Michael Brian Young (born October 19, 1976) 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 ...
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
who played 14 seasons 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
Texas Rangers,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
, and
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. Since 2014, Young has worked in the Rangers’ front office as a Special Assistant to the General Manager. Originally a
second baseman, the versatile Young was a five-time
All-Star at
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
, once at
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
, and once as a combination
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
/
utility infielder
In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...
. He was the 2005
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
(AL) batting champion.
Young played baseball in high school at
Bishop Amat Memorial High School
Bishop Amat Memorial High School is a co-ed Catholic high school serving the San Gabriel Valley in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and was founded in 1957. The campus is located in La Puente, California, approximately east of dow ...
and in college at
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduate ...
(UC-Santa Barbara). He was originally drafted by the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, but elected to return to college and was eventually drafted in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. After spending several seasons in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays, Young was traded to the Rangers, where he spent over a decade. While with the Rangers, Young set several club records in offensive statistical categories, including
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
and
total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while ...
. In 2016, Young was inducted into the
Texas Rangers Hall of Fame
The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Rangers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. In 2020, the Rangers moved ...
. In 2019, Young's
No. 10 was retired by the Rangers.
Early life
Young attended
Bishop Amat Memorial High School
Bishop Amat Memorial High School is a co-ed Catholic high school serving the San Gabriel Valley in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and was founded in 1957. The campus is located in La Puente, California, approximately east of dow ...
in
La Puente, California
La Puente (Spanish for "The Bridge") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city had a population of 39,816 at the 2010 census and is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles.
History
The original inhabitants of the ...
, followed by the
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduate ...
, to which he later donated money to refurbish the school's baseball field.
Young was drafted by the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
in the 25th round of the
1994 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign. Three years later the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
selected him in the fifth round of the
1997 Major League Baseball draft. Young signed with the Blue Jays, who traded him in 2000 with pitcher
Darwin Cubillán
Darwin Harrikson Cubillán Salom (born November 15, 1972) is a Venezuelan former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher.
Career
Originally signed as a free agent by the Yankees in 1993, Cubillán has played in the MLB for the Toront ...
to the Rangers for
Esteban Loaiza while Young was still in their minor league system.
Professional career
Minor leagues (1997–2000)
Young made his professional debut in 1997 with the
St. Catharines Blue Jays in the
New York–Penn League
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
(NY-Penn) (short-season A). Among his achievements in the NY-Penn League were a 16-game hitting streak, tying for fifth in the league with 48 RBIs, and tying for third in the league with 136 total bases. In 1998, he spent the season with the
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...
of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
. Playing second base, he led all players at his position in fielding percentage. 1999 would be an all-star season for Young. Playing for the
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpar ...
of the
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 ...
, he earned spots on both the midseason and postseason all star teams by leading the league in doubles and finishing fourth in batting average and hits, .313 and 155 respectively. After the regular season, he played for the Rancho Cucamonga Surfers in the
California Fall League. He split 2000 between Double-A and Triple-A and, on July 19, was traded to the Rangers with
Darwin Cubillán
Darwin Harrikson Cubillán Salom (born November 15, 1972) is a Venezuelan former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher.
Career
Originally signed as a free agent by the Yankees in 1993, Cubillán has played in the MLB for the Toront ...
for
Esteban Loaiza. The Rangers purchased his contract on September 27 and he played the final five games of the season in the majors making his debut as a
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
. Though he began 2001 in Triple-A, he was recalled to the majors on May 25 and did not return to the minors at all during the season.
Texas Rangers (2000–2012)
Young reached the Majors briefly in 2000, playing 2nd and getting two at-bats. He hit .249 in 106 games as a second baseman in 2001. In 2002, Young placed second in fielding among second basemen with a .988
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
. In 2003, Young was 3rd in the league in
hits with 204, and led all
second baseman with a
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .306. Young had a fielding percentage of .987.
