1974 Topps #620 Al Downing
About Al Downing
Al Downing's 1973 with the Los Angeles Dodgers came to 9-9 with a 3.31 ERA in 193 innings. He started 28 of his 30 games. His 1974 Topps card is #620, printed with the Dodgers. In 1974 he went 5-6 with a 3.66 ERA in 21 games. He pitched 4 innings without a decision in the NLCS against Pittsburgh, then took the loss in the World Series, which Oakland won four games to one.
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 | 294 | 21 | 151 | 98 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #620 card?
It is card #620 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
How many cards are in the 1974 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 678 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, issued all at once as a single series and printed in equal quantities; 17 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fourteen San Diego / "Washington Nat'l Lea." pairs (thirteen Padres player cards and the #226 team card), the three-state #599 Rookie Pitchers, the #608 Apodaco misspelling and the #654 Jesus Alou front without a position.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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.