Floyd Youmans facts for kids

Floyd Everett Youmans (born May 11, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of five seasons, from 1985 to 1989. He was part of a big trade where the New York Mets sent him to the Montreal Expos for Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.

Baseball Career Highlights

Starting with the New York Mets

Floyd Youmans was born in Tampa, Florida. He was a childhood friend and high school teammate of another famous Mets pitcher, Dwight Gooden. They went to Hillsborough High School together.

The Mets drafted Youmans in 1982. This was just one round after they picked Gooden. They even played on the same team, the Kingsport Mets, in 1982.

In 1983, Youmans played for the South Atlantic League's Columbia Mets. He had a great record of 12 wins and 3 losses. After playing for two other minor league teams in 1984, he was traded. On December 10, he went to the Montreal Expos. This trade also included Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, and Herm Winningham. In return, the Mets received the future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.

Playing for the Montreal Expos

Youmans made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on July 1, 1985. He started a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. For that season, Youmans had a 4-3 record. He also had the best earned run average (ERA) on his team, at 2.45. One of his wins was against his old friend, Dwight Gooden, and the New York Mets.

On June 18, 1986, Youmans pitched against Gooden for the first time. Youmans won that game, allowing only one earned run. He even got a walk against Gooden. They faced each other again on August 1, and this time Gooden won. In his first full season as a starting pitcher, Youmans had five games where he struck out ten or more batters. He finished third in the National League with 202 strikeouts. He also led the league in walks, which sometimes made it harder for him to be effective. He ended the season with 13 wins and 12 losses.

Youmans faced some challenges in 1987. He was on the disabled list three times due to injuries. Despite this, he still started 23 games for the Expos. In July, he had an amazing month. He went 4-1 with a very low 1.13 ERA and pitched three shutouts. This earned him the National League Pitcher of the Month award.

Facing Personal Challenges

After the 1987 season, Youmans took time away from baseball to address some personal health challenges. His 1988 season was cut short on June 25. He was suspended for not following the team's rules about a health program. On August 10, his suspension was shortened to sixty days.

Time with the Philadelphia Phillies

On December 6, 1988, Youmans was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He went there with Jeff Parrett in exchange for Kevin Gross. His 1989 season was also affected by injuries. He was on the disabled list for most of May. He pitched his last game on June 24. He finished the season with 1 win and 5 losses, and a 5.70 ERA. He had shoulder surgery on August 22. After that, he never pitched in Major League Baseball again.

Later Baseball Activities

After his MLB career, Youmans continued to be involved in baseball. In 1995, he pitched for independent teams like the Sullivan Mountain Lions and Newburgh Night Hawks. The next year, he became a coach for the Catskill Cougars. He even became the interim manager for the team in 1997.

He tried to make a comeback as a player in 2003. At 39 years old, he played five games for the Canadian Baseball League's Saskatoon Legends. However, the league soon stopped operating. In 2008 and 2009, Youmans worked as the pitching coach for the Joliet Jackhammers. This team was part of the Northern League.