The Quiet Leader

The Texas Rangers have sat atop of their division each of the last 2 years. After years of complete obscurity sitting on the bottom of the American League West under the leadership of Alex Rodriguez, the Rangers have finally found success. With the rise of players like Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Ian Poulter, the Rangers have become a force to be reckoned with in the American League, especially after making it all the way to the World Series last season and winning the franchise's first pennant in team history. Yet, one player has seemingly been left out of the discussion as the undisputed team leader. Until now.

Michael Young. Perhaps the most devoted and loyal player in MLB history. He has stuck with the team through thick and thin. Through good and bad and he's suffered through much more bad than good. He's allowed the team to shuffle him throughout the field, from shortstop to second base to first base to designated hitter to third base. He stuck idly by when then owner Tom Hicks gave Alex Rodriguez, then the most lucrative contract in sports history, a 10 year $252 million contract (A-Rod has since increased that record contract with the Yankees), that would set the team back for years to come and hamper their financial stability. This past offseason, Young became fed up. He did not feel that the team was treating him fairly and wanted a better opportunity to play the field elsewhere. GM Jon Daniels accepted the request and told media that they would search for alternate opportunities for Young. Apparently, he was not a part of their future plans. Long story short, after a shaky and uncomfortable summer for both sides, Young remained with Texas and it's likely the greatest move they have ever made in franchise history.

Young was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 but later traded to the Rangers in 2000 for Esteban Loaiza. He began full time play in 2001, playing in just 106 games. He struggled in his sophomore season but did total 150 hits. His career took off the following year in 2003, batting .306 with 204 hits and 106 runs scored. Since that point, Young has become an absolute star in the Major Leagues. His accolades include 7 All-Star appearances, including All-Star MVP in 2006, a gold glove award in 2008 and a batting title in 2005. His career stats include 980 runs scored, 382 doubles, 896 RBIs, a career .303 batting average, a career .349 on-base percentage and 2,013 hits. Not too shabby right? Sure, Josh Hamilton is a great player, but would he have stuck with the team through all the troubles they encountered during the early 2000s? Would Adrian Beltre have even bothered signing if the team was putting up records like it did a decade ago? Ian Kinsler? He'd be gone once his rookie contract ran out. Yet, the Rangers are finally relevant again and still Young is rarely mentioned.

Now, you don't achieve those kind of stats, especially the 2,000+ hits without being somewhat what people would call an "above-average" player. Sure, Young has gotten some recognition for his accolades. But compare him to similar players like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter and he is eliminated from the discussion. A discussion that he absolutely deserves to be a part of, especially since Rodriguez has since been outed for his steroid use during his time in Texas and likely in Seattle as well. Young has escaped the stigma of playing during the dreaded steroid era but it has done little for his overall popularity throughout baseball. Well you know what? It's time this guy got his due. In a league where money has become the primary object and good old baseball has been thrown to the side, it's rare to find a player quite like Michael Young. Consider this. Young signed a 5 year $80 million extension during the 2009 offseason. Decent money right? Jason Bay signed with the Mets in 2010 to a 4 year $66 million contract with a $17 million option for 2014. His salary the past two years? $16 million a year. And I'm sure everyone's aware of the struggles he's gone through since his start with the Mets. Yet, Bay's struggles get more press than Young's year in and year out solid play. Is it fair? No. But that's just the way the game goes.

So while we've been scratching our heads over ludicrous contracts and overrated players, Michael Young has effectively slid under the gun. Well now it's time to give the greatest and most devoted player in Texas Rangers history the respect and admiration he deserves. At 34, he's got plenty of playing time left. So forget A-Rod, forget Jason Bay. Michael Young is the player we should all be rooting for. Sure, he once was a quiet leader. But no one said he couldn't lead with fanfare too.