Michael Young achieves a milestone with 2,000th hit – MLB News
Michael Young became the first player in the Texas Rangers’ franchise history to achieve the 2,000 hit mile-stone on Sunday, August 7. Facing the Cleveland Indians in a fiercely fought game, his achievement could not possibly have come at a more auspicious
time.
“It means something,” Young said. “The last thing I want to do is belittle it. Not many guys have accomplished it. The reason I got to this position is I try to make sure my priorities are in order to win ballgames”
The Cleveland Indians who were dominating the game with their bull-pen being effective, it was the five-run eighth inning that changed the course of the game, as it obviously had a sizeable contribution of Michael Young in it.
This mile-stone has a glaringly different edge on his predecessors. For instance, Ted Williams, a Hall of Famer, took no less than 1,638 games to achieve the 2,000th hit. However, contrary to that and pretty much to the honour of this Rangers’
player, Young had the hit in 1,261 games.
Not only that, even the St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols – a gigantic figure of baseball, could get the achievement in no less than 1,650 games. Having outrivaled his predecessors, the Texas Rangers’ Young has set himself apart.
The 34-year-old Texas Rangers’ hitter has all the credentials to take pride in. Nonetheless, there have been questions about his ability to continue the game as he has crossed 30. However, for him, it has never been a problem.
"It didn't bother me," Young said. "It wasn't like I was fighting it or up against the clock. I wasn't going to retire once I got it. Now that it's done, it's back to winning games. It's nice and I'm happy to get it, now it's time to move on."
Combining talent and more than 11 years experience, Young has had his valuable contributions for the team and their victory. Having played 114 games this season and being at-bat 458 times, he has scored 57 runs with 153 hits to his credit.
With 76 RBIs to his credit and 10 home runs, Young has maintained .334 average and has .370 OBP with .863 OPS. Of the last 10 games he has played, he has been the winner in 5 of them, accentuating the fact how important his presence is for the team.
Having got meteoric rise with this achievement, the Texas Rangers’ hitter now looks for the upcoming games of the season’s second half where he will be looking to contribute more for the team and take them into a possible postseason spot.
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