Rather than sign with the Reds, Young chose to enroll at Chapman College, where he played for the school's baseball team.

He played two games in the major leagues at first base for the Detroit Tigers in 1971, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in.

[5] He also scouted for the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Florida Marlins[3][6] and was special assistant to the general manager for the Chicago Cubs.

After presenting his findings to Orioles' general manager Roland Hemond and MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, Ueberroth contacted Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles, who agreed to fund a youth baseball program in Los Angeles, providing $50,000.

[8][11] He obtained help from African American players, including Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis, who are from Southern California.