Kip Young
Kip Young | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Georgetown, Ohio, U.S. | October 29, 1954|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
July 21, 1978, for the Detroit Tigers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 26, 1979, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 8–9 |
Earned run average | 3.86 |
Strikeouts | 71 |
Teams | |
|
Kip Lane Young (born October 29, 1954) is a former baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, Young played Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers in 1978 and 1979. As a rookie in 1978, he pitched complete-game victories in his first four starts and compiled a 2.81 earned run average (ERA) for the season.
Before his professional career began, Young played college baseball at Bowling Green State University where he won 37 games to set a Mid-American Conference record.
Early years
[edit]Young was born in Georgetown, Ohio, in 1954.[1] He attended Whiteoak High School in Mowrystown, Ohio, graduating in 1972. He then enrolled at Bowling Green State University and was named to the All-Mid-American Conference baseball team for three consecutive years. He twice won 11 games in a season, and his 37 career wins established a MAC record. He compiled a 1.02 ERA in 1974. His 232 strikeouts and 295 innings pitched are also Bowling Green records. He was inducted to the Bowling Green Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976.[2]
Professional baseball
[edit]1976 and 1977 seasons
[edit]Young was drafted by the Tigers in the 23rd round of the 1976 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft.[1] He spent the 1976 season with the Lakeland Tigers where he compiled a 4-2 record and 2.78 earned run average (ERA). He began the 1977 with the Double-A Montgomery Rebels where he compiled a 5-2 record and 3.20 ERA. He was promoted to the Triple-A Evansville Triplets in the middle of the 1977 season and went 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA.[3]
1978 season
[edit]Young began the 1978 season in Evansville. By July, he had an 11-3 record in 20 starts with 3.02 ERA.[3]
Young's strong showing at Evansville led to a call from the Tigers, and he made his major league debut in July 1978. In his first four starts, he pitched four complete games: a 4-1 victory over the Oakland As on July 24 in which he retired the last 12 batters he faced;[4] a four-hit, 9-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on July 29;[5] a 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on August 4;[6] and a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on August 9.[7]
After the fourth victory, the crowd of 30,515 demanded a curtain call from Young who obliged and noted, "I can't 100 per cent believe what's happening."[7] Young was billed as the Tigers' third rookie pitching prodigy in three years, following Mark Fidrych in 1976 and Dave Rozema in 1977.[8] Interviewed in mid-August, he noted: "Staying consistent, that's the thing. . . . I don't want to be remembered as a guy who pitched three or four good games, then didn't pitch well the rest of the year."[8]
In his fifth start, Young gave up three runs in seven innings and lost to the Royals.[9] His strong pitching continued with eight consecutive quality starts, at that time tied for the second longest streak in Tigers' history—trailing only Tommy Bridges' nine-game streak in 1942.[10] Young finished the 1978 season with a 6–7 record and a 2.81 ERA in 14 games.[1]
1979 season
[edit]Young started the 1979 season pitching well during spring training. He had a string of 12 scoreless innings in March and was the team's "most impressive starter."[11] After a strong showing in spring training, Young began the season as part of the Tigers' four-man starting rotation along with Dave Rozema, Jack Billingham, and Milt Wilcox.[12] In four starts, however, Young struggled to a 9.60 ERA. On May 9, the Tigers sent him back to Evansville to make room for yet another promising rookie Jack Morris.[13] At the time, Young took responsibility for pitching himself out of a job, noting, "My changeup is not there like it was last year. I never threw so many high changeups in my life. . . . I'm just thoroughly disgusted with what's been happening."[13]
In his first start after being sent to Evansville, Young pitched a one-hitter.[14] In mid-June, Tiger starter Dave Rozema was put on the disabled list, and Young was recalled to the Tigers having won three of six decisions with a 3.60 ERA.[15] However, with Sparky Anderson now the Tigers' new manager, Young never figured prominently in the club's plans.[16] He was demoted again to Evansville on July 25 and before being recalled for a final stint in the majors in September.[17][18]
Young pitched in his final major league game on September 26, 1979. He finished the season with a 2-2 record and a 6.39 in 43-2/3 inning pitched.[1] On November 21, 1979, the Tigers sold Young to the Spokane Indians, the Triple-A farm club of the Seattle Mariners.[16]
