Price is right

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
A good 3rd starter like Lance Lynn for more certainty? The dude who has an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.68 this season, his first in the AL?
As with Price, I’m looking through short-term ups and downs.

Lynn missed spring training and unsurprisingly had a terrible April, he was then decent in May and very good in June. He was as bad in his first July start as Price was against the Yankees.

It’s also just one example of a proven veteran pitcher who signed last offseason for about a third of what Price will cost going forward. The market has changed and 1 WAR isn’t fetching $9 million in free agency anymore.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
As with Price, I’m looking through short-term ups and downs.

Lynn missed spring training and unsurprisingly had a terrible April, he was then decent in May and very good in June. He was as bad in his first July start as Price was against the Yankees.

It’s also just one example of a proven veteran pitcher who signed last offseason for about a third of what Price will cost going forward. The market has changed and 1 WAR isn’t fetching $9 million in free agency anymore.
Sure, a guy like Lynn is a lot cheaper. But there is nothing to suggest that Lynn would be "a good third starter" while price would be "a 4th starter at best." And for the record, Lynn's post-season WHIP is 1.58.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,376
Long way to go still, but thinking about Price and the playoffs....

Right now the Sox' rotation is a bit of a mess. Wright, Pom, and Eduardo all injured. So who knows how it will all shake out. But just thinking about Price in particular. Here are his playoff numbers as a starter and as a reliever.

Starter: 58.0 ip, 5.74 era, 1.21 whip, 8.07 k/9
Reliever: 14.2 ip, 2.45 era, 1.30 whip, 9.82 k/9

Only one bad outing as a reliever in his playoff career. But of his 9 playoff starts, only 1 would be considered excellent, with a couple more being serviceable, and the rest pretty bad. One advantage he may have coming out of the bullpen during the playoffs is that his velocity can be brought back up to where he's more effective. He used to throw in the mid-to-high 90s. Now he sits low 90s. If he were only throwing 2 innings at a time, he could get it back up to 95 or so. He could throw multiple days. Kind of an Andrew Miller type weapon. And last year he showed he really could do it.

Assuming health, a playoff rotation of Sale, Porcello, Rodriguez, and....??, with Price being the mid-game stopper of sorts. That may be a more effective way to use him than in a starting role, where he's clearly struggled.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,277
I guess its good that this thread hasn't been bumped in over a month with people complaining about him...

From todays game thread:

David Price has quietly put together a nice little stretch here. Last six games:

40.0 ip, 32 h, 8 r, 8 er, 7 bb, 41 k, 1.80 era, 0.98 whip, 9.2 k/9, team has gone 6-0 over those six games.
Step further, removing the one stinker against MFY on 7/1, he has a 2.55 ERA since beginning of May. As good of a #2 as you’ll find.
BB/9--
April 4.8
May 3.7
June 2.0
July/Aug 1.5

He's both throwing more strikes and has better control in the strike zone.
And even WITH that huge stinker, since May 12, over a span of 17 games, his line is:

17 g, 104.1 ip, 91 h, 37 r, 37 er, 25 bb, 110 k, 3.19 era, 1.11 whip, 9.5 k/9

Pretty damned good.
 

Pitt the Elder

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 7, 2013
4,418
Price is quietly putting together a pretty good season, especially if he continues this run a little longer. He's just around 20th in the AL in WAR, xFIP, FIP, AND similar stats, just a tick behind Porcello and a handful of other guys. Not exactly a tier-1 ace on the whole, but still a really solid pitcher. As Soxhop points out, he's arguably been a legit ace since mid-May.
 

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
8,100
4 years and 127 million left on his deal. Unless he has a Hershiser-like end to the season, I don’t think the opt out is in play (assuming maximizing dollars is the only consideration), but it also doesn’t seem like a huge waste for team with the Sox’ payroll.
 

bosockboy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
19,863
St. Louis, MO
4 years and 127 million left on his deal. Unless he has a Hershiser-like end to the season, I don’t think the opt out is in play (assuming maximizing dollars is the only consideration), but it also doesn’t seem like a huge waste for team with the Sox’ payroll.
Might hit that sweet spot of being a valuable, productive pitcher for the Sox; but not quite good enough to opt out.
 

