Brother's saga inspires Young

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: February 21, 2008 - 10:30 PM

FORT MYERS, FLA. - On his first day in Twins camp, Delmon Young compared his trade from Tampa Bay to Minnesota to the move his brother, Dmitri, made from Detroit to Washington before the 2007 season.

After getting released by the Tigers in August 2006, Dmitri Young had a big scare with diabetes and considered retiring before signing a minor-league deal with the Nationals.

He wound up making his second All-Star team and batting .320.

"Just shows when you get a fresh start and you're in a nice environment that's comfortable for you and you're happy, anything is [possible]," Delmon Young said Thursday. "[Dmitri] goes out, no training in the offseason, doesn't pick up a bat until he shows up to the minor-league camp, then finds his way onto the All-Star team and was in competition for a batting title all year."

Young said he didn't see Carl Crawford's recent comments, saying the Rays are better off without him and Elijah Dukes.

"I'm not worried about anyone else's comments," Young said. "They've got their own stuff in [Rays camp] and we've got our own stuff down here. All I can worry about is these 25 guys and the front office over here."

He added: "If they're trying to blame us for the way they weren't winning -- if it was us two, we weren't there from '98 to '06, so..."

Young, 22, seemed most at ease when the topics were specific to his new team, not his old team.

After a vigorous offseason workout program at the Peak Performance Project in Santa Barbara, Calif., Young said this is the best he's felt headed into a spring training.

"Especially with the fresh start," he said. "Everything felt better."

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he planned to speak with Young about where he'll be playing in the outfield before disclosing those plans to the media.

"As long as I'm playing every day, I don't care," Young said. "I'll DH, anywhere in the outfield, I'll try and play first base. I'll try and play anywhere, I just want to play every day."

Etc.

• Dennys Reyes was delayed in Mexico City, apparently because of a missed connecting flight, but the reliever made it to Florida on Thursday and will be in camp today. There were no updates on when lefthander Francisco Liriano or middle infielder Alexi Casilla would be in camp. Those are the only three Twins who have yet to report.

• The first full-squad workout is Saturday. Pitchers will begin throwing live batting practice to hitters.

• On Tuesday, the Twins will scrimmage Concordia (St. Paul), and Gardenhire still is considering an intrasquad game Wednesday before the Grapefruit League opener next Thursday against the Reds.

Recent Twins stories

A.J. Burnett a bust in Game 5, Yankees waste chance to wrap up World Series title - February 21, 2008

A.J. Burnett a bust in Game 5, Yankees waste chance to wrap up World Series title - A.J. Burnett started walking briskly off the mound before manager Joe Girardi even got there. The erratic right-hander already was finished — and he knew it. More