Dmitri Dell Young...has 3 children: Owen (6/21/97), Damon (7/7/99) and Layla (2/15/02)...is a 1991 graduate of Rio
Mesa (CA) High...was named to USA Today High School All-American team as a senior...hit .425 with 8 doubles, 11
home runs, 31 RBI and 37 runs to earn the citation...began playing at the high school level at the age of 12.
2008
Appeared in 50 games with Nationals, but missed 99 contests due to myriad of health issues...played in two games
at start of season, before going on Disabled List and missing 39 games with lower back sprain from April 3-May 16...
missed 48 games due to Diabetes from July 19-September 8 and 12 games due to left hip strain from September 15
to end of season...compiled .394 on-base percentage with 42 hits, 28 walks and one hit-by-pitch in 180 plate appearances...
went 4-for-21 with a home run and one RBI in 6 games as designated hitter.
2007
One of MLB's true feel-good stories of 2007...Washington's clubhouse leader hit a career-best .320 (147-for-460) with
38 doubles, 13 home runs and 74 RBI in 136 games despite not entering Spring Training with the Nationals...for effort,
was named NL Comeback Player of the Year by both MLB and The Sporting News following the season...NL All-Star
was invited to participate in Mid-Summer Classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco...All-Star invite was 2nd of career
(represented AL in 2003 ASG)...finished 1-for-1 with a run scored...laced pinch-hit single off SEA's J.J. Putz to trigger
NL's 9th-inning rally, which ended up one-run short...finished season ranked 10th in NL in batting...also ranked among
NL leaders in home batting (4th at .366), night batting (.322) and batting against opposing right-handed pitchers (5th
at .327)...led Washington in batting, batting with RISP (.304), on-base (career-best .378) and slugging percentage
(.491)...also tied Austin Kearns for 2nd among Nationals with 74 RBI...on July 28, signed 2-year contract extension
to remain with the Nationals through the 2009 season...batted at least .300 against both opposing left- (.301) and
right-handed (.327) pitchers...11 of 13 home runs came at the expense of opposing right-handed pitchers...38 doubles
were most since legging out career-high 48 for CIN in 1998...posted highest single-season batting average in 13-year
history of RFK Stadium at .366 (among those with at least 150 at-bats)...dating to May 17, .349 (122-for-350) batting
average ranked 3rd in the NL...posted a pair of 10-game hitting streaks (June 16-26 and July 4-18)...went 3-for-5
(.600) with 12 RBI, 2 walks and 2 sac flies in 9 plate appearances with the bases loaded...27 hits in interleague play
tied FLA's Hanley Ramirez for first among NL players...went 11-for-31 (.355) with 3 doubles, a home run and 4 RBI
in 7 games as Manny Acta's DH...batted .417 (40-for-96) with 5 home runs and 21 RBI when putting the first pitch
in play...in 106 games batting cleanup, Washington went 48-58...hit .403 (79-for-196) in 55 games from May 17-July
21...played surprisingly good defense at first base...made 9 errors, none of which came after July 5...played final 52
defensive games of the season without making an error...gift wrapped Manny Acta's first career managerial win, a 7-6
victory on April 4, via game-winning opposite-field RBI single with one out in bottom of the 9th...strung together backto-
back 4-for-4 efforts, May 31 vs. LAD and June 1 vs. SDP, to match Andre Dawson's club record (June 4-7, 1983) for
most consecutive plate appearances with a hit...the 8-hits-in-as-many-at-bats surge also set a Washington Nationals
record for hits in consecutive at-bats...that mark (7) had been held by Brad Wilkerson, set April 5-6, 2005 at PHI...
blasted 6th career grand slam in a 6-0 win vs. CHI on July 4...became the first DC-based big leaguer to hit a grand
slam in a July 4th home game...Senators 3B Harlond Clift hit a slam of his own in 1945, but it occurred at Comisky
Park...on April 16 vs. ATL, donning No. 42 as part of MLB's celebration of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson
breaking the color barrier, went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI in a 5-1 victory...missed 13 of season's final 15 games
with whiplash, sustained on Sept. 15 vs. ATL when hit in the head by a Mark Teixeira bad-hop grounder.
