Love, Unrequited

Check out this slobberfest from Shank to soon to be departing Red Sox pitcher, David Price:

Dear David Price,

Hope you and the family are doing well and looking forward to your future with the Los Angeles Dodgers. There’s plenty of noise about the trade back here in Boston, and fans are quite upset about the Red Sox dealing Mookie. I have tried to explain that they are going to miss you as well, but most of them aren’t buying.

Looking back, I still can’t understand what happened with you here in Boston.

Why did you hate it so much?

Can't afford a fuckin' mirror, Shank? Snark aside, I'm having trouble coming up with an athlete for whom Shank washed his balls so thoroughly the entire time he was in Boston. And if that's not enough bogus mental imagery to ruin your appetite, I'll do better next time!

One of these things is not like the others:

Why did you make things so difficult for yourself? I know this can be a tough place to play, but you made it much harder by being sulky and stubborn. Every day. It encouraged folks to overlook significant contributions you made in your four seasons.
...
I loved your game when you pitched for the Rays, Jays, and Tigers. I loved it when you stood up to David Ortiz after Big Papi pimped a couple of homers in the playoffs. You seemed like a thoughtful guy with great talent who would be a good fit here. But you were not. It was a disaster. You didn’t like it here and the fans didn’t like you.

The passive / aggressive routine continues on, if you're into that sort of thing - Shank sure is.

That's A Big 10-4

Here's Shank getting an easy column out of David Price reigniting his 'feud' with Dennis Eckersley:

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — I’ve never really found it hard to take sides in the David Price-Dennis Eckersley dust-up. Price is a talented baby who feels he is being a good teammate and a tough guy when he rips Eckersley. A bewildered Eckersley, who never wants to talk about it, just shrugs his shoulders and wonders about his nonsensical nemesis in the Sox clubhouse.

“He’s my new Kirk Gibson,’’ Eckersley said with a laugh Saturday in Cooperstown, N.Y. “Everywhere I go people are asking me about David Price, telling me what he said about me. For years, I carried the Gibson thing around. Everybody was droppin’ a Gibson on me. Now I got this. I don’t get it.’’

No one understands it. But let’s get one thing straight: This is not a back-and-forth feud. This is Price — twice in three years — going out of his way to attack Eckersley. Eck has never fired back and he’s not firing back now. He initiated none of it and studiously avoids the topic. I tried to get him to talk about it again Saturday with no luck. Eck just wants to enjoy his life, his grandchildren, and his broadcast career. He’s recovered from alcoholism, broken marriages, and surrendering one of the most famous home runs in World Series history. A few mean words from a petulant millionaire lefty can’t hurt him.

Agreed - Price is acting like a jerkoff and he should just can it.

The One Where Shank Starts To Turn On David Price?

Shank's been pretty supportive of Red Sox pitcher David Price ever since the Sox signed him three and a half years ago. That appears to be changing.

Fellow Boston Globe baseball reporter Chad Finn is doing a story on former MLB ace and current NESN announcer Dennis Eckersley and the 2017 'feud' between Eckersley and Price has now become the focal point, at least for some people around here:

I mean David Price won a World Series here and Eck did not, so I guess the fans can rally around him now in this weird feud. Here he basically implies nobody likes Eck past or present, but he has lots of friends that will say nice things about him after he retires. Cool, I guess https://t.co/2RbtS4MD2q

— Matt Dolloff (@mattdolloff) July 17, 2019

I interviewed people for the story and didn't use anything they said because there was so much universal praise for him that it got redundant. Jim Rice loves him. Remy. Buddy Bell. He's a son to La Russa. Scott Sanderson, who recently passed away, loved him On and on ... https://t.co/HuyMbB8QCN

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) July 17, 2019

Further, the MLB doc included interviews with ex-teammates Ron Darling, Bruce Hurst, Mark (And I'm Mark) McGwire, Ray Fosse, and Fred Lynn, among others. https://t.co/13Gx5VDl8G

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) July 17, 2019

Naturally, Shank has to weigh in with a tweet that demonstrates a lack of self-awareness:

David Price thinks he holds the cards. Then why be such a jackass? https://t.co/vY7eeFsdDn

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) July 17, 2019

There are plenty of things that Shank's written about over the years that make him look like a jackass, so let's savor that irony for now. Further down the road, if the Red Sox can't land a playoff spot and Price winds up pitching poorly, expect Shank's criticism of Price to reach the point where he'll become the next Red Sox player to be run out of town by His Shankness.

