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| Photo courtesy of Goldpanners.com |
After completing his MVP season with the Goldpanners in 1996, Michael Young went pro. By 2000, he'd reached the major leagues; since 2001 he has been a permanent fixture with the Texas Rangers, and despite being shuffled around the field and seeing highly-touted stars come and go, he's been the constant in a sea of change.
Through it all, Young has put together a pretty impressive resume. Six consecutive all-star appearances. Career .302 batting average. A Gold Glove. Consideration, lukewarm as it may have been, for MVP on several occasions. An MLB-best .331 average in 2005. But there's been one thing missing:
A playoff appearance.
That will all change tomorrow, when the Texas Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The first pitch is slated for 1:35pm eastern.
During spring training, team President Nolan Ryan -- whose son played for the Anchorage Bucs -- predicted that the Rangers would win 92 games en route to the post season. They fell just short of that, with 90 W's on the standings board, but with second-place Oakland struggling to break even (81-81) on the year, those two wins didn't make a whole lot of difference. Now, with over 1500 playoff-less games to his credit (good, or should I say bad, enough for second among active players) Young will finally get his shot.
Of course, Young may not have made the appearance without the help of another former ABLer: CJ Wilson, formerly of the Anchorage Bucs. Wilson racked up 15 wins with a 3.35 ERA, and held opposing batters to a lean .217 average against in his first full season in the starting rotation. On the other side of the field, the Rays may opt to go with the on-again off-again major league relief pitcher and former Oiler Mike Ekstrom.
This series will definitely be of interest to those who keep track of former Alaska League players. We'll keep tracking down all the stories of the former ABLers in the hunt for a World Series ring as we warm up to post-season play this week.
Through it all, Young has put together a pretty impressive resume. Six consecutive all-star appearances. Career .302 batting average. A Gold Glove. Consideration, lukewarm as it may have been, for MVP on several occasions. An MLB-best .331 average in 2005. But there's been one thing missing:
A playoff appearance.
That will all change tomorrow, when the Texas Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The first pitch is slated for 1:35pm eastern.
During spring training, team President Nolan Ryan -- whose son played for the Anchorage Bucs -- predicted that the Rangers would win 92 games en route to the post season. They fell just short of that, with 90 W's on the standings board, but with second-place Oakland struggling to break even (81-81) on the year, those two wins didn't make a whole lot of difference. Now, with over 1500 playoff-less games to his credit (good, or should I say bad, enough for second among active players) Young will finally get his shot.
Of course, Young may not have made the appearance without the help of another former ABLer: CJ Wilson, formerly of the Anchorage Bucs. Wilson racked up 15 wins with a 3.35 ERA, and held opposing batters to a lean .217 average against in his first full season in the starting rotation. On the other side of the field, the Rays may opt to go with the on-again off-again major league relief pitcher and former Oiler Mike Ekstrom.
This series will definitely be of interest to those who keep track of former Alaska League players. We'll keep tracking down all the stories of the former ABLers in the hunt for a World Series ring as we warm up to post-season play this week.
Did they use metal bats when michael young played in alaska?
ReplyDeletePretty sure they've never used metal bats (is this a sarcastic comment?)
ReplyDeleteI believe the ABL used aluminum bats prior to 1999.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, William. I didn't know this but I asked, and apparently aluminum bats were allowed (but not mandatory) until 1998.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense because the hitting numbers were really good before they transitioned to wood.
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it...
ReplyDeleteThat does look an awful lot like an aluminum bat in the photo, huh?
I was still living in southeast back then, so I wouldn't know from first-hand experience. That's been half the fun of this blog, I learn a lot as I go.