By Brian Waller - AngelsWin.com Feature Writer
If I were to tell you that the Angels once traded for a scrawny catcher who in his first four seasons in Major League Baseball averaged only 6 HR’s and 34 RBI’s while hitting only .251, you would think the Halos re-acquired Jeff Mathis wouldn’t you? As good of a guess as that would have been, you would have been wrong. The Angel player I am referring to is actually the great Brian Downing. During his playing days in an Angel’s uniform, Downing could best be described as a fearsome hitter whose powerful bat and determination to win endeared him not only to Angel fans but to Gene Autry himself. Believe it or not, Downing was never supposed to be as good as he actually was. As a matter of fact, while attending Magnolia High School in Anaheim, CA, Downing tried out for the school team. Downing successfully made the team but received practically no playing time and was actually cut. Downing would go on to graduate from high school and enroll...
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