Young's career blossoms after he leaves home state

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Tuesday, June 20, 2006 1:35 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Padres pitcher Chris Young is smart enough to have graduated from Princeton, which means he's smart enough to separate childhood aspirations from adult realities.

Young grew up in an affluent Dallas neighborhood called Highland Park. He grew up a flag-waving fan of Texas Rangers teams that were headlined by Nolan Ryan, Rafael Palmeiro and Ruben Sierra.

Then he grew up to be 6-foot-10 and he developed the pitching potential to match his size. By 2004, Young had achieved the improbable dream of playing for the hometown club, courtesy of a trade that brought him back to Texas from the Montreal Expos.

As it turns out, however, Young had to leave home to find true happiness and prosperity. When he takes the mound at his old stomping grounds of Ameriquest Field on Wednesday, he will do so for the first time as a visiting pitcher. He will do so as one of the best young starters in the National League. And he will do so as guy who recognizes a good career move when he sees it.

"I got to break into the major leagues in my hometown, with the team I grew up watching, playing in front of friends and family," Young said. "That's an unforgettable experience, something I'm very thankful and grateful for. But I'm very happy with the way things have worked out. It's a much better situation for me personally in San Diego."

The 27-year-old right-hander was elated the moment he learned last winter that the Rangers were sending him to the Padres with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Terrmel Sledge in exchange for pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka and minor-league catcher Billy Killian. Deciphering the cause of his excitement does not require an economics degree from an Ivy League school.

Ameriquest Field in Arlington is among the worst pitcher's parks in the major leagues. According to ESPN's Park Factor, a formula that compares home stats versus road stats, Ameriquest ranked sixth in favorability to hitters in 2005, when Young made 15 of his 31 starts there during his first full season.

By contrast, Petco Park is among the best pitcher's parks in baseball. The third-year facility is rated as the second-worst for hitters this year, and it has been in the bottom two each season since it opened in 2004.

Throw in the natural growth curve of a pitcher who's still learning to harness his talent, and it's no surprise Young is 6-3 with a 3.27 ERA after going 12-7 with a 4.26 ERA for Texas last season.

"When I heard he was coming in the trade, I knew he was going to have success," Gonzalez said. "I knew those fly balls weren't going to be home runs anymore. This place is perfect for him."

Young actually pitched respectably in Arlington, where he was 7-5 with a 4.35 ERA versus a 5-2 mark and 4.17 ERA on the road. But his starts there were a constant grind in which he battled enemies that range from shallow power alleys (388 feet to left-center field, 381 feet to right-center) to ball-carrying wind to oppressive heat and humidity.

"It's a challenge," Young said. "You make a mistake, and there's not much forgiveness. The ball gets hit a long way. If you make quality pitches, you can have a lot of success there, and I had some very good games in that park. But that room for error that Petco allows, Arlington does not."

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Young's strong early-season showings is that he has yet to take advantage of the Petco factor. His ERA at home (4.23) is more than two earned runs per nine innings higher than his figure on the road, where he's 3-0 and is holding batters to a .161 average.

"I think I have room for improvement in my performance at home," he said.

There's no room for improvement, however, in Young's feelings for the Padres. He still lives in Highland Park with his wife, Liz ---- he will sleep in his own bed this week ---- but he wants to make a home away from home in San Diego. He is signed to a budget-friendly deal through 2007 ($500,000 salary in '06, $600,000 in '07), with an option for '08.

"Not only has he performed well, but he is under contract for the next few years at good dollars, which was not the case with Eaton," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "He has a superb makeup and work ethic as well. He should be a big winner in the NL for future years."

PADRES NOTE ---- OF Ben Johnson will be recalled from Triple-A Portland today to replace LF Dave Roberts, who will go on the disabled list because of a bruised right knee. Johnson, who turned 25 on Sunday, batted .244 with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 31 games with the Beavers.

Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.

PADRES ON DECK at Texas


WHERE: Ameriquest Field

PROBABLE PITCHERS:

Today ---- RHP Mike Thompson (2-2, 4.24 ERA) vs. RHP Vicente Padilla (6-4, 4.65), 5:05 p.m.

Wednesday ---- RHP Chris Young (6-3, 3.27) vs. RHP Kevin Millwood (8-3, 4.47), 5:05 p.m.

Thursday ---- RHP Clay Hensley (4-5, 4.05) vs. LHP John Rheinecker (2-1, 3.60), 11:05 a.m.

TV: 4 SD, today and Wednesday

RADIO: XPRS (1090 AM, 105.7 FM); XEMO (860 AM, Spanish)

UPDATE: The Rangers (38-32) were passed last week by red-hot Oakland to end a streak of 26 consecutive days in first place, the longest for the club since it led the American League West for 178 days in a row in 1999. ... Off a five-hit game Sunday, Texas SS Michael Young solidified his status as the king of interleague hitting. Young is batting .361 in 366 career interleague at-bats. Padres C Mike Piazza ranks third on the list with a .340 average, along with 32 home runs and 95 RBIs. ... A 13th-round draft choice of the Padres in 1993 who returned to the club for a season 10 years later, CF Gary Matthews Jr. has emerged from nowhere as a potential All-Star for the Rangers. A career .249 hitter entering this season, Matthews is third in the AL with a .344 average and tied with Young for second with 25 doubles. Helped by Matthews and its hitter-friendly park, Texas leads the majors with 170 doubles and 260 extra-base hits. ... The muscle-bound Rangers have stolen only 20 bases, the third-lowest figure in the league and one more than the total of Padres LF Dave Roberts, who will be placed on

the disabled list today because of a bruised right knee. ... Millwood has won his past five decisions and has delivered quality starts in six of his past seven outings. He is 5-1 with a 3.03 ERA in 12 starts against the Padres. ... The Padres are 8-8 against the Rangers all-time, 2-6 in Texas.