Born and raised in Louisville relief pitcher Scott Downs has cultivated quite the resume in the baseball world.
The current Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim, Downs first received local attention while attending high school at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Actually, he received so much attention that his play got him the title of Kentucky’s Mr. Baseball.
Immediately out of high school, he was so impressive that major league scouts were seriously looking at him, so much so that the Atlanta Braves offered him a spot on their roster.
Downs chose to turn them down though, choosing instead to play for the University of Kentucky. It wasn’t until his junior year with the Cats that he accepted a position with the Chicago Cubs organization. However, aware of his youth the Cubs wanted to make sure he received adequate experience so he worked his way up from the Cubs’ single-A franchise, the Williamsport Cubs.
He did work his way up to the Cubs, starting for the team in 2000.
After going through each level of the Cubs organization he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, despite good numbers. In Toronto he was without question one of their major threats on the mound.
However, unable to turn down the three year- fifteen million dollar contract offered to him by the Angels he took his talents to Los Angeles, who he still pitches for.
A devoted family man as well, prior to every game Downs actually writes the initials of his two children in the dirt behind the mound. A devoted Kentuckian as well, who still lives in the bluegrass state to this day with his children and wife.
Image courtesy of ESPN
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