The One Where Shank Tries To Bait David Price

Spring training has arrived for the 2018 Boston Red Sox, so Shank's in Fort Myers in his own version of the Winter Olympics - the Athlete Ambush:

FORT MYERS, Fla. — I’ve been in Fort Myers well over 24 hours, and every conversation with every Red Sox fan, snowbird, and JetBlue clubhouse attendant starts with the same question:

“How come Malcolm Butler didn’t play in the Super Bowl?’’

No one knows. We’ll never know.

Are any of you buying that bullshit? Every single fan he's talked to? I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

So let’s talk about something else for a minute. Let’s turn to the feel-bad story of the 2017 Red Sox. Let’s get everyone back in the baseball mood with a cleansing, expansive interview with David Price.

Easy call, folks...

Fast-forward to 2018’s “reporting day” for Sox pitchers and catchers, and there was Price, affable, thoughtful, answering questions from the picnic table podium where every Red Sox manager and star player delivers opening remarks in mid-February. Think of it as 17 minutes in the dentist chair surrounded by dozens of folks with drills.

One minute into the session, the indomitable Jonny Miller asked, “How do you feel mentally coming in after a tough season last season?’’

Perfect. This is one of the dominant pitchers of the last decade, a guy with a suddenly fragile $200 million elbow, but we wonder about him “mentally.’’

“I had a very good offseason and I feel good both mentally and physically,’’ said Price.

Not surprised at the question; the only surprise is someone beating Shank to the punch. Read on for more of the same.