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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.
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.
