Andy Yount

Andrew Douglas Yount

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180-185 lb.
• High School Kingwood High School

• Born February 14, 1977

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Andy Yount drew notice in high school for his fastball, which hit as high as 97 miles per hour. He was 10-0 with a 2.41 ERA as a senior, striking out 124 and allowing 46 hits in 76 innings. The first-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox (15th overall selection) in the 1995 amateur draft, Yount signed for $986,000 and began his career 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA in five starts for the GCL Red Sox, whiffing 17 in 16 innings of work. Gulf Coast League managers voted him as the #2 prospect in the league that year, ahead of Roy Halladay, Carlos Beltran and Kerry Wood and behind Chad Hermansen. Moved up to the Lowell Spinners in 1996, Yount slipped to 1-2, 6.29 and walked 38 batters in 34 innings. After the season, he shattered a glass in his hand and needed many operations, which left him out of the game for two years and resulted in a release by the Red Sox.

After tryouts showed his fastball was still humming, the Detroit Tigers signed the 22-year-old in 1999 and assigned him to the West Michigan Whitecaps. The right-hander was 2-3 with one save and a 5.61 ERA, walking 36 in 43 innings. His struggles continued with the 2000 Lakeland Tigers when he issued 15 free passes in 12 innings and had a 8.03 ERA. He retired as a pitcher with a career record of 3-6.

Deciding that pitching was not his path to success and hampered by pain, Yount approached the Tigers about a conversion to the outfield and they agreed to give him a glance. He hit .271/.381/.435 for the Oneonta Tigers in 2001 and led the club in walks (32). Andy struggled with West Michigan (.128/.232/.149, 32 K in 47 AB, 2 errors in 14 chances) and Lakeland (.154/.311/.244, 56 K in 123 AB, .917 fielding) and finished his career that year.

Sources: 1996-1997 and 2000-2003 Baseball Almanacs, "Yount's comeback attempt is way out of right field" by Mike Neagle in the 6/30/01 issue of The Daily Star