"The irony was good here Saturday. You could tell by the big smile on the face of Ron Washington.

After the public nastiness that went down the past month, and even with some still thinking there's an uneasy vibe to this baseball spring training camp, Washington quipped, "you never know."

As in, keep an eye on it every day, because you never know where Michael Young will be playing.

For the Texas Rangers' Cactus League opener against the Royals here today, Young will be the starting, yes, third baseman.

Isn't that what the off-season blow-up was all about? That Young was being moved off third base?

"No... no," answered Young. "That's not what it was about."

Regardless, you have to like Washington's sense of humor.

The first game of the spring, and Young is back at third base because newcomer Adrian Beltre is gimped-up due to a calf sprain, and is out for at least another week.

Young, by the way, will start at first base on Monday, and at second base on Tuesday, meaning the manager is wasting no time in laying out the new DH-super infielder game plan.

But for the opener today, Washington went with the irony factor.

And one other thing.

Instead of hitting sixth in the batting order, the manager made it official Saturday that Young is in the regular season.

Calmly, Young responded, "wherever Ron wants to use me in order to win a ballgame, that's fine."

For those breathlessly predicting a spring training of distractions caused by Young, there's been absolutely nothing to report from out here in the first week. As predicted, by the way.

"The whole situation was completely over-analyzed," noted second baseman Ian Kinsler on Saturday. "Even people who should have known better, because they know Mike Young, blew it badly on that distraction stuff."

Young, however, didn't bite on the irony of starting at third base for the first Cactus League game today. "I don't know," he smiled, when asked if Washington did it on purpose. "I just know Ron told me to get ready for a totally different kind of spring training than I've had before, and I have to be prepared for that.""