UPDATE AT 5:40 PM - Sure looks like Shank's setting the table to eventually run David Price out of town when the time is right:

Just spoke with Bruce Cornblatt, sr. producer of MLB Eck Doc. Said, "I came away feeling Eck's teammates all loved him. We got 100 % cooperation from those we asked. Hurst, Fosse, Darling, McGwire, Lynn, Remy.We didn't ask many. By design. This was supposed to be Eck on Eck.''

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) July 17, 2019

Re-establishing that Price doesn’t know what he’s talking about https://t.co/H950NZa8RZ

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) July 17, 2019

The Obligatory David Price Spring Training Column

Shank's back to writing about the Red Sox, albeit in a predictable spring training sort of way:

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s all quiet now for David Price. He is just another very good major league pitcher who makes a lot of money. He is just another World Series champ in a clubhouse with 21 other guys who can make the same claim. He is just another former Cy Young winner on a starting staff peppered with puffy résumés.

Perhaps most important, Price has passed the Boston pro sports terrible temperament torch to Kyrie Irving.

When discussing Price, no ever talks about Fortnite or Dennis Eckersley or postseason choking anymore. No one says, “Yuck.’’

Thanks for brining all of that stuff up again, Shank!

The Obligatory David Price Spring Training Column

You folks know the drill by now with the spring training columns, right?

FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Price changed his uniform number from 24 to 10 during the offseason.

“You’ll figure it out,’’ a playful Price said a couple of times during his first media session at JetBlue Park Thursday morning.

Hmmm, No. 10. No. 10. Homage to the late, great Celtics guard Jo Jo White perhaps? Maybe a measure of respect for Rich Gedman, an underrated two-time All-Star from Worcester who caught for the Red Sox in the 1980s?

UPDATE, 2/16/2019 AT 7:50 AM - Forgot the link to the story; like you're gonna read the whole column, right?

The New Mr. October

After a regular season in which he wrote a few columns containing many subtle and not so subtle digs & criticisms about the subject, Shank is now singing his praises.

David Price has morphed into Jim Lonborg/Luis Tiant/Josh Beckett/Jon Lester. Dare we say Curt Schilling? Boston’s much-maligned $217 million southpaw — a dartboard ornament for most of his three seasons at Fenway — is suddenly the Mr. October of the Red Sox pitching staff.

After a lifetime of historic postseason failure (zero wins in 11 postseason starts), Price has found his playoff mojo at the precise moment it matters most. On the heels of his series-clinching Game 5 masterpiece in Houston last week, Price on Wednesday dazzled the Dodgers, allowing only three hits in six innings of a 4-2 Red Sox victory in Game 2 of the World Series. J.D. Martinez delivered the winning runs with a two-run, two-out single to right in the fifth. Sox pitchers retired the final 16 Dodger batters.

Fortunately, that's it for the 'column', which doesn't bore you with any of that silly game recap stuff.

Redemption

That's Shank's angle concerning David Price's excellent pitching last night:

Here are the words about David Price you thought you’d never read

As always, note the use of the passive voice here and in other parts of the column.

HOUSTON — The relentless Red Sox won the pennant on Thursday night, beating the defending world champion Houston Astros, 4-1, in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Sox open the 114th World Series Tuesday at Fenway Park vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers.

Winners of 115 games, the Sox are trying to become the first team of the 21st century to win four World Series. In October of 2018, they’ve erased the 100-win Yankees and the 103-win Astros, winning seven of nine playoff games, including five straight on the road.

And here are the words you thought you’d never read . . .

The Sox clinched the pennant on the strength of six innings of stellar, pressure-packed pitching from the much-maligned David Price.

To be fair, Shank does goes on to drop the barest of hints about his own hand in the 'much-maligning' of David Price, but it never approaches a full mea culpa. If Price somehow falters during the World Series, expect Shank to switch back to 'much maligning'.

Missed Opportunity

If I didn't know any better, Shank seems just a tad disappointed that the Red Sox won last night and didn't give him an excuse to light up David Price:

They got 14 outs from a former Cy Young winner. They got three big outs in the eighth inning from another former Cy Young winner. Meanwhile, the best pitcher on the staff was at Massachusetts General Hospital being treated for a stomach illness.

