Dmitri Young Sells Baseball Cards For Big Money And Good Cause
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By DERON SNYDER
We interrupt the stream of reports about athletes falling on hard times — and/or forced to sell valuables such as championship rings — to share the story of Dmitri Young. A two-time All-Star who played 13 seasonsin Major League Baseball, Young recently turned his hobby into seed money for a good cause.
In terms of profit-loss statements, Young’s interest in baseball cards didn’t pay off. He estimates that he spent roughly $5 million in building a collection during his playing career. But he didn’t do it for investment purposes as much as to relieve stress and amuse himself. So the fact that he just auctioned his collection for $2.5 million shouldn’t be the focus here.
His plans for the money are more worthwhile to discuss: A portion will fund the new Dmitri D. Young Foundation, which will help underprivileged kids in Ventura County, Calif., excel in life by learning to make good decisions. Among the areas he’ll emphasize is healthy living, particularly important since he has Type 2 diabetes.
“You come to a time in your life when it’s time to do other things,” Young told CBSSports.com when asked why he was selling. “When you have something as massive as that and that was 12 years in the making, it wasn’t like I inherited it. I started it from scratch. The collection was with me through the good times and the bad times, and now I’ve started a foundation …