After signing a new contract,
Young moved to
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
, filling the hole left by the departure of regular Ranger's shortstop
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
in 2004, to make room for newly acquired second baseman
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Chicago C ...
. He was second in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
in hits with 216 and
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s with 690, fourth in
runs with 114, and ninth in batting with an average of .313. He spent 89 games hitting in the leadoff spot, the last time in his career that he hit leadoff prior to 2013.
Young won the AL batting title in 2005 with an average of .331, and was first in MLB in hits with 221. He was second in AL in at bats with 668, and his 114 runs were fifth-best in the AL. Young also established a career-high in
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s with 24. Young's 91 RBIs placed him second among all shortstops in the AL.
On February 14, 2006, Young and Rangers teammate
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahei ...
were selected to the
United States roster for the
2006 World Baseball Classic.
At the conclusion of the
2006 MLB All-Star Game held at
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 MLB season, after the controlled implosion of the Pira ...
in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Young was awarded the
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award which is presented to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game. Awarded each season since 1962 (two games ...
after hitting a game-winning two-run
triple
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* ...
in the ninth inning. Young led the American League in fielding percentage at shortstop with .981. Young also played all 162 games of the 2006 season, had 217 hits and topped 100 RBI for the first time in his career.
In March 2007, Young agreed to an $80 million contract extension that would have kept him with the Rangers until 2013.
Young finished the 2007 season with a batting average of .315, which led the Rangers and was 11th-highest in the AL. Young also led the Rangers with 94 RBIs and was second among all shortstops in the AL. Young was second on the team and tied a career high in
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s with 13. Young's 201 hits were 4th in the AL, and marked the 5th consecutive 200-hit season, joining
Ichiro Suzuki
, also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...
and
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the New York Yankees (1993-1997), and the Tamp ...
as the only players to do so since 1940 and just the second middle
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
, along with
Charlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, general manager, and team vice president, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...
, to have accomplished that feat.
Young played in the longest All-Star game in history. He drove in the game-winning RBI at the
2008 MLB All-Star Game after four hours and 40 minutes of playing time. Also, in 2008 Young won the
Gold Glove
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
at shortstop for the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
.
In 2009, Young moved to third base to make room for shortstop prospect
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox.
Ente ...
. The Rangers did not consult Young on this, and he requested a trade. He subsequently rescinded the request.
On April 19, 2009, Young hit his first career walk-off home run, off Royals pitcher
Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth (born April 14, 1976) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Chicago Cubs (1999–2004), Detroit Tigers (2005, 2008), Atlanta Braves (2005, 2010), New York Yankees (2006–2008), Kansas City Royals (2 ...
. Young was voted on the AL 2009
All Star team by the players.
On June 16, 2010, Young hit a ground ball up the middle to collect his 1,748th career hit, and pass
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 27, 1971), nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the Texas Rangers (in two separate stints, comprising the majority of his career), Florida ...
to become the Rangers' career leader in hits. On defense, in 2010 he tied for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 19, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them, at .950.
During the 2010–11 offseason, Young said that the Rangers had "misled and manipulated" him and requested a trade. The Rangers, having acquired free agent third baseman
Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré Pérez (born April 7, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman. During his career, Beltré played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers ...
, planned to have Young be the team's primary
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
as well as a
utility infielder
In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...
, and see time at
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
for the first time in his career. He was a 2011 American League All Star.
On August 7, 2011, Young hit an infield single against
Josh Tomlin
Joshua Aubry Tomlin (born October 19, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. Tomlin was drafted by the Indians in the 1 ...
of the Cleveland Indians for his 2,000th career hit.
In 2011, Young batted .338 (3rd in the American League) with 11 home runs, primarily splitting his time between DH (69 games), third base (40 games), and first base (36 games).
He tied with
Adrián González for the AL lead in hits (213), and was 5th in RBIs (106) and sacrifice flies (9), 8th in on-base percentage (.380), and 10th in doubles (41).
