Gerald Young
Encyclopedia
Gerald Anthony Young (born October 22, 1964, in Tela
, Honduras
) was a Major League Baseball
outfielder. He was noted for his long strides and blazing speed, and although considered somewhat of a "hot dog" because of what appeared to be a lackadaisical style (including unnecessary basket catches), he was considered one of the best defensive center fielders of his time. He is the first person born in Honduras to play Major League Baseball.
Young was drafted in the 5th round of the 1982 MLB amateur draft
by the New York Mets
along with Rafael Palmeiro
and Dwight Gooden
as part of a draft class that set a major league record for a single team when 12 of those players reached the major leagues.
Young was traded to the Houston Astros
on September 1, 1984 from the Mets for P Ray Knight, and made his Major League Baseball
debut with them on July 8, 1987. He showed promise by hitting .321 and stealing 26 bases for the Astros, finishing 5th in National League
Rookie of the Year voting despite playing less than half a season with the major league club. Young's best season in the major leagues would come the following year, 1988, when he finished 2nd in the NL with 65 steals. 1989 was disappointment for Young offensively, although he did manage to finish 8th in the league in steals (34) and accomplish a rare defensive feat by recording 412 putouts with only one error and adding 15 outfield assists.
Young would spend the next three seasons splitting time between the Astros, their Triple A
affiliate the Tucson Toros
, and the disabled list (with an assortment of injuries). Although he was successful at the minor league level, always hitting over .300, his batting statistics for the Astros never replicated his earlier success.
At the end of the 1992 season, the Astros granted Young free agency
and he signed with, and became an inaugural member of the expansion Colorado Rockies
team that began play in Major League Baseball
in .
Young appeared in his final game on August 11, 1994, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was released that October by the Cardinals. In January 1995, Young was charged with cocaine possession when Houston Police Department
officers found a crack pipe with cocaine residue in the vehicle that he was driving. He would never play major league baseball again.
He currently participates in youth baseball camps throughout the country.
Tela
Tela is a town in Honduras on the northern Caribbean coast. It is located in the department of Atlantida.-History:Tela was founded by the Spanish conquistador Cristóbal de Olid on 3 May 1524 near an indigenous town named Tehuacán, ruled by a cacique named Cucumba which had a very good source of...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
) was a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder. He was noted for his long strides and blazing speed, and although considered somewhat of a "hot dog" because of what appeared to be a lackadaisical style (including unnecessary basket catches), he was considered one of the best defensive center fielders of his time. He is the first person born in Honduras to play Major League Baseball.
Young was drafted in the 5th round of the 1982 MLB amateur draft
1982 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1982 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Barry Bonds was drafted by the Giants in the 2nd round of the 1982 amateur draft, but did not sign...
by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
along with Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
and Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
as part of a draft class that set a major league record for a single team when 12 of those players reached the major leagues.
Young was traded to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on September 1, 1984 from the Mets for P Ray Knight, and made his Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with them on July 8, 1987. He showed promise by hitting .321 and stealing 26 bases for the Astros, finishing 5th in National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Year voting despite playing less than half a season with the major league club. Young's best season in the major leagues would come the following year, 1988, when he finished 2nd in the NL with 65 steals. 1989 was disappointment for Young offensively, although he did manage to finish 8th in the league in steals (34) and accomplish a rare defensive feat by recording 412 putouts with only one error and adding 15 outfield assists.
Young would spend the next three seasons splitting time between the Astros, their Triple A
AAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
affiliate the Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
, and the disabled list (with an assortment of injuries). Although he was successful at the minor league level, always hitting over .300, his batting statistics for the Astros never replicated his earlier success.
At the end of the 1992 season, the Astros granted Young free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and he signed with, and became an inaugural member of the expansion Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
team that began play in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in .
Young appeared in his final game on August 11, 1994, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was released that October by the Cardinals. In January 1995, Young was charged with cocaine possession when Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
officers found a crack pipe with cocaine residue in the vehicle that he was driving. He would never play major league baseball again.
He currently participates in youth baseball camps throughout the country.