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Chris Young (baseball starting pitcher)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Ryan Young (born May 25, 1979) is an American
Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
. He made his major league debut on August 24, 2004, for the Texas Rangers
. He had previously excelled in basketball and baseball at Highland Park High School
in University Park, Texas
and Princeton University
.
Young helped Highland Park reach the Class 4A Region II basketball final in 1997 and the Class 4A Texas state basketball final in 1998. He tossed a no-hitter in 1997 while compiling a 6–0 record, helping Highland Park reach the Class 4A Texas state baseball final. During his senior year, he was District Most Valuable Player
in basketball, and led his baseball team to the state championship, while pitching in two no-hitter
s. That year, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball and baseball. After a high school career as an athlete and scholar, Young excelled in both baseball and basketball
for Princeton University and became the Ivy League
's first male two-sport Rookie of the Year.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the third round of the June 2000 Draft
, he had brief professional experiences in the Pirates, Montreal Expos
, and Texas Rangers minor league
systems before debuting with the Rangers in August . Young's professional baseball career took off in the 2006 season
, when he was the major league leader in opponent batting average, hits per nine innings and road
earned run average
(ERA) and was named the National League
Pitcher of the Month for June. Additionally, he extended his streak of consecutive undefeated games started
as a visiting pitcher to 24, and secured the only Padres win in the team's 3–1 series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals
in the 2006 National League Division Series
. In 2007, he defended his opponent batting average and hits per nine innings titles, but instead of winning the road ERA title he won the home
ERA title.
He is 6 inch, which makes him, along with former pitchers Eric Hillman
and Randy Johnson
and current pitcher Andrew Sisco of the New York Yankees
organization, the second tallest player in baseball history, next to relief pitcher
Jon Rauch
of the Toronto Blue Jays
(6 inch). He was elected to the 2007 MLB All-Star Game
as a first-time All-Star via the All-Star Final Vote
.
three times in basketball, in a career in which he scored over 1,000 points, and accumulated 500 rebound
s and 200 block
s. He was a two-year letterman in baseball, compiling a 14–3 record with 180 strikeout
s. In basketball he averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots a game, and in baseball he had an 8–3 record with a 1.70 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched
.
As a sophomore in the fall of 1995, he was moved up to the varsity basketball team from the junior varsity due to injuries. As a junior, his presence was significant enough that one opposing team practiced with a coach holding a broom in the air to simulate playing against him. He helped his team reach the Class 4A-state Region II final. As a junior in baseball, Young threw a no-hitter against McKinney High School
in Spring 1997. However, he missed a large part of the season after getting off to a 6–0 start because of a stress fracture
in his foot. Nonetheless, he was already considered a top professional prospect, and he was named as one of seven Highland Park players on the all-district team. By the summer of 1997, he was able to play for the Dallas Mustangs who were the defending national champions in the Connie Mack World Series, and he earned the win in the fifth place game of the World Series.
By January of Young's senior season, he had led his basketball team to a district-leading 23–1 (4–0 in district) record and first place in both the The Dallas Morning News
Class 4A area poll and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' state poll. Young developed a reputation as a finesse post player, and that season he led his team to the UIL State Tournament championship game. Highland Park lost to Houston's Waltrip High School
and Young was credited with a tournament-high 18 rebounds by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
, although The Dallas Morning News only credited him with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Young finished his senior season as a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' first-team All-State selection and the District 9-4A Most Valuable Player. He was later chosen to play in the mid-summer Texas High School Coaches Association's Southwestern All-Star basketball game at the Hofheinz Pavilion
.
Young announced he planned to attend Princeton in May 1998. He chose Princeton over Boston College
, University of Oklahoma
, University of Pennsylvania
, University of Texas
, Vanderbilt University
, and Yale University
. Young's decision was based on Princeton's rising national profile in basketball and the opportunity to work with baseball coach Scott Bradley
, who had played catcher
for the Seattle Mariners
while 6-10 pitcher Randy Johnson was with the team.
On May 9, 1998, Young was involved in a combined no-hitter when he pitched into the fifth inning against Moisés E. Molina High School and was relieved by Mike Matthews. Highland Park won this game, which was the clinching Region II best-of-3 bi-district series game, by the 10-run rule. Young displayed home run
power as a senior, and in some games, he played designated hitter
. Later that month, Young pitched another no-hitter in another 10-run rule victory, this time against Carthage High School
. Young was the starting pitcher at UFCU Disch-Falk Field
during the Texas state 4A championship game victory against Calallen High School
, and he clinched the game with a successful pickoff
move. He was selected to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association 1998 All-State baseball team as well as The Texas Sports Writers Association third-team Class 4A all-state baseball.
, Young was the first male athlete to be named Ivy League
Rookie of the Year in two sports—basketball and baseball—and was a unanimous selection for both awards. In addition, Young was named second-team All-Ivy in basketball and was basketball Rookie of the Week each of the final six weeks and seven weeks overall. His season was capped with Ivy League Player of the Year and freshman All-America
honors from Basketball Weekly. Statistically, Young set Princeton Tigers men's basketball
freshman records for points (387) and rebounds (160) by averaging 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a game with the 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
. He also had 39 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists
in three games at the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament, hosted by the University of Hawaii
. He posted a season-high 24 points in an National Invitation Tournament
win against the NC State Wolfpack
. In baseball, Young led Princeton and the Ivy League with a 2.38 ERA. During this performance he allowed only one home run
over the course of 150 batters faced, and was twice named Ivy League Rookie of the Week.
Young concluded his college basketball career by starting every game of the 1999–2000 season with the 1999–2000 team
. Among his accomplishments that season were 22 double-digit scoring games, breaking his own single-season school record for blocked shots with 87, and leading the team with 13.8 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, 87 blocked shots and 40 steals. He was also second on the team with 105 assists. Young had the highest rebounding average of any Princeton player since 1978 and was also the thirteenth player in school history to record 100 assists in a season. For his college basketball career, Young accumulated 801 points, 350 rebounds, and 142 blocks. His best game performances included a 20-point game on the road against the 11th-ranked
Kansas Jayhawks, a career-high 30 points against Harvard
, and a school record of nine blocked shots against the Ohio Bobcats
.
During his sophomore baseball season in 2000, Young was the Ivy League's leading pitcher with a 1.82 ERA overall and a 1.05 figure in conference games. He compiled a perfect record of 5–0 in eight appearances, with 52 strikeouts in 49⅓ innings. Young was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League baseball selection, and he led the Tigers to their first Ivy League title since 1996. Young pitched a complete game and struck out seven batters in the 5–2 win in the championship series opener against Dartmouth.
Young was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 amateur draft and signed a $
1.65 million contract with Pittsburgh on September 6 after holding out until he gained assurances that he would be able to complete his collegiate education. His athletic career was not entirely on hold as an upperclassman, and he was able to get some low minor league
experience before completing his degree at Princeton in politics in June 2002 and becoming a full-time professional athlete. He played in the class A minor leagues after his junior year. Young then completed his senior thesis, entitled "The Impact of Jackie Robinson
and the Integration of Baseball
on Racial Stereotypes in America: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Stories about Race in the New York Times" while commuting on minor league buses as a player for the Hickory Crawdads
. Young was also offered a two-year guaranteed contract to play basketball for the Sacramento Kings
of the National Basketball Association
in 2002 by fellow Princeton alum and Kings president Geoff Petrie
.
