Jack McDowell is born in Van Nuys, California.

“Black Jack”, the tall right-hander out of Stanford, was a first round pick by the Chicago White Sox and the fifth pick overall in the 1987 draft. He debuted with the club later that season, posting a 3-0 record in four starts with a 1.93 ERA. He developed into one of the better starters in the American League in the early 1990s, making three straight All-Star teams with the White Sox from 1991 to 1993 while leading the league in complete games twice, wins and shutouts once, and twice reaching the 20-win plateau. His success in 1993 earned him a Cy Young Award.

After one season in New York with the Yankees following a trade from Chicago, he signed with Cleveland for the 1996 and 1997 seasons. He was 13-9 with a 5.11 ERA for the Indians in 1996 while making 30 starts, but appeared in just eight games in the first two months of the next season, going 3-3 with a 5.09 ERA, before injury shut him down for the year. He left following the season and played two more years with the Anaheim Angels before calling it a career.