Fox’s Ken Rosenthal breaks the news this morning that 37-year old infielder Michael Young is retiring. Young split last season between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season he hit .279/.335/.395 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs in 147 games.
Young spent the first 13 years of his 14-year major league career with the Texas Rangers. While a World Series Championship eluded Young, he was part of back-to-back AL Pennant winners with the Rangers. In terms of personal awards, Young won a batting title in 2005, led the American League in hits twice, and was a seven-time all-star. He also finished in the top-10 of MVP voting twice. He was a versatile infielder who played all four infield positions over the course of his career and won a Gold Glove as a shortstop in 2008.
Young’s name is all over the Rangers team record book, as he is the all-time leader in hits, runs, double, triples and total bases in Rangers history.
The Rangers will hold a press conference at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Friday to allow Young to formally announce his retirement. The team has also released the following statement.
“The Texas Rangers want to congratulate Michael Young on his outstanding major league career. For 13 seasons in a Rangers uniform, he was a standout performer on the field and the consummate role model in the community.
“Michael is a leader, and he demonstrated those skills every day of the season, year in and year out. We are proud to say that Michael Young is this franchise’s all-time leader in games, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, and total bases. He excelled at multiple positions and came through in the clutch.”
For his career, Young finishes with a .300/.346/.441 slash line, 2375 hits, 185 home runs, 1030 RBIs, 1137 runs scored, and 90 steals.
“(He’s) one of the greatest Rangers of all time,” said former teammate Mark Teixeira. “A guy who may not have gotten the hype that some players do in Major League Baseball, but inside the game with his colleagues, he was as well respected as anyone in the game.”
Young had several offers from MLB teams to play in 2014, including one to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers that he was reportedly considering strongly, but has instead chosen to walk away to spend more time with his family.
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Main Photo Credit: Keith Allison via Wiki Commons