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Young was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 MLB Draft
. He was signed to a deal on September 6. After a few years of minor league service, he was traded to the Montreal Expos' organization. The Expos traded him to the Texas Rangers, for whom he eventually made his major league debut. After less than two seasons with the Rangers he was traded to the San Diego Padres.
in the Class-A South Atlantic League
, including two complete game
s. In , Young helped the Crawdads to the league title with a 11–9 record and 3.11 ERA in 26 starts. Young earned decisions
in fifteen straight starts from April 16 and July 4. He allowed more than three earned run
s in just two of 26 starts. Opposing batters batted .234. He was traded to the Montreal Expos
with Jon Searles for pitcher Matt Herges
in a postseason trade. Young began the season on the disabled list
before joining the Brevard County Manatees
of the Florida State League
towards the end of April. He posted a 5–2 record with a 1.62 ERA, and held opposing batters to a .150 batting average in eight starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-inning, one-hit, no-walk
, eight-strikeout performance against the Fort Myers Miracle
on May 11. This capped a 3–0, 0.47 ERA start to the season.
In June 2003, Young was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators
of the Double-A Eastern League. He went 4–4 with a 4.01 ERA in 15 starts. In July, he went 3–0 and finished with an ERA of 3.03 over five starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-strikeout final outing on August 30 against the Norwich Navigators and a win on July 27 against the Reading Phillies
in which he threw seven shutout
innings. He was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers organization on April 3, in a preseason deal along with Josh McKinley for Einar Diaz
and Justin Echols. He started the 2004 season with the Frisco RoughRiders
of the Texas League
where he went 6–5 with a 4.48 ERA in 18 starts. The only two home runs he allowed in his final 12 starts and 61 innings with the RoughRiders occurred on July 3, against Round Rock. He struck out a season-high eight batters on May 9 against El Paso.
Young was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks
of the Pacific Coast League
in late July and went a perfect 3–0 with a 1.48 ERA in five starts. During this brief stint he allowed only nine walks while compiling 34 strikeouts, and held opposition batters to a .189 average. He posted four quality start
s, and in his fifth start he only allowed two runs. The club was 4–1 in his PCL starts. The only loss was due to a blown save with a 4–2 ninth-inning lead on August 7 against the Tacoma Rainiers
in a game in which Young allowed no earned runs. He was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for August 16 to August 22 after his last start on August 18 against the Memphis Redbirds
. Young took a no-hitter
into the sixth inning of his second Triple-A start on August 2 against the Sacramento River Cats
.
. He pitched 5⅔ innings
, giving up four hits
and three earned runs, while striking out four and walking three batters. Young exited the game trailing 3–0, but was rescued by a comeback walk-off 5–4 win.
This debut made Young the first Princeton baseball player to start a major league game at any position since Dave Sisler
(son of Hall of Famer George Sisler
and brother of Dick Sisler
) gave up six earned runs in just over four innings on August 27, in the second game of a doubleheader
against the Detroit Tigers
. The game also marked the first appearance in a major league game by a Princeton baseball player since Robert Tufts
played his final game for the Kansas City Royals
on May 6, . Other Princeton baseball players who have recorded either 50 innings pitched or 130 at bat
s (the requirements to qualify for Rookie of the Year) in the major leagues are Moe Berg
, Homer Hillebrand
, King Lear
, Dutch Meier
, Dutch Sterrett
, and Bobby Vaughn
. Young has been joined in the major leagues by Princtonian Ross Ohlendorf
who debuted for the New York Yankees
on September 11, 2007. Another Princetonian, Tim Lahey
, was on the Philadelphia Phillies
roster from the team's Opening Day
on March 31, 2008 until April 5, 2008 without making an appearance.
The debut, which occurred in a home game at Ameriquest Field in Arlington
, served as a homecoming for Young who grew up in nearby Dallas, Texas
and went to Highland Park High School
. With his debut, Young became the second-tallest player in Major League Baseball, only an inch shorter than the 6 inch Jon Rauch
. Three other current and previous pitchers—Randy Johnson
, Andrew Sisco and Eric Hillman
—are also 6 inch. He became the tallest pitcher in Rangers history, surpassing the 6 inch right-handed pitcher Mike Smithson. After becoming part of the starting rotation, he made seven starts and compiled a 3–2 record with a 4.71 ERA. Young signed a three-year contract through 2007 on November 19.
Young's first major league decision
came during his second start in an August 29 loss to the Baltimore Orioles
. His first win came in his third start on September 4 against the Boston Red Sox
. His fifth start was a six-inning performance in a 1–0 win against the Anaheim Angels
on September 19. This was the first Ranger 1–0 victory since August 25, against the Toronto Blue Jays
, a stretch of 669 games. The club went 5-2 during his starts in his brief 2004 stint with the club.
roster. He made 31 starts in with the Rangers, compiling a 12–7 record with a 4.26 ERA. His twelve victories tied Kevin Brown's record for most wins by a Rangers rookie. His season started slowly, with seven earned runs allowed in 7⅓ innings pitched (8.59 ERA) over his first two starts. However, over the course of 11 starts from April 17–June 13, he lowered his ERA to a season-low 2.78 by going 6–2, 2.18 in 70⅓ innings pitched over that stretch. This included the month of May when he went 3–0 in five starts with a 1.42 ERA that was third-best among all qualifying major leaguers for the month. This included his season-high 13⅔ scoreless innings recorded from May 3–May 9. He had subsequent hot and cold streaks, with a record of 2–4 and a 9.07 ERA in nine starts from June 20–August 2, followed by a 2.53 ERA over his final nine starts. He closed out the season by winning his final four decisions, which was a personal best.
May 9 was one of two times Young came within an inning of a shutout by pitching eight scoreless innings; August 17 against the Cleveland Indians
was the other. Young recorded a personal-best eight strikeouts in a seven-inning no-decision on June 2 at Detroit. The closest Young came to a no-hitter was 5⅔ innings of hitless pitching in a road game against the Houston Astros
on June 25 before allowing a Craig Biggio
single in the sixth inning. Over the course of the season, Young was the beneficiary of the second-highest run support
in the majors, trailing only David Wells
of the Boston Red Sox. However, he surrendered three runs or less in 22 of 31 starts. After a 2005 season when he went 5–0 with a 3.47 ERA in 11 games during the day and 7–7 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 games at night, he had a career 8–1 record with a 3.31 ERA in 15 day games and 7–8 with a 5.05 mark in 23 games at night.
In his rookie season, Young ranked in the top five among qualifying major league rookies in several statistical categories: strikeouts (second, 137), wins (tied for third, 12), ERA (fourth, 4.26), starts (fifth, 31) and innings pitched (fifth, 164⅔). He also tied Rangers rookie club records: wins (12, Edwin Correa in 1986 and Kevin Brown in 1989) and pre All-Star break wins (8, Jeff Zimmerman
in 1999 and José Guzmán
in 1986). Young ranked fifth among all American League
pitchers with 7.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. Despite this success, however, he was a key part of an offseason trade that also sent Terrmel Sledge
and Adrian Gonzalez
to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Adam Eaton
, middle reliever Akinori Otsuka
and minor-league catcher Billy Killian.
2006 marked Young's breakout season. His ERA continued its downward trend, falling to 3.46 over 31 starts, good enough for sixth best in the National League, and he recorded a career-high 169 strikeouts. He finished with an 11–5 record, led all major league pitchers with a 2.41 road ERA, allowed a league-leading 6.72 hits per 9 innings pitched, and a .206 opponent batting average. During 2006 he led the majors in stolen base
s allowed, with 41. During the season, Young won a National League Pitcher of the Month award, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning or beyond three times, and extended his undefeated road start streak to 24 games. This streak made Young one of only three pitchers in major league history to have gone at least 23 straight road starts without a loss; Allie Reynolds
set the record at 25 straight road starts spanning the and seasons, with Russ Meyer falling one short, going undefeated in 24 straight road contests spanning the and seasons.
