Gil Downs

Gilbert Martin Downs

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 193 lb.

• High School Cohoes High School

• Born November 21, 1940 in Cohoes, NY USA
• Died January 7, 2019 in Albany, NY USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Gil Downs had a successful minor league career, playing in three organizations from 1963 to 1967. He made it to Triple A in part or all of three seasons, though he never ascended to the major leagues.

He began in the Chicago White Sox system, going 13-3 with a 1.37 ERA in 27 games (25 starts) between the Lynchburg White Sox (3 G, 1.13 ERA) and Sarasota Sun Sox (24 G, 1.38 ERA) in 1963. With the Sun Sox, he tossed 13 complete games and 6 shutouts; between both teams, he allowed just 140 hits and 48 walks in 191 innings for a 0.984 WHIP. He had 174 strikeouts. On June 20, he tossed a 7-inning no-hitter against the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees.

The New York Yankees took him in the $8,000 First Year portion of the 1963 Rule V Draft. For the Greensboro Yankees in 1964, he went 9-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 23 games (21 starts), completing 4 games and shutting out 1. In 127 innings, he allowed 97 hits and 46 walks, while striking out 118 batters. He also went 4-1, 0.87 in 9 games (6 starts) with 4 complete games and 3 shutouts for the FEIL Yankees that year.

Shifting to the bullpen for 1965, Downs went 7-2 with a 1.91 ERA in 42 games (3 starts) between two teams. Most of his work came with the Double A Columbus Confederate Yankees (42 G, 1.18 ERA), though he made 2 starts for the Triple A Toledo Mud Hens, going 0-1 with a 8.00 ERA in 9 innings. In 1966, his only full season at Triple A, he went 10-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 34 games (11 starts) for Toledo. In 109 innings, he allowed only 82 hits, but surrendered 61 walks. On December 20, he was traded with cash to the Cleveland Indians for shortstop Dick Howser. He spent one year in the Indians system, going 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 16 innings in 1967.

Overall, Downs went 39-19 with a 2.30 ERA in 134 games (61 starts) in 5 minor league seasons. He had 19 complete games and 8 shutouts. In 528 innings, he allowed 390 hits and 217 walks, while striking out 430 batters. Including his winter league statistics, he went 43-20, 2.17 with 23 complete games and 11 shutouts. He was 10-10, 3.94 in 40 games (13 starts) at Triple A.

He served in the United States Army prior to his playing career.

Further Reading

• Obituary