After Young struggled in the 2012 season, the Rangers asked Young if he desired a trade as they planned to cut his playing time for the 2013 season. Young did not request one, though the Rangers began to pursue a trade, and eventually traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Since being traded in 2012, the Rangers had not issued Young's uniform number 10 to any player or coach. On June 18, 2019, the Rangers announced they would retire Young's number 10 jersey in August.
Rangers career rankings
At the time of his departure from the team, Young lead the Rangers in several stat categories including games played (1774), hits (2178), doubles (406), triples (55), runs scored (1057), at bats (7221), strikeouts (1132), extra-base hits (632), and total bases (3210).
He was third all time in
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBIs) with 962 and sixth all time in home runs with 172.
He also held several single-season records including most multi-hit games (70 in 2004), most hits (221 in 2005), doubles (52 in 2006), and at bats and plate appearances in 2006 (691 and 748 respectively).
Philadelphia Phillies (2013)
Young agreed to waive his no-trade clause and on December 9, 2012, was traded to the Phillies in exchange for pitcher
Josh Lindblom
Joshua William Lindblom (born June 15, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, ...
and minor league pitcher
Lisalverto Bonilla
Lisalverto Bonilla (born June 18, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, in the KBO Lea ...
. The deal reunited him with former teammates
Laynce Nix
Laynce Michael Nix (born October 30, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Nix played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and Philadelphia Phillie ...
,
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for four teams, most notably the Philadelphia Philli ...
and
Mike Adams. The Phillies were monitoring Young for some time prior to his acquisition. Their former Hall of Fame third baseman
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played his entire 18-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a ...
said, "we got a
Derek Jeter kind of player on our team all of a sudden ... He's two or three Michael Young years away from being a Hall of Famer, first ballot maybe." Phillies general manager
Rubén Amaro, Jr. and manager
Charlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel Jr. (born January 4, 1944), is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his playing career, he appeared over parts of six Major League Baseball seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angel ...
also were fond of Young and made him a target headed into the
Winter Meetings
Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
. Once they agreed to a deal, Young had to approve it, which he did, later mentioning that he would only have done so to go to a winning team like the Phillies. The Phillies viewed Young as a stop-gap to get them to top prospect
Cody Asche
Cody James Asche ( ; born June 30, 1990) is an American professional baseball coach and former third baseman and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.
After growing up in ...
.
In 126 games with the Phillies, he hit .276 with 8 homers and 42 RBI. However, the Phillies did not turn out to be the "winning team" that Young had expected. On August 31, the Phillies' record stood at 62–74, and they were games out of first place and 14 games out of the last available playoff spot. He was traded to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. Upon leaving Philadelphia, Young released a statement in which he thanked the Phillies and said that he "had a blast" playing in Philadelphia and that he would recommend it "in a heartbeat" to any other player. Phillies players, namely younger players such as
Darin Ruf
Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Ruf was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High Sch ...
and
Cody Asche
Cody James Asche ( ; born June 30, 1990) is an American professional baseball coach and former third baseman and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.
After growing up in ...
, commented that they loved having a veteran like Young to whom they could look up and seek advice from. Ruf said, "He was the type of guy to come up to a younger guy like myself or Cody and tell us a thing or two about what he thinks we need to do and how he thinks we could prolong our careers. He was just a great teammate to have around."
Los Angeles Dodgers (2013)
On August 31, 2013, he was traded to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
for minor league pitcher
Rob Rasmussen. In the last year of his contract, Young again waived his no-trade clause in order to join his hometown team for an expected playoff run. Young was acquired to be a backup infielder and provide a veteran presence on the team. Young made his Dodgers debut on September 1, 2013
pinch hitting in a game against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
. He appeared in 21 games for the Dodgers at a variety of positions and hit .314.
After initially considering some offers as a free agent, Young chose to announce his retirement from baseball on January 31, 2014.
