Young solidifies spot in Rangers' rotation

Last summer, Geoff Petrie '70, the Sacramento Kings' president of basketball operations, offered fellow Princeton alumnus Chris Young '02 a guaranteed two-year contract and the chance to become an NBA center.

Petrie had every reason to pursue Young — in just two seasons at Princeton, Young proved he could score points from in the paint or beyond the arc, while becoming the Tigers' second leading all-time shot-blocker. But for all his hoops skills, the six-foot, 11-inch Young, a former Ivy League Rookie of the Year, decided against a return to the hardwood. He waited a couple months before politely telling Petrie, "No, thanks."

Lest anyone begin to question the worth of a Princeton education, it must be said that the 25-year-old Young's existing career plans weren't too shabby either.

Soon after receiving the Kings' offer, Young was a starting pitcher in the major leagues, holding down a spot in the Texas Rangers' rotation as the team made a push for the playoffs. He put off choosing between his two sports until the baseball season had finished, after he had compiled a 3-2 record with a 4.71 earned run average.

During the off-season, Young signed a three-year, $1.5 million contract with Texas that included an option for a fourth year. Rangers general manager John Hart's generosity was inspired not only by a desire to make sure he did not lose his top pitching prospect to basketball, but also by Young's impressive rookie campaign.

Last Aug. 24, Young earned an 8-6 victory at Fenway Park over the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox, holding them to one run over five and two-thirds innings and ending their 10-game winning streak.

"To get my first major league win in Boston, in the pennant race, against the hottest team in baseball at the time was a great memory for me," Young said. "I also beat [the division rival] Anaheim [Angels] twice last year. The confidence the organization had in me to pitch in a pennant race as a rookie was impressive."

Young, of course, is a pretty impressive athlete. As a freshman at Princeton, Young became the first male athlete in Ivy League history to win a Rookie of the Year award in two sports after averaging 12.9 points per game for the basketball team and leading the league with a 2.38 earned run average on the baseball diamond.

During his sophomore year, he became the sixth Princeton basketball player to ever be named to the All-Ivy League first team as a sophomore before going 5-0 for the baseball team. Young then decided to forego his final two years at Princeton. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 MLB Draft.

Young was traded to Montreal in 2002 for relief pitcher Matt Herges before the Expos moved him to Texas in April of last year in exchange for catcher Einar Diaz. Since joining the Rangers, Young, a Dallas native, has looked right at home.

His relaxed attitude may have played a role in the decision Rangers manager Buck Showalter made this spring to promote Young to the role of third starter.

"I didn't try to do too much [during spring training]," Young said. "I just wanted to go out and pitch to my capabilities. They told me [I would be the third starter] on the last day of Spring Training."

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In his first start of the season this past Thursday, Young struggled somewhat, allowing three earned runs in just four innings and getting a "no decision" in a 7-6 loss to the Angels.

Early-season jitters can be easily excused, though, for a player still improving, as he grows accustomed to major league hitting.

"In terms of style," Young said, "I'm very similar to the pitcher I was while at Princeton. I'm throwing harder now, though. I have a better breaking ball, a better change-up and better fastball command — the small things, stuff I didn't need to have in college to be successful."

While Ivy League competition may not have been quite up to major league standards, Young's experience at Princeton, especially his relationship with baseball head coach Scott Bradley, a longtime major league catcher, prepared him in many ways for the big time.

"Coach Bradley manages very similar to a major league manager," Young said. "He doesn't small ball. He lets his players go out and play. Also, he lets catchers call the game, which is nice. You see a lot of catchers looking into the dugout before every pitch to see what they should call."

A similarly supportive environment seems to have followed Young to Texas, where veterans like pitcher Kenny Rogers and catcher Sandy Alomar have helped him make the transition to the MLB while working with him on his game.

"Those two guys," said Young, referring to Rogers and Alomar, "have over 33 years of big league experience. It's awesome being around them. They help me with the little intricacies of the game and are constantly encouraging me."

Young also challenges himself by setting goals and tinkering with his game in an effort to improve.

"I'm constantly trying to refine my off-speed pitches," Young said. "[This season], I want to establish myself as a major league pitcher and show that I can be depended on to throw 200-plus innings and get the ball every fifth day."

For Young, the next "fifth day" is tomorrow, when he is scheduled to make yet another start against the Angels. Having made his commitment to the game of baseball, Young can be expected to approach the game confident in his talents and comfortable with the environment in which he has chosen to employ them.