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Michael Young (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Michael Brian Young is a Major League Baseball
All Star
designated hitter
and utility infielder
for the Texas Rangers
.
Young has also played a significant number of games at second base, shortstop
, and third base
over the course of his career. In 2005, he was the AL batting champion. In 2011, He played a number of games at first base also.
followed by the University of California, Santa Barbara
, to which he later donated money to refurbish the school's baseball field.
Young was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
in the 25th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
but did not sign. He attended the University of California at Santa Barbara. He did sign three years later, when the Toronto Blue Jays
selected him in the fifth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
.
Young was traded in 2000 with pitcher Darwin Cubillán
to the Rangers for Esteban Loaiza
.
. In 2003, Young was 3rd in the league in hits
with 204, and led all second baseman
with a batting average
of .306. Young had a fielding percentage
of .987. At the end of the 2003 season, Young moved to shortstop after the Alex Rodriguez
trade, to make room for Alfonso Soriano
.
In 2004, Young was second in the American League
in hits with 216 and at bat
s with 690, 4th in runs
with 114, and 9th in batting with an average of .313. Young finished second among shortstops in RBIs
, with 99.
Young won the AL batting title in 2005 with an average of .331, and was first in MLB in hits with 221. He was 2nd in AL in at bats with 668, and his 114 runs were 5th-best in the AL. His 40 doubles
were the 8th-best in the AL. Young also established a career-high in home run
s with 24. Young's 91 RBIs placed him second among all shortstops in the AL.
Young was elected to the U.S. 2006 World Baseball Classic roster
. In the 2006 MLB All-Star Game
held at PNC Park
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, Young was rewarded with the Ted Williams
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
after hitting a game-winning two-run triple
in the 9th inning.
During the 2006 season, Young was 13th in the AL in batting with an average of .314. He was second in the majors in hits, with 217, doubles, at 52, and at bats, with 691. Young set a career high and led all shortstops in RBIs with 103. Young was 1st in the AL in fielding percentage at shortstop with .981. Young also played all 162 games of the 2006 season. Young became the 29th player to accumulate 200 hits, 50 doubles, and 100 RBIs in a season. Young became just the 5th player in Major League history to collect 215 hits in three consecutive seasons.
In March 2007, Young agreed to an $80,000,000 contract extension that would keep him with the Rangers until 2013.
Young finished the 2007 season with a batting average of .315, which led the Rangers and was 11th-highest in the AL. Young also led the Rangers with 94 RBIs and was second among all shortstops in the AL. Young was second on the team and tied a career high in stolen base
s with 13. Young's 201 hits were 4th in the AL, and marked the 5th consecutive 200-hit season, joining Ichiro Suzuki
and Wade Boggs
as the only players to do so since 1940 and just the second middle infielder
, along with Charlie Gehringer
, to have accomplished that feat.
Young played in the longest All-Star game in history. He drove in the game-winning RBI at the 2008 MLB All-Star Game
after four hours and 40 minutes of playing time. Also, in 2008 Young won the Gold Glove
at shortstop for the American League
.
In 2009, Young moved to third base to make room for shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus
.
On April 19, 2009, Young hit his first career walk-off home run, off Royals pitcher Kyle Farnsworth
. Young was voted on the AL 2009 All Star team by the players.
On June 16, 2010, Young hit a two-out ground ball up the middle off the Florida Marlins
' Jay Buente
to collect his 1,748th career hit, and pass Ivan Rodriguez
for first place on the all-time Rangers career hit list. On defense, in 2010 he tied for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 19, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them, at .950.
During the 2010–11 offseason, Young said that the Rangers had "misled and manipulated" him and requested a trade. The Rangers, having acquired free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre
, planned to have Young be the team's primary designated hitter
as well as a utility infielder
, and see time at first base for the first time in his career. He was a 2011 American League All Star.
On August 7, 2011, Young hit an infield single against Josh Tomlin
of the Cleveland Indians for his 2,000th career hit. Young became the first Ranger to reach this milestone.
In 2011, Young batted .338 (3rd in the American League) with 11 home runs, primarily splitting his time between DH (69 games), third base (40 games), and first base (36 games). He tied for the AL lead in hits (213), and was 5th in RBIs (106) and sacrifice flies (9), 8th in on base percentage (.380), and 10th in doubles (41).
boxing champion Zack Padilla
. He and his wife Cristina are very active sponsors in the campaign, Wipe Out Kids' Cancer.
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...
All Star
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...
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 utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
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...
.
Young has also played a significant number of games at second base, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
over the course of his career. In 2005, he was the AL batting champion. In 2011, He played a number of games at first base also.
Early life
Young attended Bishop Amat Memorial High SchoolBishop Amat Memorial High School
Bishop Amat Memorial High School is a co-ed Catholic high school serving the San Gabriel Valley in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and was founded in 1957. The campus is located in La Puente, California, approximately 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County...
followed by the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, to which he later donated money to refurbish the school's baseball field.
Young was drafted by 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...
in the 25th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
but did not sign. He attended the University of California at Santa Barbara. He did sign three years later, when 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 ....
selected him in the fifth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
.
Young was traded in 2000 with pitcher Darwin Cubillán
Darwin Cubillán
Darwin Harrikson Cubillán Salom , is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher....
to the Rangers for Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna [lo-EYE-sa] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
.