They got flawless work from the bridge bullpen guys. They got a bases-clearing double from their offensively challenged center fielder. They got a couple of doubles and an RBI from their MVP right fielder. They got another high-wire save from their suddenly skittish closer. And they got a full nine innings from their manager, who’d been ejected in the middle of Game 1.

It all added up to a 7-5, series-tying victory for the Red Sox in their ALCS with the world champion Houston Astros on Sunday night.

This is the part about Price's selection for Game 2 (which he was second guessing hours before the first pitch) and his subsequent performance:

Compounding all this, the Sox skipper elected to go with David Price in Game 2.

Yikes. In its moment of high anxiety, Red Sox Nation was forced to turn to one of the most buffeted hurlers in the history of postseason baseball. Price was 0-9 with an ERA of 6.03 in 10 postseason starts. His teams were 0-10 in his starts.

Given all of the above, there was serious concern that we might be heading to Fenway for the final time in 2018. Leaving Boston down, 0-2, to the dominant Astros was a tall order for any team, even for a team that won 108 regular-season games. It didn’t help when we learned that Sale was at Mass. General due to a stomach condition and would not be flying to Houston with the team after the game.

If the Red Sox lost last night, there's no doubt this column would have been harsher in tone.

He Came To Bury Him

Shank, continuing his long running pretend liking of the man, now asks (in the middle of the game) - what is to become of David Price?

LeBron James will cry to the officials. The first penalty in any hockey game in Montreal will be called against the visitors. And David Price will spit the bit in the playoffs.

Of this, you can be sure.

Price was hoping to get back in your good graces against the Yankees in Game 2 of the AL Division Series Saturday night. He was going to make you forget all about his $217 million contract and the ambush of Dennis Eckersley and Fortnite and the rest of the nonsense. He was going to win a playoff game. Against the Yankees.

A reason is offered for Shank's lack of venom:

There’s no need to pile on Price anymore. It simply is sad. Price is one of the best pitchers of his generation. He is wildly rich and liked by his teammates. But his performance anxiety renders him hopeless in the big moments. If you want to be loved by Boston baseball fans you have to pitch well in the playoffs and you have to beat the Yankees. Price has done neither.

Wait until Price is off the team - then you'll see the real vicious criticisms from Shank.

Must Be A Blue Moon Tonight

That's because Shank wrote a column wholly supportive of a professional athlete in Boston, devoid of snark, venom and backhanded 'compliments':

David Price does not suck.

In 2018, there is no other way to say it. We know all about his shortcomings and the nonsense he has rained on our heads. Price has underachieved in Boston. He has not been “worth” the $217 million contract he signed after the 2015 season. He has insulted icon Dennis Eckersley, failed to apologize, and presented as tone deaf and provocative any time he has tried to be sarcastic or ironic. Throughout his career he has failed as a postseason starter. He’s the guy who made Fortnite famous.

But in August of 2018 he is finally the pitcher the Red Sox thought they were buying and the Sox are going to need him to perform in October in order to get where they want to go.

Either that, or aliens have taken over Shank's brain.

The David Price Paradox

Shank wants to take a monster shit on the Red Sox lefty, but can't quite bring himself to do it.

Had a quick back-and-forth with my main man, David Price, at his locker Wednesday afternoon. Here’s how it went:

Me: “You said you were ‘searching’ after that bad outing in KC the other night. Did you find what you were looking for?”

Price: “Yup.”

Me: “Can you tell me what you learned?”

Price: “Nope.”

And it goes downhill from there, with Shank egging him on and Price lying through his teeth.

In case you're wondering, here's Shank ripping off / reusing local talk radio to write part of his columns for him:

Caller on Line 1: “Yeah, I love the Red Sox, but I just don’t trust David Price in a big game. He’s soft. He thinks too much. Are we gonna be able to pitch him against the Yankees, or in the playoffs?’’

Host: “Can’t argue with any of that. That’s the $217 million question for the Red Sox in the next few months.’’

Color Me Shocked! - II

Well, that didn't take long, did it?

NEW YORK -- It’s not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It’s Lincoln Tunnel Syndrome.

Mercy!

David Price willingly put the bull’s-eye on his back. He teased about not being able to pitch against the Yankees because he’d played too much fortnite. He said this was going to be just another game.
And then he submitted perhaps the loudest, worst starting performance of his decorated career.