Reverend

for king and country
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2007
64,038
Too bad he's an unlikeable asshole.

Every time Price does this, I hear a sound like the bell that gives an angel their wings, and I imagine a young player or rookie who fucked up gratefully sneaking away from the microphones.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,084
Too bad he's an unlikeable asshole.

His job is to literally interview you... these things are just so unnecessary. You can be non-responsive without being a total dick. Just say "Yea, we put in the time, and (Pitching coach) myself are really happy with the results." And if he follows up just say a quip about how your pitching coach doesn't want you to give away his secrets.

I get the media hasn't been Price's best friend, but these things are 2 ways streets.
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
I'm with PP. It was in essence a Belichickian response. We don't give away no trade secrets here.
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
58,878
San Andreas Fault
Long way to go still, but thinking about Price and the playoffs....

Right now the Sox' rotation is a bit of a mess. Wright, Pom, and Eduardo all injured. So who knows how it will all shake out. But just thinking about Price in particular. Here are his playoff numbers as a starter and as a reliever.

Starter: 58.0 ip, 5.74 era, 1.21 whip, 8.07 k/9
Reliever: 14.2 ip, 2.45 era, 1.30 whip, 9.82 k/9

Only one bad outing as a reliever in his playoff career. But of his 9 playoff starts, only 1 would be considered excellent, with a couple more being serviceable, and the rest pretty bad. One advantage he may have coming out of the bullpen during the playoffs is that his velocity can be brought back up to where he's more effective. He used to throw in the mid-to-high 90s. Now he sits low 90s. If he were only throwing 2 innings at a time, he could get it back up to 95 or so. He could throw multiple days. Kind of an Andrew Miller type weapon. And last year he showed he really could do it.

Assuming health, a playoff rotation of Sale, Porcello, Rodriguez, and....??, with Price being the mid-game stopper of sorts. That may be a more effective way to use him than in a starting role, where he's clearly struggled.
Unless, heaven forbid, he gets hurt again, Price is starting in the post season. And, he’ll get over his bugaboo and win a couple games.
 

Byrdbrain

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
8,588
If it were CHB or someone who was a dick I could see that type of answer but it was Johnny Miller who is anything but hard on the team. Give a non-answer in a reasonable way and move along. He was purposefully a dick to someone who would never be a dick to him.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 19, 2015
5,398
If it were CHB or someone who was a dick I could see that type of answer but it was Johnny Miller who is anything but hard on the team. Give a non-answer in a reasonable way and move along. He was purposefully a dick to someone who would never be a dick to him.
Exactly how I feel. Even if you think he shouldn't share the info, there are a bunch of better ways to do that than how he handled it.

Not that I believe for a second that this was some calculated response to avoid sharing info.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,084
His adjustments are on film for everyone to see so I’m not sure why DP wouldn’t just say it. It was a dinky response.
"I'm not going to do your job for you, you dont have to do mine." Is an absolutely ridiculous line from a professional athlete.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,367
Johnny Miller's job is to ask people like David Price questions whose answers fans of the sport might be interested in hearing. It is not JM's job to break down fucking tape. Does DP want the likes of JM to actually break down tape and publish their findings? Of course not.

Give a non-answer that is civil and be done with it. DP gets no sympathy from me about how he is treated by the media. He is a totally unlikeable dink.
 
Last edited:

Sandy Leon Trotsky

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 11, 2007
6,348
I can't believe people actually care about how DP treats the media. I do not care. I don't approve... I don't condone. It just does not matter absolutely one stinking bit to me and it actually annoys me much more that people care one way or the other. I've found Papelbon, Beckett and Schilling and often times even Lester to be as much or even worse as people and more unlikeable than Price.
I'm happy he's pitching well right now. I hope he continues to pitch well. I hope he excorcises any post-season demons and he and Sale turn in the best post-season pitching combo since Schilling/Johnson in '01.
 

