Dodgers: David Price Talks Friedman, Adjusting to NL, and More with MLB Network
Thus far, all of the attention has seemed to be on Mookie Betts. However as we get further into this story and it’s starting to sink in, newly acquired starting pitcher David Price is talking more and more.
Recently, he joined MLB Network to talk about a variety of subjects. Undeniably, I like David Price better after watching the segment below and breaking down a few quotes. It’s amazing how the change of a uniform can also change your feelings about a guy!
First off, it must be a little bit of a system shock to go from working in Boston to Los Angeles. I mean – imagine that for yourself – just switching coast lines seemingly over night for work. Price begins the segment talking about leaving Boston for Los Angeles.
“I’m very excited to go from Boston to LA. It’s very tough to go from a franchise that has been as storied as Boston. But to be a part of what they have going on here, 106 wins last year. As talented as they are at the big league level and in the minors, that’s special. I just want to come in, help these guys win, and have fun.”
Next, John Smoltz raises an interesting question about pitching off a new mound. Indeed, a pitching mound in every big league city is different just like each city has it’s own characteristics. I give credit to former veteran pitcher for asking a question like this. Price’s answer should interest many.
“There are adjustments, it’s just the more times you get out there the more comfortable you feel. For me, backdrops behind home plate is the biggest thing to get used to. Every stadium that you go to is going to have a different backdrop behind home plate. Whether the wall is close to the catcher or further back, it’s about getting acclimated to everything.”
It’s also here that we learn Price selects no. 33 in honor of James Shields, his former Tampa teammate. Price says that Shields took care of him when he got to the big leagues. Baseball is neat in that way, where you have a chance on the back nine of your career to pay tribute to a veteran who helped you when you were a youngster.
Finally, Price closes the segment by giving us a scouting report on himself as a batter. Also, he talks about what kind of conviction and tone he wants to pitch with in 2020. Without a doubt, this is the good stuff that I could listen to all day.
I’m getting excited for baseball, folks.
NEXT: How David Price Can be a Key Piece to the LA Rotation in 2020
Here’s a David Price story for you from more than a decade ago. My nine-year-old son and I were at a Mariners game (Seattle is lot closer to us than LA) and my son was crowded down near the rail trying to get autographs. The hometown Mariners were too busy to sign, but Devil Ray Price walked all the way across the field and signed for fans of the opposing team until the umpires told him to get back in his own dugout (he wasn’t pitching that day). A class act. And I am thrilled he will be pitching for the Dodgers.
Here’s a story about David Price. More than a decade ago, my nine-year-old son and I went to a Mariners game (Seattle is much closer than LA). My son crowded along the fence with the other kids trying to get autographs. They were completely blown off by the Mariners, but visiting Devil Ray David Price – in the midst of a season in which he finished second for the Cy Young – walked all the way across the field and signed autographs for these young Mariner fans until the umps told him he had to go back to his own dugout because the game was starting. A class act. And I am very pleased he is now a Dodger.