1971 Topps #182 Al Downing
About Al Downing
Downing is listed with the Milwaukee Brewers on #182, a second-series card in 1971 Topps, though the Brewers had traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andy Kosco before the season began. In his first National League year he posted a 2.68 ERA over 262 1/3 innings and finished third in Cy Young voting behind Ferguson Jenkins and Tom Seaver.
Alphonso Erwin Downing, a left-handed pitcher born June 28, 1941, in Trenton, New Jersey, signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1961 and made his major league debut on July 19 of that year. He spent parts of nine seasons in pinstripes, going 13-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 1963 and leading the American League with 217 strikeouts in 1964. On August 11, 1967, the year of his only All-Star selection, he struck out the side on nine pitches against Cleveland, the majors' first immaculate inning since 1964. Traded to Oakland before 1970 and to Milwaukee that June, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971, winning 20 games with a league-leading five shutouts and taking National League Comeback Player of the Year honors. On April 8, 1974, he gave up Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. He finished 123-107 with a 3.22 ERA and 1,639 strikeouts and later broadcast for the Dodgers.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac · Retrosheet · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 291 | 0 | 14 | 129 | 112 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
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- #236 Bob Humphreys
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- #309 Dick Ellsworth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #182 card?
It is card #182 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al Downing of the Milwaukee Brewers.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.