Young Makes It Official, Signs With Cardinals

As expected, Rio Mesa High infielder Dmitri Young signed a professional contract Thursday with the St. Louis Cardinals and will report this weekend to the club’s rookie-league team in Johnson City, Tenn.

Larry Young, Dmitri’s father, said the contract included a signing bonus of $385,000, up to $80,000 for college tuition and cash incentives for each step his son takes up the organizational ladder.

Young, a switch-hitter who batted .483 and drove in 127 runs during his four-year high school career, is regarded as one of the nation’s top prospects. St. Louis selected Young fourth overall in the June amateur draft.

“We got him a big bag of clothes and we’re ready to send him on out of here,” his father said. “He’s really raring to go.”

Larry Young reached a verbal agreement with St. Louis General Manager Dal Maxvill on Monday. The contract was signed at the office of Young’s attorney in Santa Monica.

“We’re very happy and he seemed to be very happy,” said Chuck Menzhuber, a St. Louis scout who was present at the signing. “Any time you sign your No. 1 pick, you’re glad to get it out of the way so he can go play.”

Young, who played a variety of positions in high school, will play third base. Young will not turn 18 until October.

Present at the signing were the members of the Young family, Rio Mesa baseball Coach Rich Duran and St. Louis scouting representatives Marty Keough, Mel Nelson and Menzhuber. Also in attendance was Young’s friend, Brian Smith, a first baseman from Agoura High who plays at Arizona State.

Young (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) will leave Sunday for Johnson City, a member of the Appalachian League. He will play there until September, when Menzhuber said Young will leave to participate in the team’s instructional league in St. Petersburg, Fla.

In each of his four seasons at Rio Mesa, Young was selected the the state’s top player in his class by Cal-Hi Sports magazine.

The Times’ Ventura County player of the year this spring, Young led the area with 11 home runs. He set several Southern Section offensive marks in his career.