Dmitri Young
Encyclopedia
Dmitri Dell Young is a former Major League Baseball
first baseman
. Young is 6'2" and 275 pounds. On March 18, 2010, he was introduced as the Vice President and Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations and Special Hitting and Fielding Instructor of the Oakland County Cruisers
minor league baseball team; Young announced his retirement the same day.
in Oxnard, California
. As a senior, he batted
.425 with 11 home run
s, 31 RBI
, 37 runs
, and 8 doubles
, and earned USA Today
High School All-American honors.
in the June amateur draft. In , Young punched a fan who had been heckling him, which earned him a suspension from the Texas League
. Finally, in , he had a big year at Triple-A Louisville
, batting .333, being chosen as a Triple-A All-Star first baseman and the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year. He was called up at the end of the season and played a few games with St. Louis in the majors.
for Jeff Brantley. Eight days later, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the expansion draft
, then traded back to the Reds for Mike Kelly
. While with the Reds, Young hit over .300 in each year (finishing second in doubles in , and hitting 21 home runs in ). During those years, he played primarily the outfield
and at first base.
After the 2001 season, he was traded by the Reds to the Detroit Tigers
for Luis Pineda
and Juan Encarnacion
. In , he hit .297, with 29 home runs, and 7 triples
(10th in the league). He was the Tigers' lone representative at the 2003 MLB All-Star Game
, although he didn't make an appearance on the field or in the batter's box.
On April 4, , Young joined George Bell and Tuffy Rhodes
as the only players to hit three home runs on Opening Day
in Detroit's 11-2 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals
. Young and Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera
are the only players to hit three home runs in one game at Comerica Park
—one of the more statistically difficult home run stadiums. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/PKTP_DET05.htm He was also known as "D'MeatHook" and "The Big D" to Tigers fans.
Young appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE)'s Survivor Series 2005
in an interview segment with Edge
and Lita
. Edge made fun of the Detroit Tigers, saying that they sucked, while Young cracked jokes at Edge concerning his failures on capturing a World Title.
hitting two homers and two triples, and a single
. When he came up to bat in the ninth, he was a double short of the cycle
. Instead, he hit his second triple of the night off Buddy Groom
. "It crossed my mind, but since the game was close, my individual accomplishment took a back seat," Young said. "The run is the important thing."
.
On May 17, 2006, the Detroit Free Press
reported that Young faced a misdemeanor
domestic violence
charge, stemming from a heated argument with a young woman. Young subsequently spent 30 days in the rehabilitation facility, Promises Malibu, and three weeks working out with minor league teams. On June 13, 2006, Young failed to appear for a pretrial hearing on this matter and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Ten days later, he pleaded no contest
to the domestic violence charges.
On June 30, 2006, Young revealed that he had been battling alcoholism
, which limited his physical fitness and kept him from appearing in all but a small fraction of Tigers games during the season. He made a statement to the press in which he asserted that he had been making progress overcoming it with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous
, whose logo has been tattooed on his hand as a gesture of thanks. He returned to action on July 21, 2006, versus the Oakland Athletics
, starting at designated hitter
and ending the game with 2 hits
and 2 RBI in the Tigers' 7-4 win. Before the game started, FSN Detroit aired a video of Young apologizing to the fans and saying how he will continue to struggle against alcohol and drugs for the rest of his life.
On September 6, 2006, with less than a month to go in their American League Championship season
, the Tigers gave Young his unconditional release in a move that surprised both teammates and fans alike.
The day after Thanksgiving
, an ambulance took him to a hospital, where he endured a three-day stay in the intensive care unit as his doctors diagnosed diabetes. Since then, Young has taken steps to get his diabetes in control and is encouraging others to do so. He has recently appeared on dLife
to talk to people about how he has lived with diabetes.
lost their first baseman Nick Johnson
for nearly a year due to a broken leg. The following spring, the Nationals invited a number of first baseman to camp, including Young, who won the starting role. In his first game with the Nationals, opening day, he hit 2 doubles. He went on to have a sizzling first half, reaching the All-Star break batting .340, third in the league, and he was selected to his second All-Star game—the Nationals' only representative. He singled in his only at-bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and scored on an Alfonso Soriano
home run.
Young received his Detroit Tigers 2006 American League Championship ring when the Tigers played the Nationals in an interleague series at RFK Stadium in June .