2005
Young homered three times on Opening Day, becoming the third Major League to do so and
the first since Tuffy Rhodes in 1994. He hit his fourth career grand slam August 27 at Boston, then
hit another one two days later at Cleveland.
2004
Limited to 104 games with the Tigers due to a broken leg suffered in the second game of the season...Appeared on the Opening Day roster for the eighth time in his major league career...in the Tigers Opening Day lineup for the third consecutive season...Suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula running between first and second base in the first inning on
April 6 at Toronto -- landed on the disabled list on April 7...Appeared in two games during a rehab assignment with Triple A Toledo May 29-30...became just the fifth Mud Hens player to hit for the cycle since 1965, going 4x5 with
five RBI on May 29 at Rochester...Recalled from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the disabled list on May 31...Hit in the head with a pitch against New York on June 18 at Shea Stadium...scratched from the lineup on June 19 at New York due to lingering dizziness before appearing as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning... Belted a walk-off home run June 29 versus Cleveland...Drilled his third career grand slam on July 1 versus Cleveland...Collected a season-high four hits on July 3 at Colorado... Ripped three doubles at Yankee Stadium against New York on July 6, establishing a career high...Posted a 10-game hitting streak June 26-July 6, batting .417 (15x36) with nine doubles, a home run and 13 RBI...Scratched from the lineup on July 9 at Minnesota with a sore right ankle...returned to the lineup the next night at Minnesota...Walked a career-high three times July 27 at Cleveland...Tied for third in the American League with 23 runs scored in July...Scratched from the lineup on August 14 at Anaheim with a bruised right shin...returned to the lineup the next afternoon at Anaheim... Doubled in the seventh inning off Matt Kinney on
August 30 at Kansas City for the 1,000th hit of his career...Matched a career high with five RBI on September 14 at Cleveland...Belted two home runs at Chicago September 18, matching a career best -- first time homering from both sides of the plate in a single game...Ripped a two-run home run on September 20 versus Cleveland to record the 500th RBI of his career...Tied for sixth in the league with seven home runs in
September...Tied for the lead among all players with six home runs against the Chicago White Sox, while tying for second with five home runs against the Cleveland Indians...Batted .363 (29x80) when putting the first pitch in play.
2003
Topped the Tigers in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.297), games played, at-bats,
runs scored (
78), hits, total bases, doubles (
34), triples, home runs, RBI (
85), on-base percentage and slugging
percentage.
Fourth in the American League with 16 intentional walks and tied for 10th with seven triples...tied for fourth in the
league with 130 strikeouts.
Fanned once every 4.9 plate appearances, third-most in the league...35.4 percent of his swings were put into
play, second-fewest in the AL...swung and missed 26.5 percent of the time, third-most in the league.
Batted .450 (
36x80) when putting the first pitch in play, sixth-best in the league...swung at the first pitch 39.9
percent of the time, fourth-highest in the AL.
Tied for sixth in the league with 27 go-ahead RBI...tied for fifth in the league with 19 home runs on the road and
tied for ninth with nine home runs versus lefthanders.
Second all-time among Tigers switch-hitters with 70 extra-base hits during a
single season, trailing 71 by Tony
Clark in 1998...his 29 home runs were seventh-most by a
Tigers switch-hitter during a
single season.
Struggled in the early stages of the 2003 season, managing one hit in his first 22 at-bats (.045)...in 23 games
during March and April, he hit .173 (
14x81) with three home runs and seven RBI -- led the team in home runs
during this stretch.
Scratched from the lineup April 17 at Minnesota with a
sore right groin...pinch-hit the following day at Kansas City
and he returned to the lineup against the Royals on April 19.
Hyperextended his left elbow during batting practice on May 3
and was scratched from the lineup against Tampa
Bay...pinch-hit during the game and returned to the lineup the following day versus the Devil Rays.
