Young earns MiLB Player of Year

ST. PETERSBURG -- Delmon Young was named Baseball America's 2005 Minor League Player of the Year on Monday.

Young, 19, began the season at Double-A Montgomery before finishing at Triple-A Durham. He is the second player to come through the Devil Rays' farm system to win the award. Outfielder Rocco Baldelli won it in 2002.

In winning the award, Young became the youngest recipient since Andruw Jones won it in consecutive years in 1995 and 1996 at ages 18 and 19.

"I'm honored to get the award," Young said. "The last 10 years, a lot of great players have gotten the award who have gone on to have success in the Major Leagues."

Young was on pace to win the triple crown at Montgomery this season, hitting .336 with 20 home runs and 71 RBIs in 330 at-bats before being called up to Durham, where he hit .285 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 52 games.

Young, who is the younger brother of Tigers first baseman Dmitri Young, is considered by many to be the top hitting prospect in baseball.

Bill Evers, Young's manager at Durham, cited Young's work ethic for being exemplary. Young said he came to having a quality work ethic by following the example of his family.

"My dad had a good work ethic," Young said. "And my brother has a good work ethic after learning he's got to work for everything. ... I want to do all I can to get to the Major Leagues."

Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2003, continues a trend of Minor League Player of the Year winners. Seven of the last eight Player of the Year award winners were drafted out of high school, a list that includes Baldelli, Josh Beckett (2001) and Eric Chavez (1998).

Baseball America magazine, based in Durham, N.C., has awarded a Minor League Player of the Year award since its inception in 1981.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
1981	Mike Marshall, 1B, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
1982	Ron Kittle, OF, Edmonton (White Sox)
1983	Dwight Gooden, RHP, Lynchburg (Mets)
1984	Mike Bielecki, RHP, Hawaii (Pirates)
1985	Jose Canseco, OF, Huntsville/Tacoma (Athletics)
1986	Gregg Jefferies, SS, Columbia/Lynchburg/Jackson (Mets)
1987	Gregg Jefferies, SS, Jackson/Tidewater (Mets)
1988	Tom Gordon, RHP, Appleton/Memphis/Omaha (Royals)
1989	Sandy Alomar, C, Las Vegas (Padres)
1990	Frank Thomas, 1B, Birmingham (White Sox)
1991	Derek Bell, OF, Syracuse (Blue Jays)
1992	Tim Salmon, OF, Edmonton (Angels)
1993	Manny Ramirez, OF, Canton/Charlotte (Indians)
1994	Derek Jeter, SS, Tampa/Albany/Columbus (Yankees)
1995	Andruw Jones, OF, Macon (Braves)
1996	Andruw Jones, OF, Durham/Greenville/Richmond (Braves)
1997	Paul Konerko, 1B, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
1998	Eric Chavez, 3B, Huntsville/Edmonton (Athletics)
1999	Rick Ankiel, LHP, Arkansas/Memphis (Cardinals)
2000	Jon Rauch, RHP, Winston-Salem/Birmingham (White Sox)
2001	Josh Beckett, RHP, Brevard County/Portland (Marlins)
2002	Rocco Baldelli, OF, Bakersfield/Orlando/Durham (Devil Rays)
2003	Joe Mauer, C, Fort Myers/New Britain (Twins)
2004	Jeff Francis, LHP, Tulsa/Colorado Springs (Rockies)

Monday, Young spoke via a conference call arranged by the Devil Rays and when the topic of conversation moved to not being a September callup, Young didn't hide his frustration.

Young said he had to go on his computer to do Google searches to find out that he was not being promoted and that calls by his agent to Rays general manager Chuck LaMar went unreturned.

"I'm not disappointed," Young said. "I put up great numbers. Better than a lot of players who got called up. ... I know I did the best I could do."

Young suggested his not being promoted was a business decision by the Rays, whom he said did not want him to begin accruing Major League service time that would make him eligible sooner for arbitration and free agency. He said the treatment by the Rays likely will shape his future outlook toward the organization.

"The only way to get better in the big leagues is to be around the big leagues," Young said.

Earlier in the summer, LaMar addressed Young and said the organization wanted to make sure they bring him up at the right time.

"Could he play in the Major Leagues right now?" LaMar said. "I don't think there's any question about that, with his makeup, with his work ethic, with his instincts and exposure to the game. I've just got to make real sure that we're not hurting his overall development."

LaMar released the following statement through the Devil Rays:

"We think Delmon Young is one of the finest players in all of Minor League baseball and by sometime next season believe that he will begin to establish himself as an outstanding Major League Player. Having said that, we saw him play the latter part of August and thought he had had enough. He had already gone from Double-A to Triple-A and we thought it was time for him to go home and get ready to play winter ball if he wanted to, or if not, get ready for Spring Training."