Young ’02 Makes Princeton History, Pitches Royals to a World Series Win

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Chris Young ’02 pitching in the World Series Oct. 27. (John Reiger/USA Today Sports Images)

When Chris Young ’02 returned to campus in December 2013 for a Princeton Varsity Club panel featuring the four alumni in the major leagues, he was the elder statesman of the group. He told PAW that after offseason shoulder surgery, he was optimistic about the future. Young, who was 34 at the time and had missed parts of the last four seasons due to injuries, said, “I feel like there are still some good years ahead of me.” Flash forward to Tuesday night: Young’s Kansas City Royals were tied in extra innings in a tense World Series opener against the New York Mets, and manager Ned Yost called for the 36-year-old right-hander to pitch in relief. Young delivered with three hitless innings, striking out four Mets while walking one, and his team prevailed, 5-4, in the bottom of the 14th inning. Young made school history by entering the game, becoming the first Princetonian to appear in the World Series. (Moe Berg ’23 was a backup catcher for the 1933 Washington Senators, a World Series team, but his name does not appear in the postseason box scores.) Afterward, Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews asked Young how much longer he could have pitched, if the game had continued beyond the 14th. “Look, it’s the World Series,” he said. “Whatever they need. We’re leaving it all out there at this time of the year.”  Young was scheduled to start game four of the series on Oct. 31. The Royals’ plans for that game have not yet been announced. In the postseason, Young has pitched 11 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out 15. He was 11-6 in the regular season, winning 10 or more games for the second consecutive year and the fourth time in his career. READ MORE: Veteran Young, in First World Series Appearance, Is Royals’ Unlikely Hero (Sports Illustrated) Chris Young Carries Royals to Victory with Masterful Relief Outing (Kansas City Star) Varsity Club Hosts Princeton’s Major Leaguers (PAW, Dec. 11, 2013) Q&A: Chris Young ’02 (PAW, Jan. 3, 2014) Hitting the Big Time: Tigers Make Their Mark in Pro Sports (PAW, Jan. 8, 2014)