The Associated Press

LAKELAND, Fla. - Dmitri Young reported early to spring training, arriving at Joker Marchant Stadium Sunday morning eager to see everyone and get to work. But there was another big reason why Young was so excited about getting into town early.

Young will be featured in a "Dreams Come True" segment Monday on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

"I try to catch her show whenever I can. Sometimes I catch her making someone cry and it makes me cry," said Young, who led the Tigers last season with 29 home runs, 85 RBI and a .297 batting average. "I'm so excited to be back, to see Pudge out there throwing right now, I'm like, yes, yes, and now the Oprah Winfrey Show, wow!"

Young's participation in Winfrey's program was the result of a letter that Gayle Rutter of Defiance, Ohio, sent to the show's producers in January. Rutter's husband, Craig, who spent 19 years as the baseball coach at Defiance College, is a lifelong Tigers fan.

In the letter, Rutter explained that she wanted her husband's dream of pitching batting practice for the Tigers to come true, but when one of Winfrey's producers actually called her, she thought it was a joke.

"When Ann (one of the producers) called me from the show, she said we get thousands of letters and we'd like to use your idea,"' Rutter said. "I first thought it was a friend playing a joke, but then it hit me, this is really happening."

The Tigers selected Young, 30, as the player Rutter would pitch to and the show flew Dmitri to Defiance College to surprise Rutter, 51, with the news last week.

Young was dressed in his full home uniform when he arrived to see Rutter, who has been the director of service learning at the school for the past three years since retiring as the school's head baseball coach.

"This whole experience has been unbelievable," Rutter said.