On July 4, Young hit a grand slam
against the visiting Chicago Cubs
. It was his sixth career grand slam. He finished the year batting .320, the highest of his career, and ninth in the National League
. Towards the end of the month, Young signed a two-year, $10 million extension with a vesting option. Upon the season's close, Young won the Player's Choice National League Comeback Player of the Year
award.
from Major League Baseball.
Dmitri is currently attempting to make a comeback.
, a former number one draft pick and runner-up for the 2007 American League Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Delmon made his major league debut on August 29, 2006, exactly ten years after his older brother. Delmon currently plays for the Detroit Tigers
.
Dmitri and Delmon's father, Larry Young, from Mississippi, became one of the Navy's first African American F-14 fighter pilots. He is currently a pilot for Delta Air Lines
.
Bonnie Young, his mother, died at her home in Camarillo, CA after a 3½ month battle with pancreatic and liver cancer, in May 2009.
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...
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...
. Young is 6'2" and 275 pounds. On March 18, 2010, he was introduced as the Vice President and Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations and Special Hitting and Fielding Instructor of the Oakland County Cruisers
Oakland County Cruisers
The Oakland County Cruisers were a professional baseball team based in Waterford Township, Michigan, in the United States. They are a member of the East Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball....
minor league baseball team; Young announced his retirement the same day.
High school career
Young attended Rio Mesa High SchoolRio Mesa High School
Rio Mesa High School is located in Oxnard, California and is within the Oxnard Union High School District. It serves the Oxnard communities of Northern Oxnard, River Park, Nyeland Acres, and El Rio, as well as the western portion of the city of Camarillo...
in Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
. As a senior, he batted
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 :...
.425 with 11 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...
s, 31 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 37 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and 8 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and earned USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
High School All-American honors.
Minor leagues
Young was a first round draft pick (number four overall) by the St. Louis CardinalsSt. 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 June amateur draft. In , Young punched a fan who had been heckling him, which earned him a suspension from 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...
. Finally, in , he had a big year at Triple-A Louisville
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
, batting .333, being chosen as a Triple-A All-Star first baseman and the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year. He was called up at the end of the season and played a few games with St. Louis in the majors.
Major league career
Young's first full season in Major League Baseball was with the Cardinals in , in which he hit .258. After the season, he was traded to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Jeff Brantley. Eight days later, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the expansion draft
1997 MLB Expansion Draft
The 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted by Major League Baseball on November 18, 1997 in the Phoenix Civic Center to stock the major league rosters of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks, new major league expansion franchises that were set to start play in the...
, then traded back to the Reds for Mike Kelly
Mike Kelly (outfielder)
Michael Raymond Kelly was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Colorado Rockies....
. While with the Reds, Young hit over .300 in each year (finishing second in doubles in , and hitting 21 home runs in ). During those years, he played primarily the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
and at first base.
After the 2001 season, he was traded by the Reds to 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...
for Luis Pineda
Luis Pineda
Luis Pineda is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds. He debuted on August 4, 2001 with the Tigers against the Oakland Athletics and had a perfect line of 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER for the night. After his rookie season he was traded...
and Juan Encarnacion
Juan Encarnación
Juan De Dios Encarnación is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His last major league team was the St. Louis Cardinals...
. In , he hit .297, with 29 home runs, and 7 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(10th in the league). He was the Tigers' lone representative at the 2003 MLB All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, although he didn't make an appearance on the field or in the batter's box.
On April 4, , Young joined George Bell and Tuffy Rhodes
Tuffy Rhodes
Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes is a professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and eleven years in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan....
as the only players to hit three home runs on 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...
in Detroit's 11-2 win over the visiting 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...
. Young and Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
are the only players to hit three home runs in one game at Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
—one of the more statistically difficult home run stadiums. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/PKTP_DET05.htm He was also known as "D'MeatHook" and "The Big D" to Tigers fans.
Young appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE)'s Survivor Series 2005
Survivor Series (2005)
Survivor Series was the 19th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
in an interview segment with Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
and Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....
. Edge made fun of the Detroit Tigers, saying that they sucked, while Young cracked jokes at Edge concerning his failures on capturing a World Title.
2003
On May 6, 2003, Young went 5-5 against the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore 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...
hitting two homers and two triples, and a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. When he came up to bat in the ninth, he was a double short of the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
. Instead, he hit his second triple of the night off Buddy Groom
Buddy Groom
Wedsel Gary "Buddy" Groom Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed middle relief pitcher. He attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the amateur draft....
