Dmitri Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dmitri Young |
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Young with the Washington Nationals
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| Northern Colorado Owlz | |||
| First baseman / Left fielder / Designated hitter | |||
| Born: October 11, 1973 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 29, 1996, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 11, 2008, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .292 | ||
| Home runs | 171 | ||
| Runs batted in | 683 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dmitri Dell Young (born October 11, 1973) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Young was a left fielder, first baseman, and designated hitter. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals between 1996 and 2008. He was chosen for the All-Star Game twice. He also won the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. His younger brother, Delmon Young, also played in MLB.
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High School Baseball Star
Dmitri Young went to Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, California. He was an amazing baseball player in high school. He always hit above a .400 batting average. In his final year, he was named a USA Today High School All-American.
Young had planned to play college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The St. Louis Cardinals picked Young in the first round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. He was the fourth player chosen overall. In 1995, Young was suspended from the Texas League for an incident.
In 1996, he had a great year playing for Triple-A Louisville. He batted .333 and was named a Triple-A All-Star first baseman. The St. Louis Cardinals also named him their Minor League Player of the Year. He joined the Cardinals for a few games in the major leagues at the end of that season.
Major League Career Highlights
Playing for the Cardinals and Reds: 1996–2001
Young's first full season in Major League Baseball was in 1997 with the Cardinals. He hit for a .258 batting average. After that season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He was briefly picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in an expansion draft. However, he was quickly traded back to the Reds.
While playing for the Reds, Young hit over .300 each year. In 1998, he was second in the league for doubles. In 2001, he hit 21 home runs. During these years, he mainly played in the outfield and at first base.
Time with the Detroit Tigers: 2002–2006
After the 2001 season, the Reds traded Young to the Detroit Tigers. In 2003, he hit .297 with 29 home runs. He also had 7 triples, which was 10th best in the league. He was the only Tigers player chosen for the 2003 MLB All-Star Game.
On May 6, 2003, Young had an amazing game against the Baltimore Orioles. He got 5 hits in 5 tries, including two home runs, two triples, and a single. He was just one double short of hitting for the cycle.
On April 4, 2005, Young made history on Opening Day. He hit three home runs in Detroit's 11–2 win over the Kansas City Royals. He was one of only a few players to hit three home runs in one game at Comerica Park. Tigers fans called him "Da Meat Hook" and "The Big D."
Young also made a fun appearance at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s Survivor Series 2005. He was in an interview with Edge and Lita.
Challenges and Changes in 2006
In 2006, Dmitri Young faced some personal challenges. He was released by the Detroit Tigers on September 6, 2006. This decision surprised many of his teammates and fans.
Later that year, Young was taken to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with diabetes. Since then, Young has worked hard to manage his diabetes. He encourages others to do the same. He has shared his story on a show called dLife.
Playing for the Washington Nationals: 2006–2008
In late 2006, the Washington Nationals needed a new first baseman. Their player, Nick Johnson, broke his leg. The Nationals invited several first basemen to try out, including Young. Young earned the starting role.
In his first game with the Nationals, he hit two doubles. He had a fantastic first half of the season, batting .340 by the All-Star break. He was chosen for his second All-Star game, being the only Nationals player selected. He got a single in his only turn at bat and scored a run.
In June 2007, Young received his 2006 American League Championship ring from the Detroit Tigers. This happened when the Tigers played the Nationals.
On July 4, Young hit a grand slam against the Chicago Cubs. This was his sixth grand slam of his career. He finished the year batting .320, which was his highest career batting average. He was ninth in the National League. Young signed a two-year contract extension with the Nationals. At the end of the season, he won the Player's Choice National League Comeback Player of the Year award.
In 2008, Nick Johnson returned as the Nationals' starting first baseman. However, Johnson later needed wrist surgery, and Young became the starting first baseman again. Young's season ended early in September due to his diabetes.
Retirement and Comeback Attempts
After playing in the minor leagues in 2009, Young announced his retirement on March 18, 2010. On the same day, he became the Vice President and Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations for the Oakland County Cruisers. He also worked as a special hitting and fielding instructor for the team. After the 2011 season, Young tried to make a comeback to baseball. However, he was not signed by any team.
Life After Baseball
Collecting Baseball Cards
Dmitri Young started collecting baseball cards in 2000. He and a teammate were offered money to appear at a card show. Young saw a Pete Rose rookie card and asked for it instead of the cash. In 2002, another teammate introduced him to a collector. Together, they built one of the best collections of rookie cards in the world. Young estimated he spent $5 million on his card collection.
From 2010 to 2011, Young co-hosted Card Corner Club Radio. This was a weekly show about sports cards and collectibles.
In 2012, Young decided to sell almost 500 of his mint condition rookie cards. He planned to use the money to open a baseball school and a nonprofit foundation. The cards were sold individually and brought in $2.4 million in total. His 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente card sold for $432,690. This set a record for a post-World War II card. Six different cards in his collection sold for over $100,000 each.
Health and Community Work
During his playing career, Young weighed up to 295 pounds. He was one of the heaviest players in MLB history. By July 2014, he had lost over 100 pounds from his highest weight.
Dmitri Young is now the President of The Dmitri D. Young Foundation, Inc. This is a non-profit group that offers baseball and life skills camps. These camps are for student athletes in Southern California, especially in Ventura County. He works with his old high school, Rio Mesa High School.
In August 2020, Young became the head baseball coach at Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California.
In February 2025, Young was named the manager of the Northern Colorado Owlz. This team is part of the independent Pioneer League.
Family Life
Dmitri's younger brother is Delmon Young. Delmon was the first overall draft pick in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. He was also a runner-up for the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year Award. Delmon started his major league career on August 29, 2006. This was exactly ten years after Dmitri's debut.
Young's sister, DeAnn, played college softball for the Oregon State Beavers. His nephew, Quentin Young, is a promising player for the 2025 MLB draft.
Dmitri and Delmon's father, Larry Young, was from Mississippi. He was one of the first African American United States Navy F-14 fighter pilots. He later worked as a pilot for Delta Air Lines.