Turned in the game of his career May 6
at Baltimore, establishing a
career high with five hits and two triples and
matching his career best with two home runs and five RBI...became just the fourth player in major league
history to collect two triples and two home runs in the same game, the first since San Francisco's Willie Mays on
May 13, 1958 -- New York's Lou Gehrig (
1928) and Cleveland's Lew Fonseca (
1929) are the only other two
players to accomplish the feat...finished with 15 total bases during the game, one shy of the club record of 16 set
by Ty Cobb on May 5, 1925 at St. Louis.
Scratched from the lineup on May 22 at Cleveland with a
sore left ankle sustained the previous night during a
collision with C.C. Sabathia...pinch-hit during the game and returned to the lineup the following night at Chicago.
Posted a
12-game hitting streak May 26-June 8, batting .354 (
17x48) with six home runs and 15 RBI.
Earned AL Player of the Week honors for May 26-June 1, hitting .458 (
11x24) with three home runs and seven
RBI in six games...tied for the league lead with 11 hits during the week and was among the league's best in
batting average, home runs, RBI, total bases (
23), on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.958).
Named the Tigers Player of the Month for May after batting .355 (
38x107) with 14 runs scored, six doubles, three
63
triples, six home runs and 25 RBI in 27 games...led the club in nearly every offensive category during the month
and finished among the league leaders in the following categories: fourth in slugging percentage (.636), fifth in
RBI, tied for fifth in hits (
38), eighth in on-base percentage (.417), ninth in batting average and tied for 10th in
home runs.
Scratched from the lineup on June 11 versus Los Angeles with a
sinus infection -- pinch-hit the following day
against the Dodgers before returning to the lineup on June 13 against Colorado.
Hit safely in 13-of-14 games June 19-July 2, batting .373 (
19x51) with nine runs scored, seven doubles, two home
runs and four RBI.
Earned Tigers Player of the Month honors for June, hitting .330 (
31x94) with 16 runs scored, nine doubles, two
triples, six home runs and 13 RBI in 26 games...topped the club in runs scored, hits (
31), doubles and home runs
during the month and he was second in RBI...tied for seventh in the AL in doubles during June, while he was 11th
with a
.660 slugging percentage and 14th with a
.418 on-base percentage.
Ejected in the ninth inning on July 4
at Kansas City by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing a
called
third strike.
Departed the game July 20 at Chicago in the sixth inning with a
mild ankle sprain...returned to the lineup the
following day at Boston.
Belted the 100th home run of his major league career July 22 at Boston, a
solo shot off Derek Lowe.
Out of the lineup July 31 at Seattle and August 1-3
at Minnesota, except for a
pinch-hitting appearance August 2,
due a
sore achilles tendon...returned to the lineup versus Oakland on August 5, serving primarily as the club's
designated hitter for the remainder of the season...held out of the lineup August 12-13 at Texas with a
sore left
achilles tendon.
For the third straight month he was selected as the Tigers Player of the Month for July...topped the club with seven
home runs and 14 RBI during the month, hitting .261 (
24x92) with 16 runs scored in 25 games...tied for 10th in
the league in home runs during July.
Over a
seven-game stretch August 6-13, he collected two hits in 25 at-bats (.080).
Followed up the seven-game slump with a
season-best 16-game hitting streak August 14-30...hit .426 (
26x61)
during the 16-game hitting streak, finishing with 12 runs, three doubles, a triple, five home runs and 11 RBI.
Equaled a
career high with two home runs at Anaheim on August 16.
Garnered Tigers Player of the Month honors for August, the fourth straight month he won the award...in 26 games
during the month, he hit .337 (
31x92) with 14 runs scored, five doubles, a
triple, five home runs and 12 RBI...
finished seventh in the AL during the month in on-base percentage (.415), 10th in batting average and 13th in
slugging percentage (.576).
Ripped a
line dive to left field for the 200th double of his major league career September 12 versus Kansas City.
Concluded the season with a
10-game hitting streak September 19-28, batting .500 (
19x38) with seven runs
scored, four doubles, a
home run and nine RBI.
Fell a
triple shy of hitting for the cycle September 26 versus Minnesota, finishing with four hits, including a
double and home run...the 10th four-hit game of his major league career and the first since June 29, 2001 versus
the Chicago Cubs with Cincinnati.
