Orioleshome.com | Baltimore Orioles News, orioles Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Jan. 14--Michael Young's demand to be traded after the Texas Rangers told him he'd be moving to his right prompted several reactions, not the least of which was this: </div>Can the Rangers get anything right on the major league level, and can they start by fixing things up with the face of the franchise? Young, who voluntarily moved to short five years ago, was rightfully offended that Jon Daniels gave him no say in the decision this time. "Did I leave it for him to decide?" Daniels asked and answered. "No, I didn't. Did I want him to be an active part of the process? Yes." More than semantics are involved here, and not just Young's bruised feelings, either. Elvis Andrus may yet prove to be the kind of player that Reggie Jackson famously called himself -- "the straw that stirs the drink" -- but right now Elvis isn't even old enough to be served. He's never played above the Double-A level. The Rangers didn't even call him up last September. And now the Rangers are ready to kick Young to the foul line and go with the kid? Explained Daniels: "I think Elvis deserves the benefit of the doubt." The Rangers wouldn't be so magnanimous if they didn't feel like 2010 is the year. They'd like to speed up the process. But there's enough doubt about Andrus' seasoning and the timing to make you wonder if they're forcing the issue, and at Young's expense. When he volunteered to move to short in '04, Young accommodated a player, Alfonso Soriano, who'd already put in three star years at second base for the Yankees. As good as Elvis projects, there's no similar track record on the big league level. And if Young is now being asked to trust in the organization's talent evaluators, well, history suggests he has reason to be dubious. Surprise: In supporting this move, Daniels cites one of those lessons, his swap of Soriano to the Nationals for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and Armando Galarraga. "We took a beating from the media for not moving Soriano to left field before we traded him, and you guys were dead right," Daniels said. "Instead, we sold Soriano for 60 cents on the dollar, if that. But if we'd moved Soriano to the outfield, it would have been so Ian Kinsler could play second. Who knew what he could do then? "We'd have been facing the same kinds of questions then that we're being asked now." Unlike the Rangers, Frank Robinson and the Nationals demanded that Soriano move to left, before he hurt himself or someone else. Question: Does the Rangers' mistake with Soriano mean they're making the right move with Young now? Answer: Only if they offer the same kind of deal that Robinson and the Orioles made Cal Ripken in 1989. In spring training that season, Robinson moved Ripken, a six-time All-Star shortstop, to third and put Juan Bell, George's little brother, at short. But Bell made six errors in 14 games, a troubling trend from the minors. A week before the season began, the Orioles sent Bell down and moved Ripken back to short. "I'd always said I'd play wherever they wanted me to," Ripken said at the time. "I just wanted to know where I'd be. I've also got seven years of my career invested at shortstop." Ripken played eight more seasons at short before the Orioles shifted him to third for good. Juan Bell? He played for five teams over seven seasons and never threatened to displace a Hall of Famer again. For the record, I'm not necessarily against moving players around. In 2004, I planned to write that the Rangers should move Mark Teixeira to right field and award first base to Adrian Gonzalez. Had the Rangers done that, in fact, it might have made Daniels think twice before trading Gonzalez to San Diego. And the guy who talked me out of writing that column? Michael Young. "He's earned the right to play first," Young told me then. "Leave him alone." At least now you know this kind of thing isn't just personal. To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Jan. 14--Michael Young's demand to be traded after the Texas Rangers told him he'd be moving to his right prompted several reactions, not the least of which was this:

Can the Rangers get anything right on the major league level, and can they start by fixing things up with the face of the franchise?

Young, who voluntarily moved to short five years ago, was rightfully offended that Jon Daniels gave him no say in the decision this time.

"Did I leave it for him to decide?" Daniels asked and answered. "No, I didn't. Did I want him to be an active part of the process? Yes."

More than semantics are involved here, and not just Young's bruised feelings, either.

Elvis Andrus may yet prove to be the kind of player that Reggie Jackson famously called himself -- "the straw that stirs the drink" -- but right now Elvis isn't even old enough to be served. He's never played above the Double-A level. The Rangers didn't even call him up last September.

And now the Rangers are ready to kick Young to the foul line and go with the kid?

Explained Daniels: "I think Elvis deserves the benefit of the doubt."

The Rangers wouldn't be so magnanimous if they didn't feel like 2010 is the year. They'd like to speed up the process. But there's enough doubt about Andrus' seasoning and the timing to make you wonder if they're forcing the issue, and at Young's expense.

When he volunteered to move to short in '04, Young accommodated a player, Alfonso Soriano, who'd already put in three star years at second base for the Yankees. As good as Elvis projects, there's no similar track record on the big league level.

And if Young is now being asked to trust in the organization's talent evaluators, well, history suggests he has reason to be dubious.

Surprise: In supporting this move, Daniels cites one of those lessons, his swap of Soriano to the Nationals for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and Armando Galarraga.

"We took a beating from the media for not moving Soriano to left field before we traded him, and you guys were dead right," Daniels said. "Instead, we sold Soriano for 60 cents on the dollar, if that. But if we'd moved Soriano to the outfield, it would have been so Ian Kinsler could play second. Who knew what he could do then?

"We'd have been facing the same kinds of questions then that we're being asked now."

Unlike the Rangers, Frank Robinson and the Nationals demanded that Soriano move to left, before he hurt himself or someone else.

Question: Does the Rangers' mistake with Soriano mean they're making the right move with Young now?

Answer: Only if they offer the same kind of deal that Robinson and the Orioles made Cal Ripken in 1989.

In spring training that season, Robinson moved Ripken, a six-time All-Star shortstop, to third and put Juan Bell, George's little brother, at short. But Bell made six errors in 14 games, a troubling trend from the minors. A week before the season began, the Orioles sent Bell down and moved Ripken back to short.

"I'd always said I'd play wherever they wanted me to," Ripken said at the time. "I just wanted to know where I'd be. I've also got seven years of my career invested at shortstop."

Ripken played eight more seasons at short before the Orioles shifted him to third for good.

Juan Bell? He played for five teams over seven seasons and never threatened to displace a Hall of Famer again.

For the record, I'm not necessarily against moving players around. In 2004, I planned to write that the Rangers should move Mark Teixeira to right field and award first base to Adrian Gonzalez. Had the Rangers done that, in fact, it might have made Daniels think twice before trading Gonzalez to San Diego.

And the guy who talked me out of writing that column? Michael Young.

"He's earned the right to play first," Young told me then. "Leave him alone."

At least now you know this kind of thing isn't just personal.

To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.