Forever Young? Tigers hope so

Chris Young dominated Penn yesterday in front of scouts, Princeton hopes he won't leave for the draft. PRINCETON, N. J. -- With radar guns and camera shutters clicking away at Clarke Field yesterday, the most noticeable sound of all was a familiar one at Ivy League baseball games. It was the sound of Princeton pitcher Chris Young's fastball hissing as it sliced through the air, lacing its way to an inevitable pop in the mitt of Tigers catcher Buster Smalls. The 6'11" Young made mincemeat of the Ivy League's top offense yesterday, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 in a seven-inning complete game victory in front of a bevy of scouts. Penn catcher Jeff Gregorio was Young's most frequent victim. The Quakers' leading RBI man fanned in the first inning, was caught looking in the fourth inning and seemed fortunate to finally make contact when he bounced harmlessly back to the box in the sixth. Young said that despite his impressive afternoon, he did not have his best stuff and struggled to spot his fastball. Still, the scouts left Old Nassau with something to think about. "He's got a good fastball, throws well," one professional scout said. "There's interest in the kid. He was 87-88 [miles per hour on the radar gun]." As Young was busy shutting down the Quakers, questions loomed about that other place that he gives Penn headaches -- the basketball court at Jadwin Gym, barely visible beyond the hedges in center field. "It's a concern and a positive thing," one American League scout said of Young playing basketball for Princeton. "The draft and money aside, does he want to throw those next two years away? I've watched him play basketball, and you can tell on the court that he likes it." Young, who was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy first team in basketball this past season, likes playing baseball, too. Since he is eligible for this June's draft, it will be interesting to see how his two-sport stardom affects his baseball draft position. "You can't even say enough about what this kid has done," Princeton coach Scott Bradley said. "To be a two-sport athlete, to be a student, to handle himself with more class than anyone I've ever been around in my life, it's just a real credit to him. "He's got a real future on the baseball field," Bradley added. "Chris is such a baseball rat. He loves the game. We talk a lot about baseball. He's such a special kid. We're in a spot where a lot of people at Penn and Cornell and Columbia and everyone else are hoping that Chris is selected pretty high in the draft, because he's going to have a decision to make." Penn coach Bob Seddon can't wait to get Young out of his hair, but he'll believe it when he sees it. "They'll have to throw a ton of money at him," Seddon said. "And personally, I don't think they will." Young has clearly had his eyes on pro ball for quite some time, even since before arriving at Princeton. "I think [not going to] Penn was probably more of a baseball decision," Young said. "With coach Bradley's expertise, and his having handled Randy Johnson in the big leagues, a 6'10" pitcher. From a baseball standpoint, if I was going to go to an Ivy League school, Princeton was the right place." It has indeed been the right place for Young. He has helped to lead the Tigers to Gehrig Division titles in both his years in the Orange and Black and was the first man ever to be named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in two sports. Although Princeton's basketball team has not risen to glory with Young, the scouts are impressed by his leadership qualities with both teams. "He's athletic and competitive," the American League scout said. "[Success] doesn't hurt. The further they go, the more exposure it is. And everybody wants a winner." Young was a winner yesterday on the mound, and he's been nothing but a winner for the Tigers all season. He is 3-0, and his ability to shut down a lineup at a moment's notice will definitely come in handy when Princeton plays for the Ivy League title after clinching the Gehrig Division yesterday.

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