In his first six starts after Memorial Day
, he improved from a 3–3 with a 4.32 ERA to 7–3 with a 2.97 ERA, by allowing only four earned runs over 38⅔ innings. He was named one of five candidates from the National League for Major League Baseball's "All-Star Final Vote" to determine the final official selection for the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
; however, Los Angeles Dodgers
first baseman
Nomar Garciaparra
was elected. Nonetheless, his strong June performance – during which he allowed 16 hits and 13 walks over 30⅔ innings, maintained a 1.17 ERA and struck out 34 – earned him the National League Pitcher of the Month award. His five starts in June were highlighted by a career-best 12-strikeout performance on June 9 against the Florida Marlins
and a June 21 win over his former team, the Texas Rangers.
On September 22, Young had a no-hitter through 8⅓ innings of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
before pinch hitter
Joe Randa
hit a two-run home run. This would have been the first no-hitter in Padres history. It was the first time a Padre had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning since Andy Ashby
on September 5, vs. the Atlanta Braves
. Young had been on pace for a perfect game
through 5⅔ innings. Young also took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on May 30 against the Colorado Rockies
as a prelude to his June performance. In that game, which marked the first time a pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning during the 2006 season, he surrendered a double to Brad Hawpe
, who had been a teammate in the 1997 Connie Mack World Series, on his first pitch of the eighth inning and 99th of the game. During Young's next start on June 4 at Pittsburgh, he did not allow a hit for the first 5⅓ innings, making him one of only two pitchers (Steve Trachsel
—June 20–25, 2002) to have consecutive starts with at least five hitless innings since the 2000 season.
He ended the season by winning his only career postseason start; on October 7, he earned a 3–1 victory in Game 3 of the 2006 National League Division Series
against the St. Louis Cardinals
. He pitched 6⅔ shutout innings, struck out nine, walked two and allowed four hits. It remains the Padres' only victory in ten post-season games against the Cardinals. The Padres lost the series three games to one. Young's 6–0 road performance in 2006 was one of 49 undefeated road seasons with at least five victories by a pitcher since post-season play began in 1903. However, it was the first to be followed by a postseason road victory.
In November, he traveled to Japan to take part in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
. Young was the starter in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants
, which was memorable for the major leaguers' three-run ninth-inning rally to earn a tie. This game was the prelude to the five-game series which began with three games at the Tokyo Dome
and was followed by games in Osaka and Fukuoka. Young pitched the fourth game of the series. Young also blogged on behalf of mlb.com about daily life during the trip. He detailed visits with United States Ambassador to Japan
Tom Schieffer
, time in the Harajuku
, and travels on the Bullet Train
.
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In his season debut on April 4 against the San Francisco Giants
, Young became the 435th different pitcher to surrender a home run to Barry Bonds
when he surrendered Bonds' first of the season and 735th of his career. The game marked Young's 25th consecutive road start without a loss. Young was 9–0 during the streak, which ended in his subsequent road start on April 15 at Dodger Stadium
in a 9–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers
. The last of the nine other pitchers to go 20 consecutive road starts without a loss was Greg Maddux
who went 22 starts without a loss during 1997 and 1998. Young's streak began on June 25, .
On April 10, Young signed a four-year extension with the Padres through the 2010 season, reportedly worth $
14.5 million with a club option for 2011.
On June 16, Young threw a pitch that hit Chicago Cubs
All-Star first baseman
Derrek Lee
on the back of the upper left arm. The day before the fracas, Alfonso Soriano
homered off David Wells
, and the Padres believed Soriano showed poor sportsmanship by admiring and celebrating his home run. The pitch nicked Lee's left hand near his surgically repaired wrist. When the 6'5" Lee began walking towards first base, both he and Young, 6'10", exchanged words, and a bench-clearing altercation ensued. Both Young and Lee were ejected from the game, along with Jake Peavy
and Cubs bench coach Gerald Perry
. On June 18, Young and Lee were suspended five games each for their roles in the brawl, and Perry was suspended three games. All suspended parties were fined, as were Peavy and Brian Giles
. Young and Lee appealed their suspensions, which were to begin the following day. At the time of the scuffle in the fourth inning, both pitchers were working on no-hitters. Young was ejected in the game, and he earned a no-decision in the game which the Padres ultimately won 1–0.
On June 24, Jake Peavy surrendered three earned runs in five innings, which caused his ERA to rise from 1.98 to 2.14. This gave Young, who had a 2.08 ERA, the National League-leading average for one day. The next day, Brad Penny
allowed only one earned run over eight innings to take the lead with a 2.04 ERA.
On July 1, Young was nominated as a candidate for the All-Star Final Vote, contending against Tom Gorzelanny
, Roy Oswalt
, Brandon Webb
and Carlos Zambrano
. In a bid for the final spot on July 4, Young posted seven scoreless innings in a 1–0 victory over the Florida Marlins
to not only retake the National League ERA lead, but also assume the major league lead over Brad Penny by a slim margin (1.9968 to 1.9970). The voting ended on July 5, with Young defeating the four opposing pitchers to earn his first career All-Star Game selection. The selection made Young the sixth Ivy League athlete named to the All-Star team (joining Lou Gehrig
, Red Rolfe
, Ron Darling
, Brad Ausmus
and Mike Remlinger
).
Young entered the All-Star break with the major league lead in ERA and opponent batting average as well as an undefeated streak extending back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals. Prior to the announcement of his election, Young dropped his appeal of the five-game suspension. Young served his suspension during the final four games before the All-Star break and the first game afterwards, yet was allowed to play in the All-Star Game at AT&T Park
in San Francisco, California
. In the fifth inning of the 5–4 American League
victory for which Young was the losing pitcher, he surrendered the first inside-the-park home run
in All-Star game history to Ichiro Suzuki
.
He was placed on the disabled list after he incurred a strained oblique muscle
during the third inning of his July 24 start. On August 9, he was activated off the disabled list to make a scheduled start. He took a 12-start (five-decision) undefeated streak, dating back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals, into his first start off the disabled list, but he took the loss in a 5–0 defeat, which was again against the Cardinals. Young ended the 2007 season as the major league leader in opponent batting average and hits per nine innings, but also in stolen base
s allowed (with 44). He battled injuries late in the season and surrendered the ERA leadership to Jake Peavy in his August 30 start.
Young started the season in the second spot in the Padres rotation between ace
Peavy and Maddux. He pitched his first three turns from the second spot in the rotation. On April 18, he missed his turn and Maddux moved into the second spot in the rotation. Young has since been pitching in the third spot in the rotation. The number three spot in the rotation is the only one that was not scheduled to start during the Padres visit to Wrigley Field
May 12–15, 2008. Young, thus, did not make a start against the Cubs with whom he had an altercation in 2007. On May 21, 2008 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Young was hit in the face by a line-drive from Albert Pujols
. Young was sitting on the ground for several minutes but was able to leave the field under his own power as he only sustained a nasal fracture and a laceration on his nose. Later in the same inning, Pujols would also sprain the ankle of Padres catcher Josh Bard
while sliding into home plate. Young returned to the mound on July 29 with five shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks
. Young then did not pitch between August 10 and September 1 due to another disabled list stint and returned to the lineup to take the loss in a game where Greg Maddux, who had become a Los Angeles Dodger, earned his 354th victory to tie Roger Clemens
for eighth on the all-time list. Then on September 7 he retired the first 23 batters against the Milwaukee Brewers
on way to a complete game two-hit victory. This was Young's first major league complete game. Two starts later Young hit his first home run as a major league batter.
