From the AP (link courtesy Baseball Think Factory) :
Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young is unhappy about not being called up from the minor leagues this season and said Monday the Devil Rays were reluctant to promote him because the organization is cheap.
The 19-year-old brother of Detroit’s Dmitri Young was selected Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year after splitting time this season between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.
Asked why he felt he was not called up, Young replied: “The only thing I can think of is they’re being cheap.”
When it comes to free agency, no use trying to stay around there for the long haul,” he said. “Get your six years and leave.”
Young, an outfielder who was the first overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft, batted .336 with 20 homers and 71 RBIs in 84 games for Montgomery. He hit .285 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 52 games after joining Durham.
After initially telling reporters on a conference call that he was not disappointed with the Devil Rays’ decision, Young changed his stance and criticized the organization.
“I put up great numbers, better than a lot of players who got called up around the majors. A lot of them were on contending teams,” Young said. “Tampa’s going nowhere this year, so they could at least call up the guys who are going to be there in the future.”
Congrats to the Padres’ Class A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm, who advance to the best-of-5 California League championship after beating Lancaster, 11-6. The Storm will face San Jose (SF) this Thursday night. The Giants thumped Modesto, 14-2 earlier in the evening to win the Cal’s Northern Division playoff.
The Lake Elsinore radio broadcast has been nothing if not illuminating. Not only did I learn yesterday was George Jones’ 74th birthday, but it was Rachel Ward’s, too.
(Ward, right, and Baseball America charter subscriber Richard Chamberlain celebrate Lake Elsinore’s thilling win, though neither are willing to wear the team’s somewhat sinister hat)