"The addition of southpaw Al Downing to the Yankee pitching staff on July 17 is one of the surprising developments of the 1961 baseball season. A year earlier he was still an amateur. The first Negro pitcher in Yankee history was signed by new scout Bill Yancey late last summer after starring in New Jersey baseball circles.
Expected to be assigned to a low-classification club, the youngster (he was then only 19) made an immediate impression at the Yankees' minor league spring training camp in April. He was given a shot at the Binghamton, N.Y. club in the Class A Eastern League. In one half-season, Al started a dozen games and pitched 98 innings, yielding 70 hits, striking out 98 and walking just 46 [1.224 WHIP] while pitching eight complete games. He was 9-1 when called up to the Yankees when sore arms plagued the varsity staff. He had a 1.90 earned run average in his brief Eastern League career and was named to the league's All-Star team, but reported to the Yankees the day he was scheduled to pitch in the Eastern's All-Star Game.
At Trenton Central High School, Downing was baseball and basketball captain as a senior and was All-State as a senior. In 1955, at the age of 14, he pitched his Babe Ruth League team to the state title and in 1956 he hurled his club to the Babe Ruth League World Championship.
Al has had first base and outfield experience and is a better than average hitter. If he can help the Yankees in the stretch, his story will match Roland Sheldon's sensational rise to the majors."
-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook
Alfonso Erving Downing (P) #24
Born June 28, 1941, in Trenton, N.J., where he resides. Height: 5-11, weight: 175. Bats right, throws left.
-The New York Yankees Official 1961 Yearbook
"The addition of southpaw Al Downing to the Yankee pitching staff on July 17, 1961 was one of the surprising developments of the 1961 baseball season. The rookie southpaw has all the tools to become a big Yankee winner in the future. In the heat of the pennant drive, the 20-year-old Trenton, N.J., prospect did not see much action. But he'll be heard from.
A year earlier the 5-11, 175-pound southpaw was still an amateur. The first Negro pitcher in Yankee history was signed last year after starring in New Jersey baseball circles. Expected to be assigned to a low-classification club, the youngster (he was then 19) made an immediate impression at the Yankees' minor league spring training camp last April.
He was given a shot at the Binghamton, N.Y., club in the Class-A Eastern League. In one half-season, Al was 9-1 when he was called up to the Yankees when sore arms plagued the varsity staff. He had a 1.90 ERA earned run average in his brief Eastern League career.
At Trenton Central High School, Downing was baseball and basketball captain as a senior. He was All-State in his senior year. In 1955, at age 14, he pitched his Babe Ruth League team to the state title and in 1956 to the World Championship.
He lives in Trenton, New Jersey."
-1961 World Series Official Souvenir Program
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