Ross Youngs

Infobox MLB retired
name=Ross Youngs
position=Outfielder


bgcolor2=black
bgcolor1=#fd5a1e
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
birthdate=April 10, 1897
city-state|Shiner|Texas
deathdate=death date and age|1927|10|22|1897|4|10
city-state|San Antonio|Texas
bats=Left
throws=Left
debutdate=September 25
debutyear=1917
debutteam=New York Giants
finaldate=October 22
finalyear=1926
finalteam=New York Giants
stat1label=Batting average
stat2label=Runs batted in
stat3label=Runs scored
stat1value=.322
stat2value=592
stat3value=812
teams=
*New York Giants (1917-1926)
highlights=
*World Series champion: 1921, 1922
*National League pennant: 1923, 1924
*9 .300+ seasons (including 8 in a row)
hofdate=by|1972
hofmethod=Veterans Committee

Ross Middlebrook Youngs (April 10, 1897 - October 22, 1927) was a Major League Baseball outfielder best known for his superb defense and consistent hitting.

Born in Shiner, Texas and educated at Texas Military Institute, Youngs made his major league debut in 1917 with the New York Giants and played his first full season in 1918, placing 6th in the league with a .302 batting average. Youngs batted .300 or higher in every season until 1925, and higher than .350 twice, scored 100 or more runs three times, and posted a career high 102 RBI in 1921 and 10 home runs in 1924. The Giants went to the World Series four consecutive years (1921 - 1924) and won twice (1921, 1922).

Youngs's career was abruptly cut short in 1926 when he was diagnosed with the kidney disorder which at the time was called Bright's disease. He played in 95 games that season and died the following year, on October 22, 1927, at the age of 30. Nevertheless, Youngs posted impressive numbers over his abbreviated ten year career, including 812 runs, 42 home runs, 592 RBI, 153 stolen bases and a .322 career batting average and .399 career on base percentage.

Youngs was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time". They explained what they called "the Smoky Joe Wood Syndrome," where a player of truly exceptional talent but a career curtailed by injury or illness should still, in spite of not having had career statistics that would quantitatively rank him with the all-time greats, should still be included on their list of the 100 greatest players.

ee also

* Hitting for the cycle
* List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
* List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

References

External links

*bbhof|id=124717
*baseballstats |br=y/youngro01 |fangraphs=1014390|cube=Y/ross-youngs
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Youngs.Ross.Obit.html The Deadball Era]