Blake Young (Photo: Evan Williams)

And that's assuming he would have rode with exactly the same speed he did in 2012. However, he likely would have rode even better, as his confidence was battered last season, both by attempting unnatural modifications to his riding in a desperate attempt to answer Hayes' brilliance and because it became obvious that his team had lost faith in him.

But the blame for not matching Hayes and Yamaha falls as much on Yoshimura Suzuki as it does Young. While perhaps unavoidable due to budget constraints, ditching Tommy Hayden for a paid rider had negative consequences on both sides of the garage; Hayden was a title contender in his own right and a boon to the less experienced Young, who could rely on the veteran's settings when lost and focus on leveraging his natural gifts come the green light. That luxury didn't exist in 2013.

Swapping out Young with another rider with limited Superbike experience (even an awesomely talented rider like Martin Cardenas) does not automatically fix things.

Yosh felt it was time for a reshuffle and that's their prerogative. But what's everyone else's excuse for passing up this opportunity? Is anyone out there actually serious about beating Yamaha and Hayes or are they just waiting for him to retire?

Perhaps Young has outpriced himself in today's thrifty market… I don't know. I'm not sure what he's asking. But if he's asking a reasonable rate, there's little defending the field for not snapping up the only rider out there who has shown the ability to defeat Hayes with any sort of regularity.

Blake Young is not a lost cause. He has been blessed with the sort of natural talents that simply cannot be taught while his weaknesses are in areas that can be learned and refined.

His riding is not consistent enough. He needs to learn how to turn it on immediately, hit his marks lap-after-lap, and ride at the lead pace even when he's not fueled by emotion. However, he has world class balance that may be unmatched in the AMA Pro paddock, which, when combined with his rare courage, makes him nearly unbeatable when he's in the mix and chasing the checkered flag on the final lap.

Run down the list -- what current (or prospective) AMA Pro Superbike teams wouldn't be instantly improved with the addition of Young? Is there even one?

Josh Herrin enjoyed an outstanding rookie season and should be poised to step up significantly in his sophomore season. Right now, he's looking like Hayes' biggest concern. That said, imagine what Young might do if Hayes became his new steadying force a la Tommy Hayden in '11 and he no longer had to ponder equipment inequities.

Yoshimura? Sure, Cardenas was a superb hire, but consider a Cardenas/Young combo (even if Yosh's current budget has come to rely on money coming in from the second seat).