July 11, 2008

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Former UC Santa Barbara star Michael Young, the starting shortstop for the Texas Rangers, will once again represent the American League in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It will be Young's fifth straight appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Young, who played for the Gauchos from 1995-1997, is currently batting .302 with 23 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 49 RBI, and 61 runs scored. He also has 114 hits which ranks him fifth in the American League. The native of Covina, Calif., has collected 200 or more hits in each of the last five seasons, equaling Ichiro Suzuki and Wade Boggs for the longest such streak since 1940. Young is the second middle infielder in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.

In 2006, Young was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game, held that year at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. In 2005, he won the American League batting title with an average of .331. Also in 2005, he led all of Major League Baseball with 221 hits. In 2006, he was selected as a member of the U.S. Team for the first World Baseball Classic.

Young will be a reserve at the All-Star Game, voted in by his fellow players.

The 2008 All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 15 at Yankee Stadium in New York. It will mark the final All-Star Game to take place at the famed "House That Ruth Built" as the Yankees will move into a new stadium in 2009.