Darin Burton Downs (born December 26, 1984) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

, and in the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL) for the

Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, stylized as Uni-President 7-ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇn Lions, also known as Uni-Lions (), are a professional baseball team playing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). The Lions are based in Tainan City, Ta ...

and

Lamigo Monkeys The Rakuten Monkeys (), formerly First Financial Holdings Agan (, abbreviated ), La New Bears () and then the Lamigo Monkeys (), are a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. Owned and administer ...

. His professional career began when he was drafted by the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

in 2003. He also played in the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

' minor league system and during that time, survived a very serious

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...

. After spending the 2011 season in the minors for the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

organization, Downs joined the Tigers. He was called up to the majors for the first time on July 3, 2012. Downs was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros after the 2013 season.

Playing career

Chicago Cubs

Downs was a fifth-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs in June 2003. As a member of the

Arizona League Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...

, Downs appeared in a total of 13 games during the 2003 minor league season, making 11 starts. He posted an

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) of 6.57 and had an 0–2 record. For the 2004 season, Downs played for another Cubs minor league affiliate, the

Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in Garden City, Idaho, a small city surround ...

. He pitched in 14 games, all but one as a starter. His ERA (4.95) was better than that of the previous year, as was his record of 5–3. Also, he

struck out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denote ...

61 opponents, the most by any Boise pitcher that season. Downs remained with Boise for most of 2005 and for the second consecutive season, he appeared in 14 games for the team and started 13 of them. With Boise, his ERA dropped again, this time to 3.50, and his win–loss record was 5–4. During his time with the Hawks, Downs also struck out 63 opponents. However, he actually began the year with the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...

, where he started and lost two games, posting a bloated ERA of 18.47. In 2006, Downs was again on the Boise roster, but an injury to his right oblique kept him out of the action for part of July. On the whole, Downs appeared in nine games for the Hawks, but made only two starts. His ERA was 4.81 and he posted a 4–2 mark. Downs briefly returned to the Arizona League Cubs in August, seeing action in a couple of contests, but soon rejoining Boise. Downs spent 2007 with the

Daytona Cubs Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Dayt ...

, setting a new career high with 34 appearances, but serving as the starting pitcher only twice. For the entire season, he was 3–7 with an ERA of 4.11, but for the month of May, his ERA was only 1.54 and it was 2.00 in August. Downs also got his first professional saves in 2007.

Tampa Bay Rays

Downs played for three separate minor league teams in 2008: Daytona, the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

and the

Vero Beach Devil Rays The Vero Beach Devil Rays, originally the Vero Beach Dodgers, were a minor league baseball team based in Vero Beach, Florida. They played in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1980–2008, at which point they relocated to Port Charlott ...

. He started with Daytona, where he was 2–0 with a 2.89 ERA in 17 relief appearances. Downs then joined Tennessee, where his numbers, 0–2 with a 6.56 ERA in 22 games, were much worse. His time as a Cubs minor league player came to an end in July when he was shipped to the

, who assigned him to Vero Beach. He finished the 2008 season there and in 10 games, had an 0–3 record and a 6.00 ERA. During the 2009 season, Downs played with the

Charlotte Stone Crabs The Charlotte Stone Crabs were a Minor League Baseball team located in Port Charlotte, Florida, from 2009 to 2020. They competed in the Florida State League (FSL) as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball (MLB) ...

(Single A) and the

Montgomery Biscuits The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins ...

(Double A). He was a

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

All–Star, making both the midseason and postseason rosters. With Charlotte, Downs posted a 2.00 ERA (best in the Florida State League) and a 12–4 record in 20 games (19 starts). In August, he moved to Montgomery, but after starting and losing a pair of contests, Downs suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head by a line drive. After he was taken to the hospital, doctors doubted whether Downs would live. He had to regain the ability to speak, and also had difficulty with

post-concussion syndrome Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or a year or more after a concussion – medically classified as a so-called mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 34 to 35% of people with concussi ...

. Downs returned to action in 2010, pitching for Montgomery and the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...

