Will David Price Be Able To Handle This Article Being Written About Him Right Now?
By Matt Dolloff (@mattdolloff)
BOSTON (CBS) -- David Price never seemed to enjoy dealing with the media here in Boston. Now he gets to deal with us on a daily basis.
For a pitcher with a troubling history of subpar performance in the postseason, it's a curious move for Price to go to a market where winning a World Series is paramount and the media and fans tend to be...critical...if you're not performing up to your standards. Price did pitch for a full calendar year in Detroit, which as Jim Caldwell taught us is a dark place for the people covering the Lions' and Tigers' decades of futility, but he's never lived in a hornet's nest like this.
But at least he's had plenty of experience in this city - and in the regular season, anyway, he's been brilliant. Price is 104-56 in his career with a 3.09 ERA and 1,372 strikeouts in 1,441.2 innings, all while pitching most of his career in the whiffle-ball parks of the American League East.
Price is also 6-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 11 career starts at Fenway Park. It's virtually guaranteed that Price will put together a Cy Young-caliber season over the first 162 games. Price has pitched well in Fenway as the enemy, so in theory he should be even better with the fans on his side this time.
But as far as fan expectations, they're going to be the highest they've ever been in Price's career by far. And there's just one little problem with that...Price's lackluster postseason career.
Whatever has caused Price's 2-7 record and 5.12 ERA in the postseason, he clearly hasn't been himself when the calendar flips to October. The most obvious answer is nerves - because it came straight from the man himself.
"Whenever a duck's swimming, they look calm and collected on the outside of the water, but below that water, they're kicking away," Price said about his nervousness after losing Game 1 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers. He gave up 5 runs in 7 innings, including two home runs.
Price said in a Q&A with Sportsnet back in August that he gets nervous about not just every postseason start, but every start period: "Once you throw that first pitch and get out there and get involved in the game, it goes away. But leading up to the game, I'm nervous for every start. Even in spring training I'm nervous. I care too much."
Doesn't exactly sound like Curt Schilling there.
Price is still just 30 years old, but he's also an eight-year veteran. It's fair to wonder if he will ever overcome the nerves that have caused his clear drop-off in production in the postseason. But he will need to if he wants to stick in Boston. He will need to buck a trend that he admitted is not an aberration.
Another thing Price will absolutely have to overcome to succeed here is his behavior on social media. He clearly holds himself to a high standard, and as a result gets hard on himself when he doesn't pitch well. He also cares too much what people say about him; let's not forget the time he lashed out at the "nerds" on Twitter who were criticizing his performance.
How is he going to react the first time he has Shaughnessy trying to wring quotes for his latest hatchet-job? Is he going to pull a Shane Victorino and actually care what they say on the Sports Hub from 2-6? Did he already get word of how much Felger & Mazz bashed the signing before Jim Murray even finished reading the report?
Even worse, is he going to read this article, as if my words should have any effect on his psyche? Is he reading this right now? David if you're reading this right now, stop now. Stop reading everything we say.
The bright side for Price is that most Red Sox beat writers are decent people. Yes, there will be more scrutiny and pressure on him to deliver than ever, but he's unlikely to get his feelings hurt by fair, reasonable reporters like Pete Abraham or Nick Cafardo.
If I were Dave Dombrowski, I would tell Price to ignore his Twitter mentions, avoid the radio, and toss the newspapers in the fireplace. Price knows he is a world-class talent, but hasn't always had the confidence to match. His high standards for himself can actually be a good thing - you'd rather have an ace who cares about pitching well than one who doesn't. But his postseason history cannot be ignored, and he's now going to have to change the narrative about himself in one of the toughest markets in the game, and now he's going to have his $217 million contract hanging over his head.
Price's nerves and Boston's immense pressure on its athletes to perform don't feel like a match. But ultimately, the Red Sox have landed the ace they desperately needed and are instant contenders again.
Price will certainly pile up plenty of quality starts in a Boston uniform, but his Red Sox career will not be defined by how he pitches from April through September. It's time for him to deliver in October, and it will be demanded of him now more than ever.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
