Ranger Michael Young talks 2006 WBC Exit

Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Michael Young is spending his spring helping a former teammate, Mark DeRosa, with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Young is an unofficial part of DeRosa’s coaching staff, which is preparing the team for its pool play opener with Great Britain on Saturday night. Before that, Young stopped off at the Texas Rangers spring training complex earlier this week and talked to the players.

The Rangers want players like Young to come to spring training and impart wisdom on their younger players. The logic is the same for DeRosa and Young, who were teammates from 2005-06.

But Young is working with established veterans in WBC camp and he’s a former WBC player, too. He and Mark Teixeira played for the U.S. Team in 2006. It was a collection of incredible baseball talent.

The pitchers included Roger Clemens, Joe Nathan, Dontrelle Willis and Al Leiter, the father of current Rangers prospect Jack Leiter. The position players included Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Johnny Damon, Ken Griffey Jr. and Matt Holliday.

But that team didn’t even get to the championship round. The U.S. lost all three of its games in the second round of pool play, which led to the championship round. That last loss to Mexico stung, Young said, and he intends to share that feeling with this team before action begins.

Young talked with MLB.com about the experience.

“I remember being as (ticked) off as I've ever been at a baseball game,” Young said. “We'd been in the tournament for a few games at that point, but none of us were conditioned to play tournament baseball. We were used to a three-game series or a seven-game series in the postseason. We were having trouble swinging the bat as a team. Crazy talent. The next thing you know, we blink and the game was over. They were celebrating. They played a helluva game.

“I remember (going) to the clubhouse looking around and thinking ‘There's no way that should have happened.’ This team is too good. Even to this day, 17 years later, it still bothers me. It still bothers me. But that's the nature of competition. You never really shake that off.”

Young is the Rangers’ all-time hits leader and works as a special assistant in the organization.