. In his first career start with the Mets, Young went five and a third innings while striking out seven batters, recording the victory in a 7-1 Mets win over the Philadelphia Phillies
. He also went three for three at the plate with two runs batted in against Phillies starter Cole Hamels
. Shortly after the start of the season, Young sustained an arm injury which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season on the disabled list
. Following the season, he was a free agent.
. He is said to be a control pitcher
in a 6 inch power pitcher's body—his pitching style is more like Greg Maddux
's than that of five-time Cy Young Award
winner Randy Johnson, who is the same height as Young. Young has been traded three times partly because of the low velocity of his fastball, which is in the 85–90 miles per hour (136.8–144.8 km/h) range. Young has learned how to use precise location to make his fastball effective. He has also been compared to another control pitcher, Jim Palmer
, because Young similarly induces popups and fly ball outs with deceptive late movement on his high fastballs. Over 50% of the balls put in play against him are fly balls. Of the flyballs hit off Young in 2007, 3.8% were home runs. while the average is about 11%. From to the best single-season percentage was 6.2% by Dontrelle Willis
in .
Young's repertoire includes fastball
s, curveball
s, slider
s and changeup
s. His curveball is a slow curveball and his 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s) fastball has been described by former teammate and catcher
Mike Piazza
as having late life and late movement that seems to jump. His curveball is used to keep the hitters off balance so that they do not jump on his low-velocity fastball. Former Ranger pitching coach Orel Hershiser
says Young has the ability to throw his fastball to all locations effectively which gives him a chance at success. Hershiser describes Young's pitches as sneaky fast because his methodical delivery and size give him deception. This delivery has also left him susceptible to stolen bases due to the relatively long time it takes for him to deliver a pitch from the stretch.
, Young has a career .120 batting average
and only sixteen hits, four of which were extra base hit
s (three doubles and one triple). He has yet to record a stolen base
. The only Princeton players who have hit a home run or recorded a stolen base at least once during their careers are Moe Berg
, Dutch Sterrett
, Homer Hillebrand
, Dutch Meier
, Ted Reed
, Bobby Vaughn
, and Will Venable
. Venable is the most recent player to have accomplished the feat. These same players join Young as Princeton alumni to have hit a home run. Berg had been the last to do so before Young hit his home run on September 20, 2008. On April 5, 2011 against the Philadelphia Phillies
, Young became the first Mets pitcher in team history to record two hits in a single inning.
, who was the namesake of the National Hockey League
's Patrick Division
and the Lester Patrick Trophy
. She was also a member of the Princeton University class of 2002, and she attends law school in Washington, D.C.
On March 4, 2008, she was induced into labor four days before her due date to deliver a girl named Catherine Elizabeth.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He made his major league debut on August 24, 2004, for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He had previously excelled in basketball and baseball at Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
in University Park, Texas
University Park, Texas
University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a inner suburb of Dallas. The population was 23,324 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. Like its neighbor, Highland Park, it is a city partially surrounded by the municipality of Dallas...
and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Young helped Highland Park reach the Class 4A Region II basketball final in 1997 and the Class 4A Texas state basketball final in 1998. He tossed a no-hitter in 1997 while compiling a 6–0 record, helping Highland Park reach the Class 4A Texas state baseball final. During his senior year, he was District Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in basketball, and led his baseball team to the state championship, while pitching in two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s. That year, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball and baseball. After a high school career as an athlete and scholar, Young excelled in both baseball and basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for Princeton University and became the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
's first male two-sport Rookie of the Year.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the third round of the June 2000 Draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
, he had brief professional experiences in the Pirates, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, and Texas Rangers minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
systems before debuting with the Rangers in August . Young's professional baseball career took off in the 2006 season
2006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
, when he was the major league leader in opponent batting average, hits per nine innings and road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) and was named the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Pitcher of the Month for June. Additionally, he extended his streak of consecutive undefeated games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
as a visiting pitcher to 24, and secured the only Padres win in the team's 3–1 series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 2006 National League Division Series
2006 National League Division Series
-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
. In 2007, he defended his opponent batting average and hits per nine innings titles, but instead of winning the road ERA title he won the home
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
ERA title.
He is 6 inch, which makes him, along with former pitchers Eric Hillman
Eric Hillman
John Eric Hillman is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire 3-year MLB career with the New York Mets . After his MLB career, he pitched in NPB from 1995-1998 for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Yomiuri Giants...
and Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
and current pitcher Andrew Sisco of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
organization, the second tallest player in baseball history, next to relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Jon Rauch
Jon Rauch
Jon Erich Rauch is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. At 6' 11" , he is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist.-Early years:...
of the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
(6 inch). He was elected to the 2007 MLB All-Star Game
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
as a first-time All-Star via the All-Star Final Vote
All-Star Final Vote
All-Star Final Vote is an annual Internet and text message ballot by Major League Baseball fans to elect the final player for each team that participates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game after all other selections have been made and announced on national television. The first 33 players...
.
High school
Young attended Highland Park High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He letteredVarsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
three times in basketball, in a career in which he scored over 1,000 points, and accumulated 500 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s and 200 block
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
s. He was a two-year letterman in baseball, compiling a 14–3 record with 180 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. In basketball he averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots a game, and in baseball he had an 8–3 record with a 1.70 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
As a sophomore in the fall of 1995, he was moved up to the varsity basketball team from the junior varsity due to injuries. As a junior, his presence was significant enough that one opposing team practiced with a coach holding a broom in the air to simulate playing against him. He helped his team reach the Class 4A-state Region II final. As a junior in baseball, Young threw a no-hitter against McKinney High School
McKinney High School
McKinney High School is located at 1400 Wilson Creek Parkway in McKinney, Texas, and is within the McKinney Independent School District...
in Spring 1997. However, he missed a large part of the season after getting off to a 6–0 start because of a stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
in his foot. Nonetheless, he was already considered a top professional prospect, and he was named as one of seven Highland Park players on the all-district team. By the summer of 1997, he was able to play for the Dallas Mustangs who were the defending national champions in the Connie Mack World Series, and he earned the win in the fifth place game of the World Series.
By January of Young's senior season, he had led his basketball team to a district-leading 23–1 (4–0 in district) record and first place in both the The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
Class 4A area poll and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' state poll. Young developed a reputation as a finesse post player, and that season he led his team to the UIL State Tournament championship game. Highland Park lost to Houston's Waltrip High School
Waltrip High School
Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a secondary school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018.Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
and Young was credited with a tournament-high 18 rebounds by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, although The Dallas Morning News only credited him with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Young finished his senior season as a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' first-team All-State selection and the District 9-4A Most Valuable Player. He was later chosen to play in the mid-summer Texas High School Coaches Association's Southwestern All-Star basketball game at the Hofheinz Pavilion
Hofheinz Pavilion
Guy V. Lewis Court at Hofheinz Pavilion, often known as simply Hofheinz Pavilion, is an 8,500-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston, Texas. Located at 3875 Holman Street, it is home to the University of Houston Cougars men's and women's basketball teams as well as...
.
Young announced he planned to attend Princeton in May 1998. He chose Princeton over Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Young's decision was based on Princeton's rising national profile in basketball and the opportunity to work with baseball coach Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley (baseball)
Scott William Bradley is a former Major League Baseball catcher in the major leagues from to . He played for the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds. He is currently the head coach of Princeton University's baseball team.On June 26, 1986, Bradley was traded...
