(”After you take this picture, can you tell me where is the stand that sells the garlic fries? Those things are off the chain!“)
Dmitri Young is a fun player. Anyone nicknamed D’Meathook has to be fun. Or in prison somewhere. D-Yo is probably more known these days as Delmon Young’s older brother. Like Delmon, Dmitri was picked out of high school, 4th overall in the 1991 draft. If you can believe it, he was originally a 3rd baseman prospect. A real blue chipper, he played in the Appy League as a 17 year old. He posted a .259 GPA in 129 at bats, not outstanding but pretty good considering his age. He had a nice walk rate, and considering his draft status and overall tools, he was considered the 2nd best prospect out of the Cardinal system, behind Donovan Osborne (Yeah, that Donovan Osborne) and the 31st best prospect overall according to BA.
As an 18 year old in the Midwest League he hit for a .293 GPA and 37% of his hits were for extra bases. Baseball America considered him the 12th best overall prospect in the game. If he was a prospect in our system right now doing that, he would have his own “watch” on the sidebar, and you’d be hearing me and AZ singing his praises about every other night.
At the age of 19 he was moved up to the FSL, and hit .315/.369/.441. We all know the FSL depresses power, thus the isolated power wasn’t where you’d like to see it, but he was hitting for a good average and was only striking out in 10% of his at bats, about half the rate he was striking out the previous season. His .85 BB/K rate would’ve got me foaming at the mouth. He moved up to AA at just 19 and struggled, posting just a .686 OPS in 167 at bats. BA ranked him the #50 prospect in the game.
At 20 his struggles continued at AA, he hit just .272/.330./406 and fell out of the Top 100, and was ranked the #10 Cardinal prospect overall. If you can believe this, they were splitting his time at first base and shortstop. Just wow. I take it he wasn’t quite D’Meathook quite yet, but may have been well on his way. His walk rate tumbled to just 7%, not good for a power hitting first baseman.
His age 21 season he started to figure out AA, hitting .292/.347/.455 and he finished the season in AAA. His walk rate jumped up to nearly 10% and his power returned some, while retaining his good contact rate. This time, he played mostly in the outfield, which may have helped him be able to focus on his hitting. He didn’t crack BA’s top 100, or even the Cardinal top 10.
At 22 he blasted his way into the spotlight again, hitting 15 homers in 459 at bats, and finishing the season with a .333/.378/.534 line. This time, he was move permanently to 1b and he received a September call up. BA ranked him as the #29 prospect, and he was the Cardinals #1 prospect going into the ‘97 season.
At age 23 he hit a .871 OPS in AAA again over just 84 at bats, and spent time a short time sharing 1st base with a then 25 year old John Mabry. Jock and TLR had just taken the helm and promptly traded Young to the Reds for 34 year old reliever and future Baseball Tonight noise machine Jeff Brantley. Brantley was a decent reliever but his career had run it’s course and he had a 4.44 ERA for the season in middle relief. If blogs existed back then, we’d be calling for the new GM’s resignation. I guess they felt he was expendable, as “Mabes” was a decent prospect back then, and Ron Gant was in left field and wasn’t quite Ron Can’t yet. That happened the following season. Young on the other hand produced 4 seasons posting an OPS+ of 113 for Cincy in one of Jock’s rare poor moves.
Overall Young has been a decent major league player, hitting for an OPS+ of 114 going on 12 seasons and he could possibly win a batting title this year. I have no idea why the Nats reupped his contract, he’s making Cecil Fielder look like David Eckstein at 1st, and they could’ve traded him to a desperate AL team looking for a DH. But Bowden is impossible to deal with, and he loves his ex-Reds. I would’ve liked to see him as a Cardinal for a few more seasons earlier in his career.
Filed under: Redbird recollections
erik
azruavatar
fewgoodcards
roarke49
theredbaaron
OMG. I had somehow repressed the fact that DaHook was traded for Brantley. I shall not sleep at all tonight as the dark memories come flooding back; one being actually frightening my wife from the room with one of the most vile, expletive-filled tirades directed at Brantley after his 3290483948th blown save for the Cards…dear sweet Jesus.
Otherwise, loved the look back.
Are there any comparables currently in the Cards system for D’Meathook?
Just some wild guesses, maybe Joe Mather, Allen Craig, or Mark Hamilton.
1997 was an expansion year. We added Tampa Bay and Arizona.
IIRC, the Brantley trade was an expansion-related move. When the Cards made up their list of protected players, Young didn’t make the cut. So instead of losing him in the expansion draft, we traded him for a player we were at no risk of losing.
If anyone has a better memory, please correct mine.
I don’t think anyone liked the move, but it was one of those where Jocketty had little room to maneuver.
If I recall correctly, this was the last trade the Cardinals made with the Reds. Brantley came over, stunk, and was reported to be damaged goods. I think he had arm problems with Cincy but Bowden maintained his health was fine before the trade was made (heard that one before?). I think Walt felt he had been lied to by Bowden about Brantley’s health and never worked on another trade with him again.
NMS…I believe you are correct, sir, in fact I meant to include that tidbit of info but apparently it slipped my mind.
I don’t know what’s more depressing; seeing Dmitri Young as a thin Cardinals prospect with a possibility of playing shortstop, or realizing we traded him for Jeff Brantley.
Maybe both.
Loved this piece — reminded me of the “Prospect Retro” pieces on Sickels’ sight. Please don’t do one for Haren — not sure I can deal with the pain.
You guys do a great job with the site, by the way — with the 2007 Cards sucking so, I come here for comfort on a daily basis
Dmitri could’ve been a perennial all star if he had kept himself in better shape and didn’t dabble in drug use (I use the word dabble lightly). It’s a shame.
Dmitri’s gained quite a large following here in D.C. (emphasis on LARGE). With the total lack of compelling players on the Nats roster and the fact that they’re moving into a new ballpark next season, they almost had to sign Dmitri, or risk alienating their fans at a very inopportune time.
But, knowing Bowden, it was because he thinks Dmitri will win the MVP in 2008.
Oh, how quickly they forget…
After Jocketey made the deal for McGwire at the deadline in 97, Dmitri was pretty much a player with no position. Gant and Lankford were established in the OF, and Drew was only a year away.
Sure, we could have gotten something better, but the guy really didn’t have a place to play on those teams.