Michael Young, Retired

Date of Birth: 10/19/1976
Birthplace: Covina, California
College: University of California, Santa Barbara

Michael Young played for 12 seasons with the Texas Rangers. He was first signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 but they traded him to the Rangers three years later. From 1997 through 2000, Young played in the minor leagues with the exception of two games that he played with the Rangers in 2000. The Rangers started him in the minors in 2001 but they called him up on May 25th. Young played with the Rangers until they traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2012 season ended.

Young played all infield positions, as well as being their DH, during his time with the Rangers. From 2001 through 2003, he was primarily their third baseman but he moved to the shortstop position in 2004 and stayed there through the 2008 season. For the next two seasons, Young served as the starting third baseman for the Rangers, but held all infield positions plus the DH position in 2011 and 2012.

Young's first award came in 2005 when he won the American League batting title. That season he batted .331 and had 221 hits, 40 doubles, and 24 home runs. The following season, Young was named the All-Star Game MVP. In 2008, he won his only Gold Glove award.

Young announced his retirement from major league baseball on January 31, 2014.

Statistics for Young in 12 seasons (2001-2012) in the major leagues include:

7 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .338 in 2011
11 seasons with 150 or more hits, with a high of 221 in 2005
9 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 52 in 2006
4 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 24 in 2005

Career statistics for Young through the 2012 season include:

1,821 games played
2,230 hits
415 doubles
177 home runs

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Michael Young
ESPN Sports - Michael Young