Batted .302 (
29x96) with 11 runs scored, eight doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI in 26 games during
September...led the club with 29 hits and eight doubles during the month, while his 14 RBI were second-most.
Hit .299 (
111x371) with 20 home runs against righties...batted .293 (
56x191) with nine home runs when facing
lefthanders.
Fared better on the road, batting .302 (
83x275) with 19 home runs...hit .293 (
84x287) with 10 home runs at
Comerica Park.
In 65 games following the all-star break, he batted .316 (
75x237) with 11 home runs...hit .283 (
92x325) with 18
home runs in 90 games before the all-star break.
Fared better on the road, batting .297 (
68x229) with 12 home runs and 45 RBI...hit .231 (
52x225) with nine
home runs and 39 RBI at Fifth Third Field.
Collected three consecutive two-hit games April 6-8, finishing with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI.
Tied for fourth in the league during both April and May with five home runs each month.
Finished 3x5 with a
home run and a
season-high five RBI on June 1
versus Durham...finished the season with 20
multi-RBI games, including four-RBI efforts on April 26 and July 29 at Louisville and August 9
at Columbus.
Hit safely in 13-of-14 games May 28-June 9, batting .321 (
17x53) with two doubles, two home runs and 11
RBI before having his contract purchased by Detroit on June 10.
Started as the designated hitter on June 11 versus Los Angeles, marking his first start at the major league level
since September 30, 1999 versus San Diego while with Arizona.
Singled on June 15 versus Colorado for his first major league hit since September 30, 1999 versus San Diego
while with Arizona.
Designated for assignment by the Tigers on June 18...outrighted to Toledo on June 20.
Hit safely in 10-of-12 games June 20-July 2, batting .417 (
15x36) with two home runs and nine RBI.
2002
- Hampered by a hernia in his first season with the Tigers, limiting him to .284 batting average in just 54 games and halting a streak of four straight seasons with a .300 batting average-or-higher.
- Collected three hits at Minnesota on April 13, establishing a season high -- matched the high for the season three more times on May 18 versus Texas, May 20 versus Cleveland and July 2 at Comiskey Park against the White Sox.
- Scratched from the lineup prior to the game on April 19 at Chicago with a left hip flexor strain...missed six games April 19-24 before further examination revealed a small hernia in his groin -- placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Tigers retroactive to April 23 on April 26.
- Returned to action on May 14 against Anaheim, belting a solo home run.
- Hit safely in 18 straight games May 17-June 5, matching a career-long hitting streak and tying him for the fifth-longest streak in the American League during the 2002 season...batted .380 (27x71) with eight doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI over the course of the streak.
- Scratched from the lineup on May 27 at Cleveland after aggravating his hernia taking ground balls during batting practice...returned to the lineup the following day.
- Named the Tigers Player of the Month for May, hitting .375 (21x56) with a team-leading four home runs and 14 RBI despite playing in just 15 games.
- Slumped during June, batting just .195 (15x77) in 21 games...plagued by a 0x15 skid June 6-10 and a 0x16 slump June 26-30.
- Departed the game June 14 at Arizona in the fifth inning after aggravating his hernia...scratched from the lineup the following day, he was out action for the club's next seven games with the exception of a pinch-hitting appearance June 23 at Florida...returned the to the lineup as the designated hitter June 25 at Kansas City.
- Belted two home runs July 2 at Comiskey Park against the White Sox, matching a career high...the two home runs were his first long balls since May 21 versus Cleveland, a stretch of 30 games.
- Aggravated his hernia on July 5 at Boston, forcing him to leave the game in the third inning...placed on the 15- day disabled list retroactive to July 6 on July 11.
- Underwent surgery to repair his hernia at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on July 17, a procedure performed by Dr. Gary Talpos...expected to miss four-to-six weeks of action following the surgery, he was unable to play for the remainder of the season.
- Transferred to the 60-day disabled list on September 24.
- Batted .340 (17x50) with runners in scoring position, including .409 (9x22) when hitting with runners in scoring position and two outs.
- Fared better on the road, hitting .316 (25x79)...batted .262 (32x122) with five home runs at Comerica Park.