. "It crossed my mind, but since the game was close, my individual accomplishment took a back seat," Young said. "The run is the important thing."
2006 -- troubles off the field
In 2006, Young went through a divorce, was treated for alcohol and substance abuse, and depression. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a young woman after an argument in Birmingham, MichiganBirmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
.
On May 17, 2006, the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
reported that Young faced a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
charge, stemming from a heated argument with a young woman. Young subsequently spent 30 days in the rehabilitation facility, Promises Malibu, and three weeks working out with minor league teams. On June 13, 2006, Young failed to appear for a pretrial hearing on this matter and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Ten days later, he pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to the domestic violence charges.
On June 30, 2006, Young revealed that he had been battling alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which limited his physical fitness and kept him from appearing in all but a small fraction of Tigers games during the season. He made a statement to the press in which he asserted that he had been making progress overcoming it with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
, whose logo has been tattooed on his hand as a gesture of thanks. He returned to action on July 21, 2006, versus the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, starting at 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...
and ending the game with 2 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and 2 RBI in the Tigers' 7-4 win. Before the game started, FSN Detroit aired a video of Young apologizing to the fans and saying how he will continue to struggle against alcohol and drugs for the rest of his life.
On September 6, 2006, with less than a month to go in their American League Championship season
2006 Detroit Tigers season
The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :...
, the Tigers gave Young his unconditional release in a move that surprised both teammates and fans alike.
The day after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, an ambulance took him to a hospital, where he endured a three-day stay in the intensive care unit as his doctors diagnosed diabetes. Since then, Young has taken steps to get his diabetes in control and is encouraging others to do so. He has recently appeared on dLife
DLife
dLife is the first integrated media network for people living with diabetes, their families, and those at risk of developing diabetes. dLife was established to address the overwhelming consumer need for real, practical solutions to the 24/7 challenge of managing diabetes vs. episodic clinical...
to talk to people about how he has lived with diabetes.
2007
In late 2006, the Washington NationalsWashington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
lost their first baseman Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson
Nicholas Robert Johnson is an American Major League Baseball first baseman.He previously played for the New York Yankees , Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals , and the Florida Marlins...
for nearly a year due to a broken leg. The following spring, the Nationals invited a number of first baseman to camp, including Young, who won the starting role. In his first game with the Nationals, opening day, he hit 2 doubles. He went on to have a sizzling first half, reaching the All-Star break batting .340, third in the league, and he was selected to his second All-Star game—the Nationals' only representative. He singled in his only at-bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and scored on an Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
home run.
Young received his Detroit Tigers 2006 American League Championship ring when the Tigers played the Nationals in an interleague series at RFK Stadium in June .
On July 4, Young hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
against the visiting 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...
. It was his sixth career grand slam. He finished the year batting .320, the highest of his career, and ninth in 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...
. Towards the end of the month, Young signed a two-year, $10 million extension with a vesting option. Upon the season's close, Young won the Player's Choice National League Comeback Player of the Year
Players Choice Award
The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major...
award.
2008
On March 29, 2008, the Nationals confirmed that Johnson would open the season as their starting first baseman over Young. Although on June 24, 2008, the Nationals announced that Johnson would have season-ending wrist surgery and named Young as the starting first baseman. On September 17, Young was declared officially out for the season due to his diabetes.2010 - Retirement
On March 18, 2010, Young officially announced his retirementRetirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
from Major League Baseball.
Current
Dmitri Young is currently the co-host of Card Corner Club Radio, a weekly sports card and collectibles show. An avid collector himself, his impressive array of Hall of Fame Rookie cards was recently featured in an MLB documentary called, Cardboard Treasures.Dmitri is currently attempting to make a comeback.
Family life
Dmitri's younger brother is Delmon YoungDelmon Young
Delmon Damarcus Young is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He is the younger brother of former major league outfielder and first baseman Dmitri Young. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama.Young is known for having a strong and accurate...
, a former number one draft pick and runner-up for the 2007 American League Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Delmon made his major league debut on August 29, 2006, exactly ten years after his older brother. Delmon currently plays for 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...
.
Dmitri and Delmon's father, Larry Young, from Mississippi, became one of the Navy's first African American F-14 fighter pilots. He is currently a pilot for Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
.
Bonnie Young, his mother, died at her home in Camarillo, CA after a 3½ month battle with pancreatic and liver cancer, in May 2009.