, who had played catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
while 6-10 pitcher Randy Johnson was with the team.
On May 9, 1998, Young was involved in a combined no-hitter when he pitched into the fifth inning against Moisés E. Molina High School and was relieved by Mike Matthews. Highland Park won this game, which was the clinching Region II best-of-3 bi-district series game, by the 10-run rule. Young displayed home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
power as a senior, and in some games, he played designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. Later that month, Young pitched another no-hitter in another 10-run rule victory, this time against Carthage High School
Carthage High School (Carthage, Texas)
Carthage High School is a public secondary school located in Carthage, Texas.The school serves about 800 students in grades nine through twelve and is part of the Carthage Independent School District.- Athletics :Sports offered at CHS are:*Football...
. Young was the starting pitcher at UFCU Disch-Falk Field
UFCU Disch-Falk Field
UFCU Disch–Falk Field is the baseball stadium of the University of Texas at Austin. It's been home to Texas Longhorns baseball since it opened February 17, 1975. On that day, the eventual NCAA national champion Longhorns swept a doubleheader from St. Mary's by scores of 4-0 and 11-0...
during the Texas state 4A championship game victory against Calallen High School
Calallen High School
Calallen High School is a public high school serving grades 9–12. The school is located in the Calallen Independent School District in northwest Corpus Christi, Texas. The school is known for its Advanced Placement program, which ranks in the top 5 percent in the state of...
, and he clinched the game with a successful pickoff
Pickoff
In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or a catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....
move. He was selected to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association 1998 All-State baseball team as well as The Texas Sports Writers Association third-team Class 4A all-state baseball.
Collegiate career
In his freshman season at Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Young was the first male athlete to be named Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
Rookie of the Year in two sports—basketball and baseball—and was a unanimous selection for both awards. In addition, Young was named second-team All-Ivy in basketball and was basketball Rookie of the Week each of the final six weeks and seven weeks overall. His season was capped with Ivy League Player of the Year and freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors from Basketball Weekly. Statistically, Young set Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Princeton Tigers men's basketball
The Princeton Tigers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Princeton University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Tigers play home basketball games at the Jadwin Gymnasium in...
freshman records for points (387) and rebounds (160) by averaging 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a game with the 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented the Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bill Carmody and the team co-captains were Brian Earl and Gabe Lewullis...
. He also had 39 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
in three games at the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament, hosted by the University of Hawaii
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Western Athletic Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2002...
. He posted a season-high 24 points in an National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
win against the NC State Wolfpack
NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
. In baseball, Young led Princeton and the Ivy League with a 2.38 ERA. During this performance he allowed only one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
over the course of 150 batters faced, and was twice named Ivy League Rookie of the Week.
Young concluded his college basketball career by starting every game of the 1999–2000 season with the 1999–2000 team
1999–2000 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 1999–2000 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented the Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bill Carmody and the team co-captains were Mason Rocca and Chris Young...
. Among his accomplishments that season were 22 double-digit scoring games, breaking his own single-season school record for blocked shots with 87, and leading the team with 13.8 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, 87 blocked shots and 40 steals. He was also second on the team with 105 assists. Young had the highest rebounding average of any Princeton player since 1978 and was also the thirteenth player in school history to record 100 assists in a season. For his college basketball career, Young accumulated 801 points, 350 rebounds, and 142 blocks. His best game performances included a 20-point game on the road against the 11th-ranked
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
Kansas Jayhawks, a career-high 30 points against Harvard
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
, and a school record of nine blocked shots against the Ohio Bobcats
Ohio Bobcats men's basketball
The Ohio Bobcats men’s basketball team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 level...
.
During his sophomore baseball season in 2000, Young was the Ivy League's leading pitcher with a 1.82 ERA overall and a 1.05 figure in conference games. He compiled a perfect record of 5–0 in eight appearances, with 52 strikeouts in 49⅓ innings. Young was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League baseball selection, and he led the Tigers to their first Ivy League title since 1996. Young pitched a complete game and struck out seven batters in the 5–2 win in the championship series opener against Dartmouth.
Young was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 amateur draft and signed a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.65 million contract with Pittsburgh on September 6 after holding out until he gained assurances that he would be able to complete his collegiate education. His athletic career was not entirely on hold as an upperclassman, and he was able to get some low minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
experience before completing his degree at Princeton in politics in June 2002 and becoming a full-time professional athlete. He played in the class A minor leagues after his junior year. Young then completed his senior thesis, entitled "The Impact of Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
and the Integration of Baseball
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
on Racial Stereotypes in America: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Stories about Race in the New York Times" while commuting on minor league buses as a player for the Hickory Crawdads
Hickory Crawdads
The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. They are a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2009. Previously, they were a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Crawdads play home games...
. Young was also offered a two-year guaranteed contract to play basketball for the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in 2002 by fellow Princeton alum and Kings president Geoff Petrie
Geoff Petrie
Geoffrey Michael Petrie is a former American basketball player and current basketball team executive. A native of Pennsylvania, he played professional basketball in the National Basketball Association for the Portland Trail Blazers where he won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1971...
.
Professional baseball career
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
. He was signed to a deal on September 6. After a few years of minor league service, he was traded to the Montreal Expos' organization. The Expos traded him to the Texas Rangers, for whom he eventually made his major league debut. After less than two seasons with the Rangers he was traded to the San Diego Padres.
Minor leagues
In , Young went 5–3 with a 4.12 ERA in 12 starts for the Hickory CrawdadsHickory Crawdads
The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. They are a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2009. Previously, they were a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Crawdads play home games...
in the Class-A South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, including two complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s. In , Young helped the Crawdads to the league title with a 11–9 record and 3.11 ERA in 26 starts. Young earned decisions
Decision (baseball)
A decision is a statistical credit given to a baseball pitcher.There are two types of decisions: win and loss.In order to receive a win, the starting pitcher must complete at least five innings and leave with the lead. If the pitcher's lead is preserved by the bullpen, he is credited with a win...
in fifteen straight starts from April 16 and July 4. He allowed more than three earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s in just two of 26 starts. Opposing batters batted .234. He was traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
with Jon Searles for pitcher Matt Herges
Matt Herges
Matthew Tyler Herges is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Herges is an alumnus of Illinois State University and is the brother-in-law of former Major League Baseball player Todd Hollandsworth....
in a postseason trade. Young began the season on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
before joining the Brevard County Manatees
Brevard County Manatees
The Brevard County Manatees are a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League, and are the A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers...
of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
towards the end of April. He posted a 5–2 record with a 1.62 ERA, and held opposing batters to a .150 batting average in eight starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-inning, one-hit, no-walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, eight-strikeout performance against the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
on May 11. This capped a 3–0, 0.47 ERA start to the season.
In June 2003, Young was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
of the Double-A Eastern League. He went 4–4 with a 4.01 ERA in 15 starts. In July, he went 3–0 and finished with an ERA of 3.03 over five starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-strikeout final outing on August 30 against the Norwich Navigators and a win on July 27 against the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
in which he threw seven shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
innings. He was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers organization on April 3, in a preseason deal along with Josh McKinley for Einar Diaz
Einar Diaz
Einar Antonio Díaz is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Díaz was called up in by the Cleveland Indians to back up then-starting catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr. He played sparingly from 1996-, and in he got his first starting job with the Indians due to an injury to Alomar...
and Justin Echols. He started the 2004 season with the Frisco RoughRiders
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
where he went 6–5 with a 4.48 ERA in 18 starts. The only two home runs he allowed in his final 12 starts and 61 innings with the RoughRiders occurred on July 3, against Round Rock. He struck out a season-high eight batters on May 9 against El Paso.
