Dmitri Young's Award Caps Feel-Good Story

We learned earlier that Dmitri Young and Carlos Pena are your winners of the 2007 Comeback Player of the Year award. By its very nature, winning this award is never expected. But for Young, who battled legal problems, substance abuse, and still battles diabetes, it may be one of the most unexpected comeback stories of all time. The man they call Da Meat Hook was very appreciative.

"It was very humbling to say the least," he said. "This puts a stamp on everything I've been through and what I've accomplished this year on an individual standpoint." (...)

"I didn't have any fun last year," he said. "This year, baseball, it was the best."

I guess that's the way things usually go with these comebacks ... usually, the comeback season is more enjoyable than the year before. The diabetes part of the equation is particularly interesting:

Young is still learning how to deal with his diabetes - he nearly died last winter during a four-day stint in intensive care when doctors realized his blood sugar count was dangerously high - and he admits he needs to do a better job of watching what he eats, exercising and taking medication to keep the disease under control.

"Being a diabetic, you have to follow things precisely, and with our baseball schedule, I didn't follow it precisely at all," he said. "Now that I'm going to be with the organization, they got me some good doctors and all the things I need to take care of it."

And don't forget Brian Schneider and John Patterson spearheading the no-junk food movement in Washington.