Delmon Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Delmon Young |
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Young with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014
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| Outfielder / Designated hitter | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 14, 1985 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 29, 2006, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| June 29, 2015, for the Baltimore Orioles | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .283 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 109 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 566 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is a former American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB). Delmon played for several teams, including the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles.
He is the younger brother of another former major league player, Dmitri Young. Delmon was a very talented player from a young age. He was the very first player chosen in the 2003 MLB draft, which is a big honor!
Contents
Playing Baseball: Delmon Young's Career Highlights
Starting Out: Minor League Baseball
Delmon Young finished high school in Camarillo, California, in 2003. Right after that, he was picked first overall in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. This meant he was considered the best young player available that year.
In 2005, Delmon played really well in the minor leagues. He had a great batting average of .336. He also hit 20 home runs and had 71 RBI (runs batted in) for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. He even won the Southern League Most Valuable Player Award.
Later that year, he moved up to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. After the season, he was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year. He was also seen as the top young player to watch for the 2006 season. Delmon ended his minor league career with a strong .318 batting average.
A Tough Moment: The Bat Incident
On April 26, 2006, while playing for the Durham Bulls, Delmon had a difficult moment. After a strikeout call, he argued with the umpire. He was then told to leave the game. As he walked away, he threw his bat. The bat accidentally hit the umpire.
The next day, Delmon said he was sorry. He explained that he didn't mean to hit the umpire. The league decided to suspend him for 50 games without pay. Delmon accepted the suspension. He returned to play on June 19, 2006.
Making It Big: Major League Baseball
On August 28, 2006, Delmon Young was called up to the major leagues to play for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His first MLB game was on August 29, 2006. This was exactly ten years after his older brother Dmitri played his first major league game.
In his very first time at bat, Delmon was hit by a pitch. In his first official at-bat, he hit a huge two-run home run. This was his first ever major league hit! In 2006, he played 30 games, batting .317 with three home runs.
As a 21-year-old in 2007, Delmon had a fantastic season. He finished second in the voting for the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award in the American League. He batted .288 with 13 home runs and 93 RBI. He also played in all 162 games that season.
Moving to the Minnesota Twins
In November 2007, Delmon was traded to the Minnesota Twins. He quickly became their starting left fielder. In 2008, he played in 152 games, batting .290 with 10 home runs.
The 2010 season was Delmon's best year for hitting. He batted .298 with 21 home runs and 112 RBI. He was even a finalist for a spot on the American League All-Star team.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
Delmon was traded to the Detroit Tigers on August 15, 2011. In his very first time at bat with the Tigers, he hit a home run! He finished the 2011 season batting .268 with 12 home runs.
Delmon became known for his great hitting in the playoffs. In the 2011 playoffs, he hit a game-winning home run against the New York Yankees. He also hit two home runs in a single playoff game against the Texas Rangers.
His amazing playoff hitting continued in 2012. In the 2012 American League Championship Series, Delmon was named the series' Most Valuable Player (MVP). He batted .353 with two home runs. He also hit his first World Series home run in Game 4 of the 2012 World Series.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Back to Tampa
In 2013, Delmon signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He started the season on the disabled list because of ankle surgery. He made his Phillies debut on May 1, hitting a solo home run in his first at-bat.
Later in August 2013, Delmon signed a minor league deal to return to the Tampa Bay Rays. He was added to the major league team in September. He continued his strong playoff hitting, hitting a solo home run in the Rays' win in the 2013 American League Wild Card Game.
Joining the Baltimore Orioles
Delmon signed with the Baltimore Orioles in January 2014. He earned a spot on their Opening Day roster. He hit his first home run for the Orioles on April 8, 2014. He finished the 2014 season batting .302 with seven home runs. He was especially good as a pinch hitter, getting hits half the time he came off the bench.
On October 3, 2014, in Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series, Delmon came in as a pinch hitter. With the bases loaded, he hit a double that cleared the bases, giving the Orioles a 7–6 lead. The Orioles won that game and the series.
Delmon re-signed with the Orioles for 2015. He played in 52 games before being released in July 2015.
Playing Around the World
After his time in Major League Baseball, Delmon Young continued to play baseball in other leagues.
Australian Baseball League
In October 2017, Delmon signed to play for the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League. He returned to play for the Aces again in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.
Mexican League
In 2018, Delmon also played in the Mexican League. He played for the Acereros de Monclova and later for the Pericos de Puebla.
Venezuelan Winter League
During the 2018-2019 season, Delmon played for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He had an amazing season there. He became the first player from his team to win the league's MVP award. He hit 19 home runs and had 52 RBI in 61 games. No other player in the league hit more than 10 home runs that season!