Young was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in late July and went a perfect 3–0 with a 1.48 ERA in five starts. During this brief stint he allowed only nine walks while compiling 34 strikeouts, and held opposition batters to a .189 average. He posted four quality start
Quality start
In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs....
s, and in his fifth start he only allowed two runs. The club was 4–1 in his PCL starts. The only loss was due to a blown save with a 4–2 ninth-inning lead on August 7 against the Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
in a game in which Young allowed no earned runs. He was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for August 16 to August 22 after his last start on August 18 against the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
. Young took a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
into the sixth inning of his second Triple-A start on August 2 against the Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
.
2004 season
Young debuted with the Rangers on August 24, against the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He pitched 5⅔ innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
, giving up four hits
Hits allowed
In Baseball statistics, hits allowed signifies the total number of hits a pitcher allowed....
and three earned runs, while striking out four and walking three batters. Young exited the game trailing 3–0, but was rescued by a comeback walk-off 5–4 win.
This debut made Young the first Princeton baseball player to start a major league game at any position since Dave Sisler
Dave Sisler
David Michael Sisler was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from through . Early in his career, Sisler was a starter, then later was used as a middle reliever and occasionally as a closer...
(son of Hall of Famer George Sisler
George Sisler
George Harold Sisler , nicknamed "Gentleman George" and "Gorgeous George," was an American professional baseball player for 15 seasons, primarily as first baseman with the St. Louis Browns...
and brother of Dick Sisler
Dick Sisler
Richard Alan Sisler was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Sisler was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman and two-time .400 hitter George Sisler. Younger brother Dave Sisler was a relief pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s with four MLB...
) gave up six earned runs in just over four innings on August 27, in the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The game also marked the first appearance in a major league game by a Princeton baseball player since Robert Tufts
Robert Tufts
Robert Malcolm Tufts is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in parts of three seasons for the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals from through .-Career:...
played his final game for the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
on May 6, . Other Princeton baseball players who have recorded either 50 innings pitched or 130 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s (the requirements to qualify for Rookie of the Year) in the major leagues are Moe Berg
Moe Berg
Morris "Moe" Berg was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II...
, Homer Hillebrand
Homer Hillebrand
Homer Hiller Henry Hillebrand was a professional baseball player who played 3 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.Hillebrand played college baseball at Princeton University....
, King Lear
King Lear (baseball)
Charles Bernard "King" Lear was a professional baseball pitcher who played two seasons of Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds for 17 games during the 1914 Cincinnati Reds season and 40 games during the 1915 Cincinnati Reds season.-Biography:Lear was born in Greencastle,...
, Dutch Meier
Dutch Meier
Arthur Ernst "Dutch" Meier was a professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball in .Meier played college baseball at Princeton University.-Sources:...
, Dutch Sterrett
Dutch Sterrett
Charles Hurlbut "Dutch" Sterrett was a professional baseball player who played 2 seasons for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.Sterrett played college baseball at Princeton University....
, and Bobby Vaughn
Bobby Vaughn
Robert Vaughn was a professional baseball player who played a season for the New York Highlanders of the American League and a season for the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League....
. Young has been joined in the major leagues by Princtonian Ross Ohlendorf
Ross Ohlendorf
Curtis Ross Ohlendorf is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is known for his hard-biting sinker. He can hit 97 mph with a two-seam sinking fastball, and he's working to improve his developing changeup, slider, and breaking ball.-High School and College...
who debuted for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on September 11, 2007. Another Princetonian, Tim Lahey
Tim Lahey
Timothy William "Tim" Lahey is a minor league baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is officially listed as standing tall and weighing . Lahey is an example of a "phantom ballplayer": one who has spent time on a major league roster but never appeared in any games.-High school...
, was on the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
roster from the team's Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
on March 31, 2008 until April 5, 2008 without making an appearance.
The debut, which occurred in a home game at Ameriquest Field in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, served as a homecoming for Young who grew up in nearby Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and went to Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
. With his debut, Young became the second-tallest player in Major League Baseball, only an inch shorter than the 6 inch Jon Rauch
Jon Rauch
Jon Erich Rauch is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. At 6' 11" , he is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist.-Early years:...
. Three other current and previous pitchers—Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
, Andrew Sisco and Eric Hillman
Eric Hillman
John Eric Hillman is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire 3-year MLB career with the New York Mets . After his MLB career, he pitched in NPB from 1995-1998 for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Yomiuri Giants...
—are also 6 inch. He became the tallest pitcher in Rangers history, surpassing the 6 inch right-handed pitcher Mike Smithson. After becoming part of the starting rotation, he made seven starts and compiled a 3–2 record with a 4.71 ERA. Young signed a three-year contract through 2007 on November 19.
Young's first major league decision
Decision (baseball)
A decision is a statistical credit given to a baseball pitcher.There are two types of decisions: win and loss.In order to receive a win, the starting pitcher must complete at least five innings and leave with the lead. If the pitcher's lead is preserved by the bullpen, he is credited with a win...
came during his second start in an August 29 loss to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. His first win came in his third start on September 4 against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. His fifth start was a six-inning performance in a 1–0 win against the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
on September 19. This was the first Ranger 1–0 victory since August 25, against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, a stretch of 669 games. The club went 5-2 during his starts in his brief 2004 stint with the club.
2005 season
Young was one of three rookies on the Opening DayOpening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
roster. He made 31 starts in with the Rangers, compiling a 12–7 record with a 4.26 ERA. His twelve victories tied Kevin Brown's record for most wins by a Rangers rookie. His season started slowly, with seven earned runs allowed in 7⅓ innings pitched (8.59 ERA) over his first two starts. However, over the course of 11 starts from April 17–June 13, he lowered his ERA to a season-low 2.78 by going 6–2, 2.18 in 70⅓ innings pitched over that stretch. This included the month of May when he went 3–0 in five starts with a 1.42 ERA that was third-best among all qualifying major leaguers for the month. This included his season-high 13⅔ scoreless innings recorded from May 3–May 9. He had subsequent hot and cold streaks, with a record of 2–4 and a 9.07 ERA in nine starts from June 20–August 2, followed by a 2.53 ERA over his final nine starts. He closed out the season by winning his final four decisions, which was a personal best.
May 9 was one of two times Young came within an inning of a shutout by pitching eight scoreless innings; August 17 against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
was the other. Young recorded a personal-best eight strikeouts in a seven-inning no-decision on June 2 at Detroit. The closest Young came to a no-hitter was 5⅔ innings of hitless pitching in a road game against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on June 25 before allowing a Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros . He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He...
single in the sixth inning. Over the course of the season, Young was the beneficiary of the second-highest run support
Run support
Run support is a baseball statistic used to assess a starting pitcher's good fortune. It measures how many runs were scored by his team on average when he starts. It is considered a somewhat important statistic because a team earn wins by holding its opponents to fewer runs than it scores...
in the majors, trailing only David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
of the Boston Red Sox. However, he surrendered three runs or less in 22 of 31 starts. After a 2005 season when he went 5–0 with a 3.47 ERA in 11 games during the day and 7–7 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 games at night, he had a career 8–1 record with a 3.31 ERA in 15 day games and 7–8 with a 5.05 mark in 23 games at night.
