The Tigers announced this afternoon that longtime radio broadcaster Jim Price has passed away. He was 81.
“All of us with the Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Price’s passing,” said CEO Chris Ilitch as part of a prepared statement. “Jim was a champion on the field, in the broadcast booth, and throughout the community. That Jim was with the organization for much of his life, doing what he loved, is such a powerful sign of his dedication and loyalty to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.”
A Harrisburg native, Price began his playing career with the Pirates in 1960. A right-handed hitting catcher, he spent parts of six seasons in the minor leagues in the Pittsburgh system. Going into the ’67 campaign, the Bucs sold his contract to the Tigers. Price debuted that year and would spend parts of five seasons with Detroit.
The presence of 11-time All-Star Bill Freehan didn’t give Price much of a path to playing time. He never appeared in more than 72 games in a season and tallied 261 contests overall. Through 678 career plate appearances, he was a .214/.287/.341 hitter. While not the longest playing career, Price was a member of the 1968 Detroit club that won the World Series in seven games over St. Louis. He got into two games off the bench during the Fall Classic.
While he was a role player during his MLB days, Price remained associated with the organization long past his playing career. He was a fixture on the club’s radio broadcasts as a color commentator for more than three decades. Price paired with Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell for a few seasons and had spent over 20 years working with current radio broadcaster Dan Dickerson.
MLBTR joins countless others around the game in sending our condolences to Price’s family, friends, loved ones and former teammates/colleagues.