A pitcher who nearly quit for fast food became a record-breaking baseball superstar.
In short: David Price was a standout prospect who almost abandoned baseball for a job at McDonald's during college. Instead, he became the first overall draft pick, a Cy Young winner, and a World Series champion, signing the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League history at the time.
Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1985, David Price excelled in high school athletics before attending Vanderbilt University. His collegiate career was marked by extraordinary strikeout numbers, including a school-record 155 strikeouts in 2006. Despite his talent, the pressure of his academic and athletic workload nearly drove him to quit the sport entirely. His coach, Tim Corbin, intervened, keeping Price on the path that would eventually lead him to become the first player to sweep all major college baseball awards in 2007.
Price's professional ascent was rapid. Selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007, he reached the major leagues by September 2008. He made an immediate impact, earning a crucial save in the 2008 American League Championship Series. By 2012, he had secured the American League Cy Young Award, cementing his status as one of the league's elite starters. His career saw him move through several high-profile organizations, including the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox.
In 2015, Price signed a landmark seven-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox, which was the largest ever awarded to a pitcher at that time. His tenure in Boston included a notable 2018 World Series victory, where he earned the series-clinching win. While his career was defined by dominance on the mound, it was also punctuated by moments of intense scrutiny, such as a public altercation with broadcaster Dennis Eckersley in 2017. Price later joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, contributing to their 2020 World Series title, though he opted out of playing during that pandemic-shortened season.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: David Price (baseball)
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