Texas Rangers sign Michael Young to contract extension
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels announced today the club has signed SS Michael Young to a seven-year contract superceding the contract signed between Young and the organization prior to the 2004 season. Young is now signed through the 2013 season. Per team policy terms of the contract were not announced.
"Michael represents exactly what the Texas Rangers stand for, both on and off the field," said Daniels. "His performance speaks for itself, but his leadership and character are just as valuable to our club. We're excited he's committed to leading our team and bringing a championship to the Metroplex."
Young, who made the AL All-Star team each of the last three seasons, had been signed through 2007 with a club option for 2008. He batted .314 with 14 home runs, 103 RBI and a club-record 52 doubles in 2006. He earned MVP honors at the All-Star game in Pittsburgh, going 1-2 with a 2-run triple in the ninth that gave the AL the lead.
His 217 hits gave him his fourth consecutive season with 200 or more. He is the fourth player since 1940 with 200-or-more hits in four consecutive seasons. Young, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter are the only active players with at least three consecutive 200-hit seasons. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the second middle infielder with at least 200 hits in at least four consecutive seasons. Detroit's Charlie Gehringer did it in five consecutive seasons from 1933-37.
Young has spent all or part of the last seven seasons with the Rangers since coming over in a trade from Toronto. The Rangers sent RHP Esteban Loaiza to the Blue Jays in exchange for Young and RHP Darwin Cubillan on July 19, 2000. Young is batting .300 with 94 homers and 476 RBI in 905 career major league games.
He won the AL batting title in 2005 when he hit .331 with 24 homers and 91 RBI in 159 games for the Rangers. He finished 10 points higher than New York's Alex Rodriguez, who finished second. He recorded a club-record 221 hits in 2005, leading the major leagues. His 25-game hit streak from Sept. 2-29, 2005, was the second longest in team history.
Young made his major league debut with the Rangers in 2000 when he was called up for the final five games of the season. He appeared in two games for Texas at was 0-for-2 at the plate. His first full season with Texas was 2002 when he batted .262 with nine homers and 62 RBI in 156 games. He was originally selected by Toronto in the fifth round of the 1997 draft out of UC Santa Barbara, where he was a teammate of San Francisco LHP Barry Zito.
Young and his wife, Cristina Barbosa, have one son, Mateo. Young has been an ambassador for Wipe Out Kids' Cancer since 2002 and was honored at the 2006 Spirit of "Little Mo" Awards dinner for his contributions to the organization. He was the recipient of the Harold McKinney Good Guy Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth BBWAA in 2003
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Texas Rangers sign Michael Young to contract extension
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