In the winter of 2001, This Week in Baseball cre
ws contacted Cincinnati Reds slugger Dmitri Young to shoot a feature with
him. “Sure,” the affable Young responded, “but you should shoot with
my 14-year old brother, too. He’s going to be better than me.” Such a
comment might easily be dismissed as family-biased praise, but when the T
WIB crew showed up in their hometown of Camarillo, CA, it became abundantl
y clear—with one crushing swing after the next—that young Delmon truly
was a superstar in the making. Rarely does such an opportunity present it
self—to track a phenomenon as he makes his meteoric rise to the Major Le
agues. So MLB Productions made the commitment to document Delmon from his
days as a precocious amateur to his professional debut, covered his pre-dr
aft “workout” with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, his batting cage sessions
with his dedicated father, Larry, and the big moment as Delmon was select
ed #1 overall in the 2003 draft. As the story progressed, a compelling fam
ily dynamic emerged between a demanding dad and his sons. Baseball would r
emain a constant thread, but no longer would this film simply cover the jo
urney of a talented kid to the big leagues. A seismic shift in the narrati
ve had occurred. Now, instead of one central character there were three, a
ll inexorably linked: a petulant, impatient budding star who longed to mak
e the Major Leagues by 19\; a fun-loving, line-drive hitting, older brothe
r who was battling his own demons\; and a dedicated dad, whose militaristi
c style produced tremendous baseball talent, but also burdensome expectati
ons. All three men would ultimately be put to the test in a tumultuous 200
6. Spring Training served as the springboard. Delmon did not make the D-Ra
ys out of camp and was sent down to triple AAA, his frustration with not m
aking the Majors on his timetable mounting. Meanwhile, Dmitri bec
ame embroiled in a messy divorce and distraught over not being able to see
his three children. During this period, Dmitri confessed, “my prioritie
s were way out of whack” as he turned to alcohol and excessive womanizin
g. Human frailty had taken hold and the two sons of a disciplinarian dad w
hose mantra had always been “control your emotions” were about to beco
me unhinged.
\;
On Ap
ril 26th, following a called “strike three,” Delmon threw his bat at a
n umpire during a Minor League game. The video of this moment instantly be
came a disturbing image broadcast nationwide. As media outlets seized upon
the story and clamored for an interview, only MLB Productions was granted
access to the embattled Young. Less than three weeks later, Dmitri was ch
arged with domestic violence for allegedly beating his girlfriend. Detroit
placed him on the disabled list and the troubled player checked into a su
bstance abuse program in Malibu, CA. It was a most trying time for the You
ngs. As Larry reflected, “After these two incidents, I really started to
wonder what I did wrong.” Eventually, the brothers would make triumphan
t returns to their respective teams, thrilled to finally realize their col
lective dream of playing in the Major Leagues together. Sadly, Dmitri’s
journey into the darkness was not complete. Just a few months after finall
y leaving Michigan, he went into diabetic shock and nearly died. While he
convalesced with his family over Christmas, both mind and body began to me
nd. As the 2007 regular season dawned, Dmitri had defied the odds. He beca
me the Opening Day starting first baseman for the Washington Nationals, ju
st months after a near death experience and in July was named to the All-S
tar team. Meanwhile, in Delmon’s first two months, he already displayed
Rookie of the Year credentials. If baseball is indeed a metaphor for life,
the Youngs have run the gamut of experience and emotion.