In his suit and tie Chris Young looks shy and unassuming, but when he is on the baseball diamond the competitive fires burns.
This weekend Young was added to the Bellaire Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame, a school known for its outstanding program.
"The kids come from outstanding families, you know the players play hard," notes Head Coach Rocky Manuel. "It's exciting to see the kids develop in our program."
Young is one of many Bellaire players to realize a big league dream. Last summer while a memer of the Arizona Diamondbacks, he had quite a day at Minute Maid Park, hitting not one but two home runs in front of the hometown crowd.
"It feels good not just because it was the Astros," commented Young. "I had so much family out there and to play well in front of your family is the most important thing."
The evening honored one of the area's most storied programs. The Cardinals have won seven state championships. We found pictures of Young hitting a home run in the '01 season hitting a home run against Lamar.
Rocky Manuel says Young's contributions to the Bellaire program rank among the elite.
"Young was just a super player, a talented player arguably among the best outfielders we've had at Bellaire among (Jose) Cruz and (Bubba) Crosby and those guys. He was just outstanding."
"It's always fun and see your old teammates and your old coaches," remarked Young. "You kind of remember back in the day when your dream was making it to the major leagues and you really get the chance to look back and enjoy it."
"I know he's going to have a great season in oh-nine," says Manuel.