Texas Rangers (2000–present)
In 2002, Young placed 2nd in fielding with a .988 fielding percentageFielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. In 2003, Young was 3rd in the league in 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....
with 204, and led all second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
with a 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 :...
of .306. Young had a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .987. At the end of the 2003 season, Young moved to shortstop after the Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
trade, to make room for Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
.
In 2004, Young was second in the 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...
in hits with 216 and 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 with 690, 4th in 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...
with 114, and 9th in batting with an average of .313. Young finished second among shortstops in RBIs
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...
, with 99.
Young won the AL batting title in 2005 with an average of .331, and was first in MLB in hits with 221. He was 2nd in AL in at bats with 668, and his 114 runs were 5th-best in the AL. His 40 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....
were the 8th-best in the AL. Young also established a career-high in 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 with 24. Young's 91 RBIs placed him second among all shortstops in the AL.
Young was elected to the U.S. 2006 World Baseball Classic roster
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
. In the 2006 MLB 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,...
held at PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Young was rewarded with the Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game. Awarded each season since , it was originally called the "Arch Ward Memorial Award" in honor of Arch Ward, the man who...
after hitting a game-winning two-run triple
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....
in the 9th inning.
During the 2006 season, Young was 13th in the AL in batting with an average of .314. He was second in the majors in hits, with 217, doubles, at 52, and at bats, with 691. Young set a career high and led all shortstops in RBIs with 103. Young was 1st in the AL in fielding percentage at shortstop with .981. Young also played all 162 games of the 2006 season. Young became the 29th player to accumulate 200 hits, 50 doubles, and 100 RBIs in a season. Young became just the 5th player in Major League history to collect 215 hits in three consecutive seasons.
In March 2007, Young agreed to an $80,000,000 contract extension that would keep him with the Rangers until 2013.
Young finished the 2007 season with a batting average of .315, which led the Rangers and was 11th-highest in the AL. Young also led the Rangers with 94 RBIs and was second among all shortstops in the AL. Young was second on the team and tied a career high in stolen base
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 with 13. Young's 201 hits were 4th in the AL, and marked the 5th consecutive 200-hit season, joining 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...
and Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
as the only players to do so since 1940 and just the second middle infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, along with Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
, to have accomplished that feat.
Young played in the longest All-Star game in history. He drove in the game-winning RBI at the 2008 MLB All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
after four hours and 40 minutes of playing time. Also, in 2008 Young won the Gold Glove
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
at shortstop for the 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...
.
In 2009, Young moved to third base to make room for shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
.
On April 19, 2009, Young hit his first career walk-off home run, off Royals pitcher Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.-High school and college:...
. Young was voted on the AL 2009 All Star team by the players.
On June 16, 2010, Young hit a two-out ground ball up the middle off 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...
' Jay Buente
Jay Buente
Jay Phillip Buente is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was drafted in the 14th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft.-High school:...
to collect his 1,748th career hit, and pass Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
for first place on the all-time Rangers career hit list. On defense, in 2010 he tied for the AL lead in errors by a third baseman, with 19, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them, at .950.
During the 2010–11 offseason, Young said that the Rangers had "misled and manipulated" him and requested a trade. The Rangers, having acquired free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre
Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
, planned to have Young be the team's primary 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...
as well as a utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
, and see time at first base for the first time in his career. He was a 2011 American League All Star.
On August 7, 2011, Young hit an infield single against Josh Tomlin
Josh Tomlin
Joshua Aubry Tomlin is a Major League Baseball pitcher, Tomlin plays for the Cleveland Indians.-Career:...
of the Cleveland Indians for his 2,000th career hit. Young became the first Ranger to reach this milestone.
In 2011, Young batted .338 (3rd in the American League) with 11 home runs, primarily splitting his time between DH (69 games), third base (40 games), and first base (36 games). He tied for the AL lead in hits (213), and was 5th in RBIs (106) and sacrifice flies (9), 8th in on base percentage (.380), and 10th in doubles (41).
Personal life
Young's mother is of Mexican descent. Young met his wife Cristina [who is also of Mexican descent] while in high school. Young's hobbies include billiards and golf. Young is a cousin of former WBO Light WelterweightLight welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
boxing champion Zack Padilla
Zack Padilla
Zack Padilla is a retired American boxer and a former WBO Light Welterweight champion.-Professional career:Padilla turned pro in 1985 and retired shortly thereafter in 1986 after a TKO loss to Dwayne Prim....
. He and his wife Cristina are very active sponsors in the campaign, Wipe Out Kids' Cancer.
Rangers single-season records
- Multi-hit games – 70 (2004)
- Hits – 221 (2005)
- Doubles – 52 (2006)
- At bats – 691 (2006)
- Plate appearances – 748 (2006)
Rangers career rankings
Through 2011:- 1. Games – 1,667
- 1. Hits – 2,061
- 1. Doubles – 388
- 1. Triples – 52
- 1. Runs – 1,006
- 1. At bats – 6,788
- 1. Plate appearances – 7,396
- 1. Strikeouts – 1,082
- 2. Total bases – 3,060
- 3. Runs Batted In – 917
- 3. Extra-Base Hits – 609
- 3. Sacrifice flies – 64
- 5. Power-speed # – 114.9
- 3. Runs Batted In – 917
- 3. Extra-Base Hits – 609
- 6. Home Runs – 169
- 6. Walks – 499