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Kip80-FULL.jpg/220px-Kip80-FULL.jpg)
1980 to 1982 seasons
[edit]Young did not make the Mariners' major league roster, and appeared in only four games for Spokane, compiling a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings pitched.[3] He was acquired by the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in late May 1980.[19] He remained with Indianapolis through the 1981 season and at the start of the 1981 season. He started 26 games for Indianapolis in 1981, compiling a 10-12 record and 4.04 ERA.[3]
At the start of the 1982 season, Young, at age 27, acknowledged he had been close to giving up on his pitching career, but was still not ready to quit: "First of all, I still love the game of baseball and if I didn't think I could still pitch I wouldn't be in the game. Second of all, I still think I can pitch in the big leagues if given a chance."[20]
Young finished the 1982 season, and his professional baseball career, with the Toledo Mud Hens in the Minnesota Twins farm system. He started 15 games for Toledo and compiled a 6-5 record and 4.61 ERA.[3] In the spring of 1983, Toledo did not offer Young a contract. He noted at the time: "It's amazing. Not too long ago, I was supposed to be one of the top young pitchers in Detroit, then the next year I'm nobody. But that's baseball, worth a million one day and a dime the next."[21]
Later years
[edit]After his retirement from baseball, Young became a physical education teacher for the Eastern-Local School District in Brown County, Ohio. Young has since retired from this position, as well.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Kip Young". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c d e "Kip Young Minor League Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ Jim Hawkins (July 25, 1978). "Tigers' Young stops A's, 4-1". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 4D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tigers pound Seattle, 9-1; rookie Young hurles 4-hitter". Detroit Free Press. July 30, 1978. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brian Bragg. "Tigers' Young hurls 3d straight win, 7-1". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 4C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Jim Hawkins (August 10, 1978). "Corcoran's slam rallies Tigers, 5-2: 6-hitter is Young's 4th win". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Jim Hawkins (August 15, 1978). "Kip Young takes curtain calls just like Bird from Tiger fans". Detroit Free Press. p. 4D.
- ^ Jim Hawkins (August 16, 1978). "Tigers can't hold lead, fall to Royals, 4-2: Misplays on field, on bases send Kip Young to defeat". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 4D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Quality start streak ends". Detroit Free Press. May 25, 2011. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brian Bragg (March 20, 1979). "A Tiger Star Born? Savvy 'kid' hurls 2-1 win". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 5D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brian Bragg (April 1, 1979). "Pitching OK, but . . ". Detroit Free Press – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Brian Bragg (May 10, 1979). "Tigers ship Kip Young to Evansville". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kip Young pitches 1-hitter at Evansville". Detroit Free Press. May 14, 1979. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosie out 21 days with sore shoulder". Detroit Free Press. June 17, 1979. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Brian Bragg (November 22, 1979). "Tigers ship out pitcher Kip Young in roster shuffle". Detroit Free Press. p. 1F – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mick McCabe (July 26, 1979). "Shakeup send 2 to Evansville". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 7D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brian Bragg (September 6, 1979). "Tigers call Kirk, 3 others". Detroit Free Press. p. 1F – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tribe Wonders What Next". The Indianapolis News. May 31, 1980. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Indians 'Think Big' For Home Opener". The Indianapolis News. April 22, 1982. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Young Too Old For Another Try?". The Indianapolis News. April 13, 1983. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Eastern Local Schools". Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Detroit Tigers players
- Lakeland Tigers players
- Montgomery Rebels players
- Evansville Triplets players
- Spokane Indians players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Toledo Mud Hens players
- Bowling Green Falcons baseball players
- Baseball players from Ohio
- People from Georgetown, Ohio
- 1954 births
- Living people