going 5-13.
After that season, he moved on
to the Los Angeles Dodgers and had a remarkable comeback year, going
20-9 with a 2.68 earned run average and a league-leading five shutouts.
Those numbers got him a third place finish in Cy Young voting, and some M.V.P. consideration as well.
But after a decent 1972 season where he sported a 9-9 record with a
sub-3.00 E.R.A., he could never again stay healthy enough for a full
year.
By the time he did retire, he finished with a very nice 3.22
E.R.A., 123 wins and over 1600 strikeouts over 405 appearances, 317 of
them starts, with 24 shutouts and a strikeout title back in 1964 with
the New York Yankees when he K'd 217.
