John Young (first baseman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Young |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 9, 1949 Los Angeles, California |
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| Died: May 8, 2016 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1971, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 1971, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .500 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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John Thomas Young (born February 9, 1949 – died May 8, 2016) was an American professional baseball player. He also worked as a scout and in the front office for baseball teams. Young played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers in 1971. He is best known for starting Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI). This youth baseball program helps more African Americans play baseball.
Baseball Career
John Young was first chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1967 MLB draft. But he decided to go to Chapman College instead. There, he played baseball for his school.
Two years later, in 1969, the Detroit Tigers picked him in the first round of the MLB draft. This time, he signed with them. Young played two games for the Tigers in 1971 as a first baseman. He got two hits in four tries, including a double, and had one run batted in. After the 1974 season, the Tigers traded Young to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Young later came back to the Tigers in 1978. He worked as a coach for their minor league teams. In 1979, he became a scout for the Tigers. A scout finds new players for a team. By 1981, he was the Tigers' director of scouting. He also scouted for other teams, like the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Miami Marlins.
Starting Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities
While working as a scout, John Young noticed something important. In the 1986 MLB draft, very few African Americans were chosen to play. He wanted to change this.
Young shared his ideas with Roland Hemond, who was a general manager for the Orioles. He also talked to MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. Ueberroth then contacted Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bradley agreed to help fund a youth baseball program in Los Angeles with $50,000. Young also got money from the Amateur Athletic Union.
In 1989, John Young started the program called Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI). He organized 12 teams with 180 players who were 13 and 14 years old. Famous African American players like Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis, who were from Southern California, helped him. In 1991, Major League Baseball took over the RBI program. It has grown a lot since then, helping many young people play baseball.
Personal Life
John Young was born in Los Angeles, California. He went to Mount Carmel High School. He was married to Sheryl, and they had three children: Dorian, Jon, and Tori. John Young passed away in a hospital in Los Angeles on May 8, 2016.
