Al Downing
A crafty left-handed pitcher who carved out a long MLB career, forever linked to the moment he served up Hank Aaron's historic 715th home run.
Born 1941 (age 85)·American baseball player·Birthday: June 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Al Downing arrived with the New York Yankees as a flame-throwing young arm, but he evolved into a thoughtful and effective pitcher whose career found new life after he lost his best fastball. His signature season came in 1971 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he led the National League in strikeouts and won the Comeback Player of the Year award, mastering the art of pitching with guile and precision. Yet, for all his on-field accomplishments—including an All-Star nod and a 20-win season—Downing is most remembered for a single pitch in 1974. As a Dodger, he threw the fastball that Hank Aaron hit for his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's hallowed record. Downing handled the attendant fame and scrutiny with notable grace, reflecting the professionalism that defined his two decades in the majors.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Al was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers when Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th career home run in 1974.
- Named the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 1971 after leading the league in strikeouts.
- Selected as an American League All-Star in 1967 while with the New York Yankees.
- Pitched a 20-win season for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971.
Did You Know?
He was the first Black pitcher to start a game for the New York Yankees.
He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1975 for his sportsmanship and community involvement.
He attended Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania on an academic scholarship, not an athletic one.
“I look at it as being part of history. I'm the answer to a trivia question.”
