There are the indelible players in a locker room, the glue guys that make everything tick. They come in different forms; some are wily veterans with years of experience, and others are electric young speedsters making a name for themselves. Eric Young Jr. has been all of those things. Really, he’s still one of those guys — just exclusively in the dugout.
“E.Y is the best,” is a shared sentiment perpetually surrounding Young Jr., now five years after his playing career.
He’s still everybody’s big brother, even when he’s old enough to be their dad.
They call him E.Y., not Coach, not Eric. Just E.Y. It’s always been just E.Y. It didn’t take long for that comfort level to set in with the Mariners’ organization; Eric Young Jr. just has that effect on people. Sure, lifelong Rockies fans and Eugene Emeralds photographer Russell Taber admits he was a little “star-struck” the first time Young Jr. showed up at the University of Oregon’s PK Park as the Mariners’ organization-wide baserunning coordinator — making a stop with the Everett Aqua Sox. But then E.Y started doing things like doling out nicknames, cracking jokes, making guys feel at ease, and telling stories about his 10-year career.
“It’s my job to help guys feel at ease,” Young Jr. said. “Especially when I’ve been there before, too.”
Officially, Eric Young Jr. is the Mariners’ baserunning coordinator. Unofficially, E.Y.’s week-long stints include anything from outfield drop-step tips to talking trash with other players and coaches.
Working in baseball was a natural first step out of retirement. His father, also Eric, enjoyed a 16-year career himself. So nearly four years ago, when E.Y. received word from the Mariners that he would be brought on as a Triple-A coach, he immediately jumped at the opportunity.
“I couldn’t wait to get back,” Young Jr. said.
His retirement lasted about two years, a blip enforced by the pandemic. Other than that, it’s been all go for E.Y. throughout his career.
“I got to rest for a bit,” Young Jr. said.”
Now E.Y has the coaching bug — little to his own surprise.
And when you see him leading drills, occasionally taking swings, chatting up players, and even running the bases himself. He looks like a man comfortable in the next step of his career. He sounds like a guy who is having fun and is in good headspace.
But really, he’s a young man — just 39 years old — with his whole life in front of him. And he’s just trying to figure out how to spend it.
Coaching was the natural fit. It’s hard to picture E.Y grinding it out on the lonely road as a scout. He belongs in a locker room, his big voice and personality permeating every stall. He was the beating heart of the clubhouse for his ten seasons in the league, and it’s no surprise he’s slipped right back into that role as a coach, even when the players are nearly two decades younger than he is. It took him a little time to relearn how to work with younger players and continue to adapt to analytics.
But more than that, he’s always known how to connect with the players on a more fundamental level, to reach them and instill in them a winner’s mindset. Most MiLB coaches either didn’t play in the MLB or are decades past their playing days.
But Eric Young Jr. isn’t just a name. He’s a name these guys know.
E.Y was already veering in this direction late in his career, welcoming rookies and mentoring them throughout the season as a vet. Now he’s applying everything he’s learned — how to talk to young players, reach young players, and connect with young players just like older players once did for him.
“Guys like LaTroy Hawkins were huge for me getting started in the league,” Young Jr. said. “The game is hard and comes with a lot of sacrifices and expectations to produce.”
Now, as a coach, Young Jr. is doing all he can to alleviate that pressure.
Sometimes, his job really is simple: sitting in the room with the players, telling stories about Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and the old days.
Back on the field, back in the locker room, back in his element. Just E.Y being E.Y.
Photo Credit: First Base Coach Eric Young Jr. #12 of the Washington Nationals looks on from the dugout during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, April 6, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