StupendousMan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
1,910
Johnny Miller's job is to ask people like David Price questions whose answers fans of the sport might be interested in hearing. It is not JM's job to break down fucking tape. Does DP want the likes of JM to actually break down tape and publish their findings? Of course not.
Why not? I'm a sports fan, and I'd much rather read an article by a person who breaks down tape and analyzes pitches than by a person who asks inane questions of athletes in the locker room.
 

judyb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
4,444
Wilmington MA
I still believe Price thinks he's a comedian, and can't resist trying to be funny in ways that make him seem like a bad guy when people take him seriously.
 

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
Johnny Miller's job is to ask people like David Price questions whose answers fans of the sport might be interested in hearing.
And David Price's job is to pitch and not deliver canned answers to mouth breathers in Holbrook. Price is a saint compared to Manny in this regard. Unlike Manny, I don't think Price is a genuinely bad person when it comes down to it so I'm not going to get hung up on these stupid distractions.
 

SoxInTheMist

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
212
Woodinville, WA
I can't believe people actually care about how DP treats the media. I do not care. I don't approve... I don't condone. It just does not matter absolutely one stinking bit to me and it actually annoys me much more that people care one way or the other.
I certainly get more enjoyment in rooting for players that I care about, like and appreciate. Sure, winning might trump all of that but it doesn't have to be a binary choice. It's much more fun following a team that excels on the field and isn't dicks off the field.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,367
And David Price's job is to pitch and not deliver canned answers to mouth breathers in Holbrook. Price is a saint compared to Manny in this regard. Unlike Manny, I don't think Price is a genuinely bad person when it comes down to it so I'm not going to get hung up on these stupid distractions.
The team and DP make him available to the media to answer questions, so this is very much a part of his job.
 

biff_hardbody

New Member
Apr 27, 2016
317
It would have been so easy for him to answer in a non-prickish way. That he can't help but be a prick is off-putting.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,367
There’s rules that say he has to be pleasant?
Of course not. DP can be as big a dick as he wants. He just can't expect to be adored by fans and the media if he is an asshole. He seems to be surprised that people don't like him

Believe it or not, some fans want to like the people they root for.
 

BroodsSexton

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2006
12,630
guam
He's just following Bill Belichick's lead.

As long as he pitches well I like him just fine.
Yup. And when BB gives answers like those we all laugh and start threads about how quotable he is.

That answer made me like Price more. I would have also approved an “I’m just making the adjustments that I think are best for the team,” followed by an “I already answered that.”
 

azsoxpatsfan

Does not enjoy the go
SoSH Member
May 23, 2014
4,774
It seems to me that Price has a blanket hatred of the entire media. It’s not justified in cases such as this one where he acts like a dick to someone who was never excessively critical of him, but I don’t blame him for being angry at the group of people who have criticized him for 2+ years. I understand why people want to root for good guys, but I don’t think this is any indication that he’s not that. I just think he’s been extremely frustrated by the media throughout his entire time in Boston.
 

jayhoz

Ronald Bartel
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
17,367
Yup. And when BB gives answers like those we all laugh and start threads about how quotable he is.

That answer made me like Price more. I would have also approved an “I’m just making the adjustments that I think are best for the team,” followed by an “I already answered that.”
BB embraces the hate. DP complains about it. That's the difference.
 

NickEsasky

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 24, 2001
9,191
BB embraces the hate. DP complains about it. That's the difference.
There's kind of a chicken and egg thing here no? You want to like the players you root for but the media has had a huge hand in trying to turn the fans on Price. Pretty much every radio guy in Boston craps on him on a regular basis if not openly rooting for the guy to fail (Zo).
 

biff_hardbody

New Member
Apr 27, 2016
317
Belicheck would not editorialize with something like "I'm not going to do your job for you, you don't do mine."
 