In his rookie season, Young ranked in the top five among qualifying major league rookies in several statistical categories: strikeouts (second, 137), wins (tied for third, 12), ERA (fourth, 4.26), starts (fifth, 31) and innings pitched (fifth, 164⅔). He also tied Rangers rookie club records: wins (12, Edwin Correa in 1986 and Kevin Brown in 1989) and pre All-Star break wins (8, Jeff Zimmerman
Jeff Zimmerman
Jeffrey Ross Zimmerman is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1999-2001 for the Texas Rangers.-Independent baseball:...
in 1999 and José Guzmán
José Guzmán
José Alberto Guzmán Mirabal , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from -....
in 1986). Young ranked fifth among all American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pitchers with 7.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. Despite this success, however, he was a key part of an offseason trade that also sent Terrmel Sledge
Terrmel Sledge
Terrmel Sledge is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, who currently plays for the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Sledge's career began in with the Montreal Expos. He moved with the team to Washington, D.C...
and Adrian Gonzalez
Adrián González
Adrian Gonzalez is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he...
to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Adam Eaton
Adam Eaton
Adam Thomas Eaton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from Baseball America. Ranked the No...
, middle reliever Akinori Otsuka
Akinori Otsuka
is a currently inactive Japanese Major League Baseball player. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers...
and minor-league catcher Billy Killian.
2006 season
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s allowed, with 41. During the season, Young won a National League Pitcher of the Month award, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning or beyond three times, and extended his undefeated road start streak to 24 games. This streak made Young one of only three pitchers in major league history to have gone at least 23 straight road starts without a loss; Allie Reynolds
Allie Reynolds
Allie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
set the record at 25 straight road starts spanning the and seasons, with Russ Meyer falling one short, going undefeated in 24 straight road contests spanning the and seasons.
In his first six starts after Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, he improved from a 3–3 with a 4.32 ERA to 7–3 with a 2.97 ERA, by allowing only four earned runs over 38⅔ innings. He was named one of five candidates from the National League for Major League Baseball's "All-Star Final Vote" to determine the final official selection for the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
; however, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
was elected. Nonetheless, his strong June performance – during which he allowed 16 hits and 13 walks over 30⅔ innings, maintained a 1.17 ERA and struck out 34 – earned him the National League Pitcher of the Month award. His five starts in June were highlighted by a career-best 12-strikeout performance on June 9 against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
and a June 21 win over his former team, the Texas Rangers.
On September 22, Young had a no-hitter through 8⅓ innings of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
before pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Joe Randa
Joe Randa
Joseph Gregory Salvatore Randa is a former Major League Baseball player. He was primarily a third baseman during his career. His nickname is "The Joker" due to his resemblance to the comic book character in Batman and his ever-present smile, especially during his plate appearances...
hit a two-run home run. This would have been the first no-hitter in Padres history. It was the first time a Padre had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning since Andy Ashby
Andy Ashby
Andrew Jason Ashby is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Colorado Rockies , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
on September 5, vs. the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Young had been on pace for a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
through 5⅔ innings. Young also took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on May 30 against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
as a prelude to his June performance. In that game, which marked the first time a pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning during the 2006 season, he surrendered a double to Brad Hawpe
Brad Hawpe
Bradley Bonte Hawpe is an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman.-High school and college:...
, who had been a teammate in the 1997 Connie Mack World Series, on his first pitch of the eighth inning and 99th of the game. During Young's next start on June 4 at Pittsburgh, he did not allow a hit for the first 5⅓ innings, making him one of only two pitchers (Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
—June 20–25, 2002) to have consecutive starts with at least five hitless innings since the 2000 season.
He ended the season by winning his only career postseason start; on October 7, he earned a 3–1 victory in Game 3 of the 2006 National League Division Series
2006 National League Division Series
-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He pitched 6⅔ shutout innings, struck out nine, walked two and allowed four hits. It remains the Padres' only victory in ten post-season games against the Cardinals. The Padres lost the series three games to one. Young's 6–0 road performance in 2006 was one of 49 undefeated road seasons with at least five victories by a pitcher since post-season play began in 1903. However, it was the first to be followed by a postseason road victory.
In November, he traveled to Japan to take part in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
The Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series is a set of games between All-Star teams from North America's Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The series takes place every even numbered year in the Tokyo Dome and other NPB home stadiums...
. Young was the starter in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
, which was memorable for the major leaguers' three-run ninth-inning rally to earn a tie. This game was the prelude to the five-game series which began with three games at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
and was followed by games in Osaka and Fukuoka. Young pitched the fourth game of the series. Young also blogged on behalf of mlb.com about daily life during the trip. He detailed visits with United States Ambassador to Japan
United States Ambassador to Japan
The United States Ambassador to Japan is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States to Japan. Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on...
Tom Schieffer
Tom Schieffer
John Thomas Schieffer, known as Tom Schieffer , is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2005 to 2009 and as U.S. Ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005. Schieffer is a friend and former business partner of President George W. Bush. He is the younger brother of Bob...
, time in the Harajuku
Harajuku
Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
, and travels on the Bullet Train
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
.
2007 season
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Young became the 435th different pitcher to surrender a home run to Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
when he surrendered Bonds' first of the season and 735th of his career. The game marked Young's 25th consecutive road start without a loss. Young was 9–0 during the streak, which ended in his subsequent road start on April 15 at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in a 9–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The last of the nine other pitchers to go 20 consecutive road starts without a loss was Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
who went 22 starts without a loss during 1997 and 1998. Young's streak began on June 25, .
On April 10, Young signed a four-year extension with the Padres through the 2010 season, reportedly worth $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
14.5 million with a club option for 2011.
On June 16, Young threw a pitch that hit Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
All-Star first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
on the back of the upper left arm. The day before the fracas, Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
homered off David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
, and the Padres believed Soriano showed poor sportsmanship by admiring and celebrating his home run. The pitch nicked Lee's left hand near his surgically repaired wrist. When the 6'5" Lee began walking towards first base, both he and Young, 6'10", exchanged words, and a bench-clearing altercation ensued. Both Young and Lee were ejected from the game, along with Jake Peavy
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...
and Cubs bench coach Gerald Perry
Gerald Perry
Gerald June Perry is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Perry was selected to the 1988 National League All-Star team. In 1993 he tied a St...
. On June 18, Young and Lee were suspended five games each for their roles in the brawl, and Perry was suspended three games. All suspended parties were fined, as were Peavy and Brian Giles
Brian Giles
Brian Stephen Giles is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres...
. Young and Lee appealed their suspensions, which were to begin the following day. At the time of the scuffle in the fourth inning, both pitchers were working on no-hitters. Young was ejected in the game, and he earned a no-decision in the game which the Padres ultimately won 1–0.
On June 24, Jake Peavy surrendered three earned runs in five innings, which caused his ERA to rise from 1.98 to 2.14. This gave Young, who had a 2.08 ERA, the National League-leading average for one day. The next day, Brad Penny
Brad Penny
Bradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....
allowed only one earned run over eight innings to take the lead with a 2.04 ERA.
On July 1, Young was nominated as a candidate for the All-Star Final Vote, contending against Tom Gorzelanny
Tom Gorzelanny
Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals.-Personal life:Tom grew up in Chicago, IL, graduating from Marist High School in 2000...
, Roy Oswalt
Roy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
, Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
and Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
. In a bid for the final spot on July 4, Young posted seven scoreless innings in a 1–0 victory over the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
to not only retake the National League ERA lead, but also assume the major league lead over Brad Penny by a slim margin (1.9968 to 1.9970). The voting ended on July 5, with Young defeating the four opposing pitchers to earn his first career All-Star Game selection. The selection made Young the sixth Ivy League athlete named to the All-Star team (joining Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, Red Rolfe
Red Rolfe
Robert Abial "Red" Rolfe was an American third baseman, manager and front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A native of Penacook, New Hampshire, he is one of the most prominent players to come from the Granite State...
, Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
, Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
and Mike Remlinger
Mike Remlinger
Michael John Remlinger is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Remlinger has played with the San Francisco Giants , New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , Atlanta Braves , Chicago Cubs , and the Boston Red Sox...
).
Young entered the All-Star break with the major league lead in ERA and opponent batting average as well as an undefeated streak extending back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals. Prior to the announcement of his election, Young dropped his appeal of the five-game suspension. Young served his suspension during the final four games before the All-Star break and the first game afterwards, yet was allowed to play in the All-Star Game at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. In the fifth inning of the 5–4 American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
victory for which Young was the losing pitcher, he surrendered the first inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
in All-Star game history to Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
.
He was placed on the disabled list after he incurred a strained oblique muscle
Abdominal external oblique muscle
The external oblique muscle is the largest and the most superficial of the three flat muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen.-Structure:...
during the third inning of his July 24 start. On August 9, he was activated off the disabled list to make a scheduled start. He took a 12-start (five-decision) undefeated streak, dating back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals, into his first start off the disabled list, but he took the loss in a 5–0 defeat, which was again against the Cardinals. Young ended the 2007 season as the major league leader in opponent batting average and hits per nine innings, but also in stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s allowed (with 44). He battled injuries late in the season and surrendered the ERA leadership to Jake Peavy in his August 30 start.
2008 season
Ace (baseball)
In baseball, an ace is the best starting pitcher of any team and nearly always the first pitcher in his starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, an ace usually always starts on Opening Day...
Peavy and Maddux. He pitched his first three turns from the second spot in the rotation. On April 18, he missed his turn and Maddux moved into the second spot in the rotation. Young has since been pitching in the third spot in the rotation. The number three spot in the rotation is the only one that was not scheduled to start during the Padres visit to Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
May 12–15, 2008. Young, thus, did not make a start against the Cubs with whom he had an altercation in 2007. On May 21, 2008 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Young was hit in the face by a line-drive from Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
. Young was sitting on the ground for several minutes but was able to leave the field under his own power as he only sustained a nasal fracture and a laceration on his nose. Later in the same inning, Pujols would also sprain the ankle of Padres catcher Josh Bard
Josh Bard
Joshua David Bard is an American professional baseball catcher and designated hitter who is a free agent. Bard is a switch-hitter who throws right-handed....
while sliding into home plate. Young returned to the mound on July 29 with five shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Young then did not pitch between August 10 and September 1 due to another disabled list stint and returned to the lineup to take the loss in a game where Greg Maddux, who had become a Los Angeles Dodger, earned his 354th victory to tie Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
for eighth on the all-time list. Then on September 7 he retired the first 23 batters against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on way to a complete game two-hit victory. This was Young's first major league complete game. Two starts later Young hit his first home run as a major league batter.
2009 season
After starting the season with a 4–2 record, Young lost his last four starts before spending the remainder of the season on the disabled list. His final start occurred on June 14. He was initially placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 19, but on July 31 he was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. In August, he had season ending arthroscopic surgery to repair partial tears in his labrum. He had been disabled with shoulder inflammation.2010 season
Young pitched six shutout innings in the second game of the season before being pulled with a right shoulder strain. He missed almost the entire season except for three starts near the end of the season, finishing the season 2–0 with a 0.90 ERA. In November, the Padres declined to pick up the option for 2011.2011 season
On January 17, 2011, Young signed a contract with the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. In his first career start with the Mets, Young went five and a third innings while striking out seven batters, recording the victory in a 7-1 Mets win over the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He also went three for three at the plate with two runs batted in against Phillies starter Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
. Shortly after the start of the season, Young sustained an arm injury which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Following the season, he was a free agent.
Pitching style
Young is not a traditional power pitcherPower pitcher
In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
. He is said to be a control pitcher
Control pitcher
A control pitcher is a pitcher who succeeds mostly by using accurate pitches, as opposed to a power pitcher who relies on velocity. By issuing a below average number of bases on balls he exhibits good control of his pitches...
in a 6 inch power pitcher's body—his pitching style is more like Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
's than that of five-time Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Randy Johnson, who is the same height as Young. Young has been traded three times partly because of the low velocity of his fastball, which is in the 85–90 miles per hour (136.8–144.8 km/h) range. Young has learned how to use precise location to make his fastball effective. He has also been compared to another control pitcher, Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
, because Young similarly induces popups and fly ball outs with deceptive late movement on his high fastballs. Over 50% of the balls put in play against him are fly balls. Of the flyballs hit off Young in 2007, 3.8% were home runs. while the average is about 11%. From to the best single-season percentage was 6.2% by Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Wayne Willis , nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American professional baseball pitcher. Willis is notable for his success during his first few years in the league and for his unconventional pitching style, which includes a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter...
in .
Young's repertoire includes fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
s, curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
s, slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
s and changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
s. His curveball is a slow curveball and his 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s) fastball has been described by former teammate and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
as having late life and late movement that seems to jump. His curveball is used to keep the hitters off balance so that they do not jump on his low-velocity fastball. Former Ranger pitching coach Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
says Young has the ability to throw his fastball to all locations effectively which gives him a chance at success. Hershiser describes Young's pitches as sneaky fast because his methodical delivery and size give him deception. This delivery has also left him susceptible to stolen bases due to the relatively long time it takes for him to deliver a pitch from the stretch.
Batting
As of the end of the 2007 Major League Baseball season2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
, Young has a career .120 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and only sixteen hits, four of which were extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (three doubles and one triple). He has yet to record a stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
. The only Princeton players who have hit a home run or recorded a stolen base at least once during their careers are Moe Berg
Moe Berg
Morris "Moe" Berg was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II...
, Dutch Sterrett
Dutch Sterrett
Charles Hurlbut "Dutch" Sterrett was a professional baseball player who played 2 seasons for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.Sterrett played college baseball at Princeton University....
, Homer Hillebrand
Homer Hillebrand
Homer Hiller Henry Hillebrand was a professional baseball player who played 3 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.Hillebrand played college baseball at Princeton University....
, Dutch Meier
Dutch Meier
Arthur Ernst "Dutch" Meier was a professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball in .Meier played college baseball at Princeton University.-Sources:...
, Ted Reed
Ted Reed
Ralph Edwin Reed was a professional baseball player who played 1 season for the Newark Pepper of the Federal League.Reed played college baseball at both Dartmouth College and Princeton University....
, Bobby Vaughn
Bobby Vaughn
Robert Vaughn was a professional baseball player who played a season for the New York Highlanders of the American League and a season for the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League....
, and Will Venable
Will Venable
William Dion Venable is a Major League baseball right fielder for the San Diego Padres. In the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, he was selected by the Padres in the seventh round. Venable made his Major League debut on August 29, , against the Colorado Rockies...
. Venable is the most recent player to have accomplished the feat. These same players join Young as Princeton alumni to have hit a home run. Berg had been the last to do so before Young hit his home run on September 20, 2008. On April 5, 2011 against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Young became the first Mets pitcher in team history to record two hits in a single inning.
Personal life
Young's wife, Elizabeth Patrick, is the granddaughter of Lester PatrickLester Patrick
Curtis Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, was a professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
, who was the namesake of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
and the Lester Patrick Trophy
Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
. She was also a member of the Princeton University class of 2002, and she attends law school in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
On March 4, 2008, she was induced into labor four days before her due date to deliver a girl named Catherine Elizabeth.