TORONTO – Chris Young may be in Canada, but his heart, understandably, is in Houston.
The Red Sox outfielder/DH is a native of Houston, currently under siege with Hurricane Harvey ravaging the area, where many family members are battling the storm.
“It’s hard,’’ said Young before the Red Sox began their series with the Blue Jays here. “It’s part of our lifestyle (as pro athletes); we can’t be there. But I wish I could be there with my family right now to help them out. A lot of my family has been evacuated from their homes and the electricity is out. They’re finding safe places to go to, to try to wait this out and see what happens.
“It’s tough out there right now. All I can do is see the video and the pictures and all that. You just hope everybody is all right.’’
Young is in constant communication via phone – he was seen bringing his phone out on the field during some early work – and is getting updates throughout the day. His parents were forced from their home as part of a mandatory evacuation of their neighborhood, but have safely relocated.
“That’s all that’s really important – they’re safe,’’ said Young. “Everybody in my family, that I know of, is safe and sound right now. Personal belongings, that stuff is just stuff. It’s not important. As long as they’re safe and healthy and out of danger…’’
Young said he’s been able to find some refuge by simply doing his job.
“When you step on the field,’’ he said, “you’re able to get away for a second. I’m talking to my family every hour. They’re keeping me in the loop and they’re assuring me that they’re safe and not to worry. But you can’t help but worry, especially when you’re so far away. You just can’t do anything to help. It sucks, but at the same time, you don’t can do anything about it.’’
John Farrell is mindful of the stress Young feels and has empathy for his situation.
“You have to have some compassion for what really matters,’’ said Farrell, “and that’s family and life. You keep the whole city of Houston (in your thoughts) – my gosh, what they’re dealing with is unfathomable, to be honest with you. No doubt, some hardship is going to come out of that in general, but how it might affect an individual on your team, you’re always keeping an open line of communication; if there are specific needs that they have, you try to attend to them.’’