Too hot (91 degrees Sunday night)? Too cold (42 when the Yanks lit up Price in Fenway in April)? Allergies?

Without a doubt.

We know for sure now that Price is allergic to Pinstripes. He is allergic to the Bronx.

In what was billed by everyone as the most important non-playoff start in Price’s three-year career with the Red Sox, he surrendered five homers and eight runs in 3⅓ innings of a 11-1 loss to the Bombers Sunday. The Yankees vaulted back into first place and Price slinked off to Washington, spitting out pieces of his broken luck.

With the 2,000'th utterance of that little Jethro Tull lyric (an otherwise enjoyable song) in his column, time for this cat to stop reading...

Color Me Shocked!

Red Sox pitcher David Price just got lit up for four runs in the first inning against the New York Yankees, and he's not taking a major shit on him via Twitter. I reckon that's because he's furiously typing out his next column, lowering the boom on Price in his initial effort to run him out of town, like he's done with so many Red Sox players. Stay tuned!

Off The David Price Bandwagon?

Unable to rag on the Boston Red Sox for their most recent performance, Shank throws us a changeup. He has shown a strange affinity for Red Sox pitcher David Price over the past three years. It appears the shine's been taken off of that show as of the past, um, couple of Fortnites!

NEW YORK — David Price gets the ball Sunday night in New York against the Yankees.

This should be good.

Assuming Price actually makes it to the mound, it’s the most pressure-packed regular-season start of Price’s tumultuous 2½-year stint in Boston. And he owes it all to himself. Price seems to enjoy putting a bull’s-eye on his own back — an odd trait for a guy who has demonstrated aversion to pressure-packed moments. For those who haven’t heard, the much-decorated, wildly-talented Price is 0-8 with a 5.74 ERA in nine postseason starts.

Skip forward to the most recent festivities:

Roll the tape back to April 11 when Price made his only start of the year against the Bombers. He took the ball on a 42-degree night at Fenway, gave up four runs in the first inning, then came out of the game due to numbness in his pitching hand. The Sox wound up losing, 10-7. Six days later, Price took his regular turn and beat the Angels.

Then came the first “big” series in New York and the beginning of Price’s 2018 foolishness (his 2017 follies crescendoed when he verbally ambushed Dennis Eckersley on a team charter, then refused to apologize). Price was slated to pitch the second game of the first trip to the Bronx in early May. The day before Price’s scheduled start, Alex Cora casually mentioned that Price had been sent back to Boston due to more numbness in his pitching hand.

A day later, Price was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and the Sox lost his start, 9-6. This was the day we learned that Price loves playing the online video game “Fortnite” even more than he hates Boston. After a 48-hour news cycle of speculation and medical opinion regarding the possibility that Price was hurting because of his video-game addiction, the pitcher agreed to stop playing “Fortnite” in the clubhouse.

The casual observer might ask the question - has Shank been sincere in the many previous columns where he praised / practically slobbered over price, or has this all been part of a more elaborate scheme, designed to take the mother of all craps on the goofy southpaw when the time is right?

In the 3½ fortnights since then, Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in nine starts. He gave up only three runs in the one loss. He has been dominant. He has been the pitcher the Sox thought they were buying back in the fall of 2015.

Coinciding with this success, Price has invented a sarcastic/martyr persona, perfectly demonstrating his searing hatred for the Boston Baseball Experience.

Like he needs more of a reason than 'Dan Shaughnessy' to justify that hatred.

DHL Dan LXX - Off The David Price Bandwagon?

Talk about speculation! We're nearly two whole weeks away from this matchup, but that doesn't prevent Shank from casting doubt about one particular game:

David Price has come up big but we need to see him vs. Yankees, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while wondering if Tom Brady will jump up on the couch — Tom Cruise style — when we see his interview with Oprah . . .

Give him credit - this is a 21st century pop culture reference!

■ Let the record show that the much-maligned David Price won the two biggest games of the Red Sox season thus far. After the Sox lost the first two games of a four-game series against the Houston Astros two weeks ago, Price stopped the bleeding, winning a duel against Justin Verlander. Thursday night, when we were beginning to think the Sox can only beat the Orioles, Price beat Felix Hernandez and the first-place Mariners, 2-1. He’s 6-0 with a 2.64 ERA in his last seven starts, and the Sox have won all seven games. He has not lost since the carpal tunnel syndrome nonsense in New York. The Sox next play the Yankees in New York the weekend of June 29-July 1. We need to see Price in that series. My math (such as it is! - ed.) has him lined up for the series finale. It will be unfortunate if the Sox maneuver things to keep Price away from the Yankees.

