Jim Price

Jimmie William Price (October 13, 1941 – August 7, 2023) was an American professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers from to . He was also the color commentator for the Detroit Tigers Radio Network and PASS for nearly 30 years.

Baseball career Price was born on October 13, 1941, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

After he graduated, Price signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, receiving a $15,000 signing bonus. In , he hit 19 home runs while batting .311 for the Kinston Eagles of the Single-A Carolina League. He made his MLB debut with the Tigers and he hit .261 in 44 games. Price played as the backup catcher to starter Bill Freehan. With the 1968 Tigers, Price won the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Softball career Price played in the 1979 season for the Detroit Caesars in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL), with the team finishing with a 40–24 (.625) record, losing in the playoff semi-finals to the eventual World Series champions Milwaukee Schlitz.

The Caesars played at Memorial Field in Eastpointe, Michigan, a small suburb of Detroit between 1977 and 1979, were owned by eventual Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, and featured several former Detroit Tigers such as Price, Jim Northrup, Mickey Stanley, and Norm Cash, largely in promotional roles. The Caesars disbanded at the end of the 1979 season.

Price first worked as a color analyst on the Tigers' cable telecasts with PASS Sports in 1993, moving to the Detroit Tigers Radio Network in 1998.

Price was absent for five games early in the 2012 season due to health trouble. According to Price, he had not previously missed an assignment in twenty years. In May, Price would miss a nine-game road trip, again for health reasons. He was replaced in both absences by former Tigers pitcher Dan Petry.

Quirks and signature phrases For several years, Price called play-by-play of the middle innings of each radio broadcast, and often announced "[player name]...touch 'em all" after a Tiger hit a home run. Another trademark of his was saying "nice area" whenever a city in Michigan is mentioned.

Personal life Price and his wife, Lisa, have a son, Jackson, who is autistic. They founded Jack's Place For Autism, a non-profit organization designed to assist families affected by the disability. He was still working as a broadcaster for the Tigers up until a month before his death.