BroodsSexton

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2006
12,630
guam
Belicheck would not editorialize with something like "I'm not going to do your job for you, you don't do mine."
I mean, these took me like two minutes to select. If you don't think he's editorializing in either verbal or non-verbal communication...And don't get me wrong--I think it's hilarious. But that's a clown distinction, bro.


By WHOOO?


"We'll make sure you're first on the list."


"You're the best." lol.

 
Last edited:

Devizier

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 3, 2000
19,470
Somewhere
Monthly xFIP

Mar/Apr 4.67
May 4.19
Jun 3.86
Jul 3.69
Aug 3.06

Monthly K/BB

Mar/Apr 2.00
May 2.58
Jun 4.29
Jul 10.00
Aug 4.60

Say what you want, man.
 

drbretto

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 10, 2009
12,075
Concord, NH
Price wears his heart on his sleeve. It's just part of what makes him him. He can come off like a dick, but then again, the media can ask some stupid questions. I have never found much value in athlete interviews. They're coached to say useless cliches, or if they tell any kind of truth, they're lambasted.

If he keeps on performing on the field, I'm a fan.
 

grimshaw

Member
SoSH Member
May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
^ Yup

This latest thing is whatever, but as a general rule, not being a dink to other people is not a difficult thing to do regardless of how many championships you have or haven't won. It's pretty much as simple as that to me. Why be an asshole when you can instead not be an asshole?
 

uncannymanny

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 12, 2007
9,081
^ Yup

This latest thing is whatever, but as a general rule, not being a dink to other people is not a difficult thing to do regardless of how many championships you have or haven't won. It's pretty much as simple as that to me. Why be an asshole when you can instead not be an asshole?
Are you referring to the Boston media or Price here?
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
It's probably cherry picking but another way to look at Price's season is to remove the 5 starts between 4/11 and 5/3 due to his Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.

That leaves you at a 2.82 era in 118.1ip with 120k/27bb and a 1.12 WHIP in 19 starts.
 

Reverend

for king and country
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2007
64,038
^ Yup

This latest thing is whatever, but as a general rule, not being a dink to other people is not a difficult thing to do regardless of how many championships you have or haven't won. It's pretty much as simple as that to me. Why be an asshole when you can instead not be an asshole?
What if his performance isn't for us or the media?

He does have a real job to do, and that job has real work to do.
 

grimshaw

Member
SoSH Member
May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
What if his performance isn't for us or the media?

He does have a real job to do, and that job has real work to do.
I'm not commenting on whether he does his job well or not, I'm saying he can probably do it without being a dick regardless of how the media treats him. Jonny Miller isn't an EEI blowhard.

I root for the uniform but I wish he'd make it easier.
 

Reverend

for king and country
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2007
64,038
I'm not commenting on whether he does his job well or not, I'm saying he can probably do it without being a dick regardless of how the media treats him. Jonny Miller isn't an EEI blowhard.

I root for the uniform but I wish he'd make it easier.
You lost me at "probably."

That's only true if we understand his purpose and how the means he's employing relates to that, as he understands it.

Much like how BB makes a point of pointing out that he doesn't always know why a play worked for certain because he doesn't have information about what his opponents' play calls and assignments were.

Without that, I can't accept "probably"; it crashes the whole premise as an assumption. "Probably" is how outsiders assume we know the job better than the people doing it--and doing it well.
 

grimshaw

Member
SoSH Member
May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
You lost me at "probably."

That's only true if we understand his purpose and how the means he's employing relates to that, as he understands it.

Much like how BB makes a point of pointing out that he doesn't always know why a play worked for certain because he doesn't have information about what his opponents' play calls and assignments were.

Without that, I can't accept "probably"; it crashes the whole premise as an assumption. "Probably" is how outsiders assume we know the job better than the people doing it--and doing it well.
Are there any players you haven't enjoyed following from one of the local 4 teams? Other than for legal reasons? If so, why?

I'm not sure we're going to get anywhere otherwise.