Al Downing Autographed Baseball

Al Downing is one of 15 Black Aces, Black pitchers to win 20 MLB games in a season.

This package includes baseball autographed by Al Downing and a copy of The Black Aces: Baseball's Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners by Jim (Mudcat) Grant.

Excerpt from The Black Aces:

"Even if he hadn't won 20 games in 1971, Al Downing's name would be an imporant part of Major League Baseball history.

Downing... made his first appearance for the New York Yankees in 1961, making him the first Black pitcher to play for the historic ballclub. Thirteen years later, Downing gave up home run No. 715 to Hank Aaron as he broke Babe Ruth's long-standing record."