Young's career started auspiciously with the 1983 Seattle Mariners. His 11-15 record made him the staff ace, and his 3.27 ERA set the team mark for lowest ERA by a starter, and resulted in an All-Star berth for the rookie. The anticipation inherent in starting was too much for him, and after leading the AL with 19 losses in 1985 he was converted to relief.
Young led the Seattle staff with 13 saves in 1986 but was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Dennis Powell that winter. He was unimpressive in the NL, and after a trade to the Oakland Athletics in 1988, developed injury problems that caused him to miss the whole season. He came back in 1989 and pitched decently out of the bullpen, but upon returning to the Mariners the next season, promptly lost 18 games.
(TF/GL)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»April 22, 1985: The Twins collect 16 hits in sinking the Mariners, 9–5. In the 4th, Kirby Puckett hits a 3-run homer, his first home run in the majors, off Matt Young. After no homers last year, Puckett will hit four homers this season before blossoming into a power hitter with 31 next year.
»August 10, 1985: Oakland's Dave Kingman becomes the 21st player to hit 400 career home runs, belting a 2-run shot off Matt Young in the first inning of the A's 11–5 win at Seattle.
»December 11, 1987: In a 3-team trade, the Dodgers acquire relief pitcher Jesse Orosco from the Mets and relief pitcher Jay Howell and SS Alfredo Griffin from the A's, and send pitchers Bob Welch and Matt Young to Oakland and minor leaguer Jack Savage to New York. The Mets receive two A's minor leaguers to complete the deal, pitchers Kevin Tapani and Wally Whitehurst.
»September 9, 1990:
Seattle's Matt Young strikes out four batters in the first inning of a 3–1 win over the Red Sox. He's the 2nd pitcher this year to K four batters in an inning.
»April 12, 1992: Red Sox P Matt Young does not give up a hit in hurling an 8-inning, complete game against the Indians. He loses, however, by a score of 2–1, in the 1st game of a DH. In the 2nd contest, Boston's Roger Clemens hurls a 2-hit shutout over Cleveland, winning by a score of 3–0. The Indians' two hits in the twinbill sets a major league record, breaking the old mark of three held by four teams.
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