, Tampa Bay's Triple A team. With Montgomery, Downs posted a 6–2 record and an ERA of 1.69. He was also 6–2 with Durham, but his ERA there jumped to 4.46. Between the two teams, Downs pitched in 41 contests, serving as the starting pitcher four times. In November 2010, Downs reached a deal with the

as a minor league free agent.

Florida Marlins

The 2011 season was Downs' first and only season with the Marlins and he spent the year with two of Florida's minor league affiliates: the AA

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

and the AAA

New Orleans Zephyrs New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. During his time with the Suns, he compiled a 2–5 record and a 4.83 ERA in 22 games, making 13 starts. On July 19, Downs was moved to New Orleans, where he was 3–2 with a 4.29 ERA as he made 10 appearances, half of them being starts. After the minor league season was over, Downs pitched in the

Venezuelan Winter League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

, making nine starts for Aragua.

Detroit Tigers

In November 2011, Downs joined his fourth Major League organization, the

. To start the 2012 season, he was on the roster of the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

, Detroit's top minor league team. After not surrendering a run in ten consecutive games with Toledo, Downs was brought up to the Major Leagues on July 3. That same day, he appeared in an MLB game for the first time, facing the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. A couple of days later, he struck out five Twins batters in three

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...

s. On August 5, Downs got his first win as the Tigers defeated the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

10–8 in 10 innings. For the season, Downs pitched in 18 games for the Tigers. He had a 2–1 record and his ERA was 3.48. Downs spent majority of the 2013 season in Detroit before going on the 15-day disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis. He spent two weeks on a rehab assignment before being optioned to Toledo on Aug. 4. After Toledo's season ended, he returned home to his family, going into "offseason mode." The Tigers called him up on September 10 where he appeared in the final series against the Miami Marlins.

Houston Astros

Downs was claimed off waivers by the

on November 1, 2013. Downs was placed on the disabled list with an oblique strain on August 19, 2014. At the time, he had a 2–1 record and a 4.31 ERA in 40 appearances with the Astros. He was released by the Astros on May 21, 2015.

Long Island Ducks

Downs signed with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

on July 13, 2015.

Lamigo Monkeys

Downs signed with the

on February 8, 2017. He had a 10–3 record and a 3.49 ERA in 25 appearances in the 2017 regular season. He re-signed with the club on January 15, 2018. After surrendering 15 runs over 7.1 innings in 2 starts, he was released on May 27, 2018.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On July 25, 2018, Downs signed with the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey ( en, Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monterrey, Mexico. They compete in the Northern Division. The team also joined the Mexican Pacific League for the 2019–20 season f ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He became a free agent following the season.

Long Island Ducks (Second stint)

On April 2, 2019, Downs signed with the

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

Acereros de Monclova

On June 4, 2019, Downs had his contract purchased by the

Acereros de Monclova The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Monclova, which has a capacity of 11,000 people. The Acere ...

of the

. He was released on June 10, 2019.

Long Island Ducks (Third stint)

On June 14, 2019, Downs signed back with the

of the

. He became a free agent following the season.

Melbourne Aces

On December 25, 2019, the Melbourne Aces of the

Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it sh ...

announced the signing of Darin Downs. He went on to record a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings for the Aces in the 2019 season.

Long Island Ducks (fourth stint)

On June 19, 2021, Downs spent the season as the pitching coach for the

of the

. Downs also signed with the team as a player, and recorded a 6–5 record and 4.50 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 19 starts for the club.

Coaching career

On March 4, 2021, Downs was announced as the pitching coach for the

of the

for the 2021 season.

References

External links

, o
CPBL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Darin 1984 births Living people Acereros de Monclova players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Arizona League Cubs players Baseball players from Oakland County, Michigan Boise Hawks players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Corpus Christi Hooks players Daytona Cubs players Detroit Tigers players Durham Bulls players Fresno Grizzlies players Houston Astros players Jacksonville Suns players Lamigo Monkeys players Long Island Ducks players Major League Baseball pitchers Mexican League baseball pitchers Montgomery Biscuits players New Orleans Zephyrs players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Peoria Chiefs players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tennessee Smokies players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Toledo Mud Hens players Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions players Vero Beach Devil Rays players American expatriate baseball players in Australia Melbourne Aces players Sportspeople from Southfield, Michigan