In the winter of 2001, This Week in Baseball crews contacted Cincinnati Reds slugger Dmitri Young to shoot a feature with him. “Sure,” the affable Young responded, “but you should shoot with my 14-year old brother, too. He’s going to be better than me.” Such a comment might easily be dismissed as family-biased praise, but when the TWIB crew showed up in their hometown of Camarillo, CA, it became abundantly clear—with one crushing swing after the next—that young Delmon truly was a superstar in the making. Rarely does such an opportunity present itself—to track a phenomenon as he makes his meteoric rise to the Major Leagues. So MLB Productions made the commitment to document Delmon from his days as a precocious amateur to his professional debut, covered his pre-draft “workout” with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, his batting cage sessions with his dedicated father, Larry, and the big moment as Delmon was selected #1 overall in the 2003 draft. As the story progressed, a compelling family dynamic emerged between a demanding dad and his sons. Baseball would remain a constant thread, but no longer would this film simply cover the journey of a talented kid to the big leagues. A seismic shift in the narrative had occurred. Now, instead of one central character there were three, all inexorably linked: a petulant, impatient budding star who longed to make the Major Leagues by 19; a fun-loving, line-drive hitting, older brother who was battling his own demons; and a dedicated dad, whose militaristic style produced tremendous baseball talent, but also burdensome expectations. All three men would ultimately be put to the test in a tumultuous 2006. Spring Training served as the springboard. Delmon did not make the D-Rays out of camp and was sent down to triple AAA, his frustration with not making the Majors on his timetable mounting. Meanwhile, Dmitri became embroiled in a messy divorce and distraught over not being able to see his three children. During this period, Dmitri confessed, “my priorities were way out of whack” as he turned to alcohol and excessive womanizing. Human frailty had taken hold and the two sons of a disciplinarian dad whose mantra had always been “control your emotions” were about to become unhinged.

 

On April 26th, following a called “strike three,” Delmon threw his bat at an umpire during a Minor League game. The video of this moment instantly became a disturbing image broadcast nationwide. As media outlets seized upon the story and clamored for an interview, only MLB Productions was granted access to the embattled Young. Less than three weeks later, Dmitri was charged with domestic violence for allegedly beating his girlfriend. Detroit placed him on the disabled list and the troubled player checked into a substance abuse program in Malibu, CA. It was a most trying time for the Youngs. As Larry reflected, “After these two incidents, I really started to wonder what I did wrong.” Eventually, the brothers would make triumphant returns to their respective teams, thrilled to finally realize their collective dream of playing in the Major Leagues together. Sadly, Dmitri’s journey into the darkness was not complete. Just a few months after finally leaving Michigan, he went into diabetic shock and nearly died. While he convalesced with his family over Christmas, both mind and body began to mend. As the 2007 regular season dawned, Dmitri had defied the odds. He became the Opening Day starting first baseman for the Washington Nationals, just months after a near death experience and in July was named to the All-Star team. Meanwhile, in Delmon’s first two months, he already displayed Rookie of the Year credentials. If baseball is indeed a metaphor for life, the Youngs have run the gamut of experience and emotion.