Second guessing before the game actually takes place - now that's trolling for you!

■ I loved the late Jerome Holtzman, but he contributed to the decay of modern baseball by inventing the “save.’’ It’s an overrated stat. It’s putting Trevor Hoffman in the Hall of Fame this summer and it has produced Craig Kimbrel, who is a different pitcher in save situations vs. non-save situations. With a three-run lead, a clean ninth inning, and a cast of Orioles and Rays coming to bat, Kimbrel is one of the best pitchers who ever lived. He strikes out more than half the hitters he faces. In non-save situations, it’s a different story. Kimbrel is in his walk year. He wants saves. But Alex Cora needs to forget about the bogus soft saves and use Kimbrel to get the big outs. And Kimbrel needs to be on board with this.

It's obvious to me that some people are born to complain about damn near everything. Shank is one of those people, fortunate enough for him to get paid doing it. Read on for more bitching and moaning.

The One Where Shank Finally Turns On David Price?

Taking a cue from yesterday's Felger & Mazz radio show, Shank piles on Red Sox pitcher David Price.

NEW YORK — Carpal tunnel syndrome.

David Price missed his start in New York on Wednesday night — the biggest game of the year thus far in this stellar Sox season — because of carpal tunnel syndrome.

And not only that. According to the Red Sox, Price is suffering from minor carpal tunnel syndrome.

Could things get any more hideous for Boston’s $217 million starter? Price is forever walking around Fenway with a target on his back because of his salary, his playoff history, his Dennis Eckersley ambush, and all the other quotes and stunts that indicate he is ill-equipped for Boston baseball. And now he misses a start in New York because of a condition that possibly was brought on by playing too many video games?

The Obligatory David Price Spring Training Column

It seems that Shank likes what he sees in David Price's first spring training game:

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Thursday was a good day for Boston sports. Not a single Patriot star took more money to join another NFL team, none of the Celtics got hurt before flying to Orlando for Friday’s game, and no one uttered the word “yuck” during David Price’s four innings of shutout ball at JetBlue Park against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Price threw 55 pitches, 34 for strikes, and gave up one hit and one walk while fanning five (four called) in a Grapefruit League victory over the Jays. He looked almost ready for Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorius.

And just in case anyone forgot, Shank helpfully reminds you of the bad stuff that happened last year:

This was Price’s first start against a big league team since last July 22, when he lost to the Angels. Price went five innings on that Saturday night in Anaheim, and 24 hours later, details spilled of his unfortunate airplane ambush of Dennis Eckersley earlier in the season.

Mentioning the other Boston sports teams in an insulting manner, dredging up the past - par for the course in a Shank spring training column.

The Obligatory David Price Column

Shank continues to heap praise on the embattled pitcher, but that will change sometime this year.

All he is saying is give Price a chance

What never changes - lame and extremely dated song lyric references!

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Despite all the noise and nonsense — and even though I thought he lost his mind and his manners and blew up the Red Sox season last year — I am a big believer in David Price’s talent. I think he could be Boston’s best pitcher this year. I think he could have a Cy Young season. I think he could win back the fans.

Perhaps this demonstrates some character flaw, but I just can’t quit on Price. I thought Boston folks were too tough on him when he was characterized as a failure after winning 17 games and leading the majors in innings in 2016. I was still in Price’s camp early last summer, right up until he ambushed Dennis Eckersley on the team charter, creating a loser culture of tension and joylessness.

I'm not entirely sold on the above premise that Shank's fully self-aware. I'm also not entirely sold on this on again, off again fake love affair with Price. If and when it becomes news that Price is opting out of his contract later this year (I think it's going to be when, not if), Shank will turn on the afterburners and write two successive columns with the sole purpose of running David Price out of town. The only thing that will stop that from happening is his boss, John Henry, nixing the columns, which we're certain has already happened a number of times since Henry bought the Globe years ago.

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.

Shots Fired?

A few days ago, Shank was rubbing Dave Price's balls. Now we get this:

On today from 11-1 with @ZoandBertrand. Plenty of Red Sox.
The team that played in the image of its leader: David Price

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 10, 2017

Is this the usual Shank, trying to have it both ways or has he turned on David Price? Time will tell.