"Looking back, it had to be the best time of Michael Young's baseball life.

Ten seasons, both wistful and stormy, lashed to the mast of the oft-foundering franchise, and the Texas Rangers' ship had finally come in.

An American League pennant. A trip to the World Series. Fans on the street recognizing him, thanking him.

And though 2010 wasn't Young's best season, personally he had finished with 60 extra-base hits and driven home 91 runs.

The so-called "Face of the Franchise" had every reason to glow -- and every reason to look forward to 2011.

Wind the story forward, however, and here we were Saturday sitting at separate news conferences. The Face of the Franchise had lost its bloom.

Young's arrival at spring training began with a hug -- an immediate hug from manager Ron Washington. And then Young walked straight to newcomer Mike Napoli's locker and gave the ex-Angel a friendly embrace.

A symbolic sign that all was well?

Don't overreach, as it turns out.

In the news conference that followed, Young spoke of warm feelings for his manager and teammates, but turned a verbal cold shoulder to the club's general manager, Jon Daniels.

Young apparently had a cordial conversation recently with team president Nolan Ryan, but he wasn't interested in speaking to Daniels, he said.

"I have made my feelings clear to the people I think I need to make them clear to," Young said. "I'm not going to take this anywhere it doesn't need to go."

Daniels' sin? Young declined to specifically say. But look back to November and the AL pennant and the joy that a then-10-year veteran must have felt."