[KING DAVID] David Price Named Minor League Player Of The Year; Could Be Promoted As Early As Today
Andrew Friedman, David Price, Matt Wieters September 9th. 2008, 11:51pmUSA Today announced that David Price has been chosen as USA Today’s Minor League Player of the Year.
Pitcher David Price, a left-hander from Vanderbilt who pitched at three levels in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization, is USA TODAY’s Minor League Player of the Year.Price won the award in a vote by the staff of USA TODAY and Sports Weekly as well as online voting for fans.
Earlier this week Matt Wieters won Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year award.
Of a more immediate concern for the Rays and Price is if and when he will be promoted. After starting game 1 for the Bulls in the IL Championship Series, Price’s minor league season is now over. If the Rays do promote King David it could happen as early as tonight following the Rays final game in Boston or tomorrow, prior to the series in Yankee Stadium. The Rays could also wait until the IL series is concluded and promote Price just prior to the upcoming homestand that begins on Monday against the Red Sox.
Of course, this is all dependent on the Rays deciding to promote Price this season. We are still not convinced the Rays will want to put more innings on his young arm. One also has to wonder if there is even a need for Price at this point. Outside of Troy Percival, the rest of the bullpen has been strong all season as well as all 5 members of the starting rotation.
And earlier this week Andrew Friedman sounded as if the Rays were leaning against a promotion.
“We don’t want people getting ahead of themselves, anointing [David Price] a savior and putting undo pressure on a kid in his first full professional season.”
If Price is promoted to face the Yankees and the Red Sox, it would be a fitting chapter in this season…With King David getting an opportunity to slay not one, but two Goliaths.
Rays’ Price chosen USA TODAY’s top minor leaguer [USA Today]
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I was at Price’s game last night at Scranton/ W/B and I must say he is nasty, but his command wasn’t very good last night. He was up alot, gave up two homeruns and Shelly Duncan had a monster game for the AAA Yanks.
Price works fast, his FB was consistantly between 93 and 95 and touched 97 several times.
Matt Spring caught him last night, and did a horrible job, at least 3 past balls, The Bulls defense was really really really bad, and a can of corn flyball was mislplayed by Jon Weber in RF to lose the game after coming all the way back with a 5 spot in the 7th…
I was impressed with Dale Thayer, he is tiny (Im guessing 5′-10″ at the most, but he hits 93 and he hides the ball very VERY well. I was right behind the catcher last night, and if I were trying to hit him, the ball looks like it’s coming from his back or ribs.
All in all, I think Price wouldve pitched better with a catcher who has caught him more, and the rainy weather did not help.
Thanks for that, Jason. I always like hearing accounts from folks who are able to make it to the games.