Brian Downing

Born: 10/9/1950 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1973-05-31 | Final Game: 1992-10-04

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Brian Jay Downing

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Biography

Brian Downing, born in 1950, enjoyed a prolific Major League Baseball career that spanned from 1973 to 1992. Known for his versatility as a position player, Downing participated in 2,344 games, amassing 2,099 hits and demonstrating a consistent ability to drive in runs with 1,073 RBIs. His power at the plate was highlighted by 275 home runs, while his batting average of .267 reflected a solid offensive presence during his time in the league. He also showcased his speed with 50 stolen bases, making him a well-rounded player who could impact the game in multiple ways. Downing's career was marked by his lone All-Star selection, which underscored his standing among contemporaries in an era that saw the rise of powerful offensive players. He played primarily during the late 1970s through the 1980s, a time when baseball was experiencing significant changes, including the evolution of player training and the increasing importance of power-hitting. His contributions to the teams he played for, particularly the California Angels and the Chicago White Sox, left a lasting imprint on the game and highlighted his role as a key figure in the development of offensive strategies during that period.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
2344	7853	1188	2099	360	28	275	1073	50	1197	1127	0.267	0.370	0.425	0.796	22774.6

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .370 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +14.2% above league average.

Career SLG .425 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +10.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.796 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — +12.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1973	CHW	AL	34	73	5	13	1	0	2	4	0	10	17	0.178	.256 (-31%)	.325 (-15%)	.378 (-28%)	.703 (-22%)	-246.4
1974	CHW	AL	108	293	41	66	12	1	10	39	0	51	72	0.225	.256 (-12%)	.324 (+6%)	.369 (+2%)	.693 (+4%)	348.4
1975	CHW	AL	138	420	58	101	12	1	7	41	13	76	75	0.240	.257 (-7%)	.327 (+9%)	.374 (-13%)	.701 (-3%)	40.0
1976	CHW	AL	104	317	38	81	14	0	3	30	7	40	55	0.256	.255 (avg)	.320 (+6%)	.360 (-9%)	.681 (-2%)	-18.2
1977	CHW	AL	69	169	28	48	4	2	4	25	1	34	21	0.284	.264 (+8%)	.329 (+22%)	.401 (avg)	.730 (+10%)	450.6
1978	LAA	AL	133	412	42	105	15	0	7	46	3	52	47	0.255	.257 (-1%)	.323 (+7%)	.378 (-10%)	.702 (-2%)	45.1
1979	LAA	AL	148	509	87	166	27	3	12	75	3	77	57	0.326	.265 (+23%)	.329 (+27%)	.397 (+16%)	.727 (+21%)	2560.8
1980	LAA	AL	30	93	5	27	6	0	2	25	0	12	12	0.290	.264 (+10%)	.326 (+12%)	.387 (+8%)	.714 (+10%)	164.1
1981	LAA	AL	93	317	47	79	14	0	9	41	1	46	35	0.249	.255 (-3%)	.320 (+10%)	.368 (+3%)	.688 (+6%)	507.5
1982	LAA	AL	158	623	109	175	37	2	28	84	2	86	58	0.281	.261 (+8%)	.324 (+14%)	.388 (+24%)	.712 (+19%)	2563.1
1983	LAA	AL	113	403	68	99	15	1	19	53	1	62	59	0.246	.260 (-6%)	.324 (+8%)	.389 (+10%)	.714 (+9%)	884.0
1984	LAA	AL	156	539	65	148	28	2	23	91	0	70	66	0.275	.259 (+6%)	.322 (+12%)	.384 (+20%)	.707 (+16%)	1845.0
1985	LAA	AL	150	520	80	137	23	1	20	85	5	78	61	0.263	.257 (+2%)	.323 (+15%)	.390 (+9%)	.714 (+12%)	1542.4
1986	LAA	AL	152	513	90	137	27	4	20	95	4	90	84	0.267	.257 (+4%)	.325 (+19%)	.395 (+14%)	.720 (+17%)	2104.6
1987	LAA	AL	155	567	110	154	29	3	29	77	5	106	85	0.272	.262 (+3%)	.331 (+21%)	.415 (+17%)	.746 (+19%)	2723.9
1988	LAA	AL	135	484	80	117	18	2	25	64	3	81	63	0.242	.254 (-5%)	.317 (+14%)	.377 (+17%)	.695 (+16%)	1750.3
1989	LAA	AL	142	544	59	154	25	2	14	59	0	56	87	0.283	.254 (+11%)	.319 (+11%)	.375 (+10%)	.694 (+10%)	1212.7
1990	LAA	AL	96	330	47	90	18	2	14	51	0	50	45	0.273	.257 (+6%)	.324 (+15%)	.385 (+21%)	.710 (+18%)	1240.2
1991	TEX	AL	123	407	76	113	17	2	17	49	1	58	70	0.278	.255 (+9%)	.323 (+17%)	.384 (+18%)	.708 (+17%)	1558.3
1992	TEX	AL	107	320	53	89	18	0	10	39	1	62	58	0.278	.255 (+9%)	.322 (+26%)	.377 (+13%)	.699 (+19%)	1498.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
16	61	7	12	1	0	1	8	8	8	0.197

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1986	ALCS	CAL	7	27	2	6	0	1	7	4	5	0.222
1982	ALCS	CAL	5	19	4	3	1	0	0	3	2	0.158
1979	ALCS	CAL	4	15	1	3	0	0	1	1	1	0.200

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
3B	8	4	7	9	4	0
C	675	610	3383	325	40	31
OF	777	750	1491	39	7	2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1973	CHA	3B	8	4	7	9	4	0
1973	CHA	C	11	3	46	7	1	1
1973	CHA	OF	13	11	19	1	0	0
1974	CHA	C	63	46	278	28	2	3
1974	CHA	OF	39	30	59	2	0	2
1975	CHA	C	137	134	730	84	8	5
1976	CHA	C	93	80	450	38	6	4
1977	CHA	C	61	51	320	28	6	5
1977	CHA	OF	3	3	5	0	0	0
1978	CAL	C	128	121	681	82	5	6
1979	CAL	C	129	127	669	35	11	5
1980	CAL	C	16	15	69	6	0	0
1981	CAL	C	37	33	140	17	1	2
1981	CAL	OF	56	50	97	1	1	0
1982	CAL	OF	158	157	321	9	0	0
1983	CAL	OF	84	84	160	9	1	0
1984	CAL	OF	131	131	272	5	0	0
1985	CAL	OF	121	118	244	5	2	0
1986	CAL	OF	138	133	267	5	3	0
1987	CAL	OF	34	33	47	2	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Catcher	675
Third Base	8
Left Field	735
Right Field	43
Designated Hitter	824

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-08-11
1987	Player of the Month	April

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1992	TEX	AL	$950,000
1990	CAL	AL	$1,250,000
1989	CAL	AL	$1,250,000
1988	CAL	AL	$900,000
1987	CAL	AL	$900,000
1986	CAL	AL	$808,333
1985	CAL	AL	$808,333
Total Career Earnings			$6,866,666