Career statistics
In 1970 games over 14 seasons, Young posted a .300
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(2375-for-7918) with 1137
runs, 441
doubles, 60
triples, 185
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, 1030
RBI, 90
stolen bases, 575
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
, .346
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
and .441
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
. He finished his career with a .979
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
playing at all four infield positions. In 43 postseason games, he batted .238 (36-for-151) with 11 runs, 10 doubles, 3 home runs, 19 RBI and 5 walks.
Post-playing career
On November 5, 2014, Young was hired by the
Texas Rangers as a special assistant to general manager
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels (born August 24, 1977) is an American baseball executive senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He recently served as the President of Baseball Operations for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (M ...
. He played a key role in the offseason acquisition of
Ian Desmond
Ian Morgan Desmond (born September 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. Desmond is a ...
in 2016.
On July 30, 2016, Young was inducted into the
Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony before the team's matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
Young was eligible to be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2019, but received less than 5% of the vote and became ineligible for the 2020 ballot.
On August 31, 2019, the
Texas Rangers retired Michael Young's #10.
Personal life
Young's mother is of Mexican descent. Young met his wife Cristina, also
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
, while in high school. They have three sons named Mateo, Emilio, and Antonio respectively. Young is a cousin of former
WBO Light Welterweight
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional boxing
In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...
boxing champion
Zack Padilla
Zachary P. "Zack" Padilla (born March 15, 1963, in Glendora, California), and also known as Zack Attack, is a retired American boxer and a former WBO Light Welterweight champion.
Professional career
Padilla turned pro in 1985 and retired shortly ...
. Another of his cousins, Jason Young, also played minor league baseball.
Young is also a
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
. He and his wife are sponsors of the Wipe Out Kids' Cancer campaign. In 2006, Young began the Young Heroes Scholarship Program, and in 2010, the Michael Young Family Hispanic Scholarship Program was established. In July 2011, Young and his wife announced the launch of the Michael Young Family Foundation, a charity which supports the involvement of children's health in all areas: physical social, mental, and educational. Young is represented by baseball agent
Dan Lozano
Daniel Martin Lozano (born March 3, 1967) is a professional sports agent, specializing in baseball. He is the founder of MVP Sports Group, a sports agency based in Los Angeles, CA. His current clients include many notable MLB players such as Alb ...
.
Young is a two-time winner of the
Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award
The Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player "whose on-field performance and contributions to his community inspire others to higher levels of achievement." The award was created by the Major ...
winning in 2008 and 2011. He is one of only four players who have won multiple times (
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time A ...
,
Jim Thome
James Howard Thome (; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). He played for six different teams during the ...
and
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ange ...
).
Young's hobbies include
billiards
Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as .
There are three major subdivisions of ...
and golf.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball batting champions
In baseball, batting average (AVG) is a measure of a batter's success rate in achieving a hit during an at bat. In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is calculated by dividing a player's hits by his at bats (AB). In MLB, a player in each league win ...
*
List of Major League Baseball hit records
This is a list of Major League Baseball hit records.
Bolded names mean the player is still active and playing.
3,000 career hits
240 hits in one season
Evolution of the single season record for hits
Three or more seasons with 215+ hits
Fiv ...
*
List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
Major League Baseball (MLB) and its participating clubs have retired various uniform numbers over the course of time, ensuring that those numbers are never worn again and thus will always be associated with particular players or managers of n ...
References
External links
Michael Youngat Baseball Almanac
*
Michael Youngat
SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...
(Baseball BioProject)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Michael
1976 births
Living people
American baseball players of Mexican descent
American League All-Stars
American League batting champions
Baseball players from California
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Gold Glove Award winners
Grand Canyon Rafters players
Hagerstown Suns players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs
Major League Baseball second basemen
Major League Baseball shortstops
Major League Baseball third basemen
Oklahoma RedHawks players
People from Covina, California
Philadelphia Phillies players
St. Catharines Stompers players
Tennessee Smokies players
Texas Rangers players
Tulsa Drillers players
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos baseball players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2006 World Baseball Classic players
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players