Brian Jay Downing (born October 9, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from to , originally as a catcher before converting to an outfielder and designated hitter later in his career. Downing spent the majority of his baseball career as a member of the California Angels, helping them win their first American League Western Division title in and then two more division titles in and . When he left the Angels in 1990, he was the team's all-time leader in almost every major offensive category. Downing was inducted into the California Angels Hall of Fame in 2009. He also played for the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers. Baseball career Chicago White Sox (1973–1977) Downing played at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, and was originally cut from his high school team. Although he was on the "taxi squad" as a bullpen catcher, he failed to make the team at Cypress College. However, he had an impressive showing at an "all comers" Chicago White Sox tryout, and scout Bill Lentini signed him as an amateur free agent on August 19, 1969. His early career with the White Sox (1973–1977) was not so promising. On the first pitch of his first inning in his first Major League game, he severely damaged his knee making a diving catch near third base, sliding down the dugout steps and landing on the 60-day DL. He hit .225 as a rookie catcher (1974), and .240 in his second year, with seven home runs in 138 games. California Angels (1978–1990) Downing was dealt along with Chris Knapp and Dave Frost from the White Sox to the California Angels for Bobby Bonds, Richard Dotson and Thad Bosley on December 5, 1977. The trade allowed him to return home to Southern California and avoid the pressures of Chicago fans' expectations. It also gave his career new life. Although his 1978 numbers were uninspiring (.255 batting average, 7 home runs, 46 runs batted in), in the offseason he committed to serious weight training and in 1979 dramatically changed his batting stance, and hit .326 (third in the American League). He also made the AL All-Star team for the first and only time. A broken ankle in 1980 forced him to move from catcher to the outfield beginning in 1981 because his offense was so valuable. Although his range was not