Decades have passed since Dmitri Young last wore a Rio Mesa High baseball uniform, but his feats on the diamond remain among the best in Ventura County history.
By the end of his high school career in 1991, Dmitri owned county records for career hits, doubles, RBIs and runs scored, made three All-CIF-Southern Section first teams, four all-state teams and was selected as the Cal-Hi Sports player of the year as a senior. USA Today named Dmitri to its 1991 All-American baseball team.
In the 1991 Major League Baseball draft, the St. Louis Cardinals made Dmitri the No. 4 pick of the first round. A breakthrough season with Louisville, the Cardinals’ AAA farm club, vaulted Dmitri to the major leagues.
Dmitri spent 13 big league seasons with four teams (St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit and Washington) before retiring after the 2009 season. He averaged .300 or high for four consecutive seasons from 1998 through 2001. In 2005, he became the third player in MLB history to hit three home runs on opening day.
That was not Dmitri’s only flirtation with baseball history. On May 6, 2003, Dmitri was 4 for 4 with two home runs, a triple and a single when he came up to bat in the ninth inning. Needing a double, Dmitri rounded second and reached third for a triple. When asked whether he considered stopping at second to complete the cycle, Dmitri said: “It crossed my mind, but since the game was close, my individual accomplishment took a back seat. The run is the important thing.”
Dmitri was named as the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2007, averaging .320 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs for the Nationals.
Since retiring, Dmitri has been involved in coaching amateur baseball and broadcasting.
The Camarillo resident and his fiancé Alycia are the parents of Owen, Damon and Layla.