RIP Jim Price (updated w note from son)
Have so many memories of him broadcasting Tigers games in various mediums:
https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2023/08/longtime-tigers-broadcaster-passes-away-at-81.html
[ED: Price's son reached out to thank the board for the memories and kind words. I'm going to repost and include his comments below]
Thank you Mgobloggers. Truly therapeutic to read the posts. I wanted to share a few things about my Dad.
- He was probably had the best athletic skills on the 1968 Tigers – great at basketball, golf, tennis, and racquet ball.
- He was selected as the Pennsylvania athlete of the decade – all state 3 years baseball, 2 years football, and 1 year basketball
- My dad spurned over twenty-five college football offers, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960. He always spoke about Frank Kush and Joe Paterno recruiting him – nothing from Michigan.
- On my recruiting visit to Michigan, we went into Bo’s office. Bo was boasting about his pitching skills to which my Dad said – I always heard you were a left handed “cunny thumber” (soft tosser). Bo and him laughed – Michigan took me anyhow.
- Also, really liked Jon Falk.
- Always complained about the Big House – it really seats 50,000 people. I got him to a couple of games.
- One of the bucket list trips we took was to the Army/Navy Game in Philadelphia. He loved it. The next year his buddies from West Point hosted us for a home game. His health was starting to slow him down. But we talked about that weekend all the time.
- He would have loved the Keith Jackson comment in one of the posts. Loved college football.
He will be missed. And, I am especially grateful to see the posts about his character and the joy he brought on the radio. I often remember him letting whole families try on his World Series ring and making people feel special.
Much appreciation Mgoblog. Thank you helping us through my Father’s passing - it was an incredible life.
Go Blue.
Jim Price, 8/15/2025
May you rest in peace, "Jimbo".
August 15th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
Good looking lad.
RIP Jim. Harwell and Price were the Trammel and Whitaker of the air waves.
August 9th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
I got something completely wrong and have deleted it!
Jim Price was a good guy.
Definitely the sound of the summer. Having Harwell go right into Dickerson has been so great for Tigers fans.
Nice area...
August 15th, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^
"The art of pitching." RIP
I haven't watched or listened to a baseball game in almost a decade but this one hit me hard. Jim Price was an absolute legend- his voice just sounded like Tiger baseball as much as Ernie's did.
He seemed like an absolute gem of a human being and you can tell how much he loved baseball and the Tigers in every game he broadcast.
He was a fantastic partner for Dickerson and there's so many 'Jim-isms' that I say regularly without even realizing I picked them up from Mr. Price.
My condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.
Jimisms: From buggy-whips to yellowhammers to thw art of pitching. Jim was one of a kind.
RIP --- he is part of Tigers royalty.
I listen to a lot of baseball radio crews, I have the SiriusXM package. I don't think it's unfair to say Price was not a technically great commentator (in either voice or analysis). But he did fit well w/ Dickerson. The folksy, charmy storyteller w/ old ballplayer experience, paired with the engaging, smart play-by-play guy. Just like Paul Carey worked as Ernie's partner (though for different reasons), Price worked well as Dan's patrtner.
August 9th, 2023 at 12:51 AM ^
Dang. You put it quite well. I am 47 and am still partial to Paul Carey as the co-pilot for Tigers baseball, but Mr. Price is right there . I had the Tigers on SiriusXM radio most nights in the 2010s. He had his quirks, TBD he sort of drove me nuts sometimes, but I always felt he was genuine and I always liked when he'd mention a thing or two about growing up in PA. He also would also sometimes un-filter about players dogging it no matter the uniform, and I loved how he always came back to "playing the game the right way" and the Tigers pitchers' "yellowhammers" and Miggy's "buggy-whips." He was also part of my dad's generation of Tigers so that means a lot, also.
RIP Mr. Price.
bummer.
he always struck me as this low-key, old school type, the type that perfectly aligned with the slower ebbs and flows of individual games and with the marathon slog that is the season. the broadcasting-school types are okay in april and may, when the season is still young; less so when it's a 100-degree tuesday night game in arlington.
It always feels like a part of your family dies when the baseball radio guy you grew up with dies. That was Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas for me in Philly. RIP
If you didn’t live in Philadelphia you missed out on just a great baseball PBP guy in Harry Kalas.
The best
The art of broadcasting.
the art of catching.
This one really hurts
RIP Jim
You showed us the art of broadcasting!
I knew he was going to retire soon but wasn't ready for him to pass.
No more buggy whips.
Or Yellowhammers.
August 16th, 2023 at 1:05 AM ^
Or throwing out of the same key hole.
This hurts. Loved his presence, he and Dickerson complimented each other so well. “Art of pitching”, “yellow hammer”, “buggy-whip”, “nice area” and “the Big Man Miguel Cabrera” were classic lines, though my favorite Price-ism was “There IS crying in baseball, there’s just no pity.”
Also, I’m pleasantly surprised at how well Dirks has been this year filling in. Really like him in that spot.
"Batting THIRRRRRRRRDDD..."
Oh my God, yes!
A homey comforting voice ala George Kell is also gone. Also a heckuva backup catcher that held off Jim Leyland. That sucks.
Next it will be Keith Jackson.
I was one of those kids that grew up with baseball on the radio, and listening to Ernie, Paul, Dan and Jim over the years has been part of my whole life.. He sounded pretty shaky toward the end of the year last year, and I was worried we were losing him.
RIP JP
Jim will be missed for sure. 1968 Tigers still aliveare below. I figured Lolich ( donuts) would be "long gone" but he's 82 living in Oregon. I think Trixie is the oldest at 88.
- Les Cain
- Dave Campbell
- Wayne Comer
- ElRoy Face
- John Hiller
- Willie Horton
- Mickey Lolich
- Denny McLain
- Daryl Patterson
- Jim Rooker
- Mickey Stanley
- Dick Tracewski
- Jon Warden
- Don Wert
I'm pretty surprised McClain is still around, considering his post-baseball life.
August 15th, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
Denny's spent a lot of years in places where the food is bland and there's no drugs or alcohol.
I couldn’t believe Elroy Face is still alive. He was a statistical freak. For one…he was 18-1 in 1959 as a relief pitcher!
I erred, the Bullpen Barron is 95 years old and the oldest living member from the '68 team. I was surprised that Don Wert was alive. He looked old back in the day.
Finally Denny McClain was last reported living in Pinckney, MI taking care of his sick wife who is the daughter of Lou Boudreau.
Every time I pass through my old childhood neighborhood in Detroit, I think about how much each of these players was beloved by the city and how much it lifted everyone up during a turbulent time.
Very nice pregame tributes on both radio and TV to the life and career of Mr. Price.
It's little dusty in Detroit this evening and a little dusty here, too. 😢
Yeah he was really good in his day as a color analyst. Sorry to hear of his passing
RIP Jim. Another piece of my youth gone. His only fault as a Tiger was finding himself behind Freehan at the plate.
Prayers to his loved ones.
Listened to him pretty much everyday for years. Damn. He's like family.
Opting to tune in to a regular season baseball radio broadcast is a commitment to slow down and live in the moment, if only for a few hours. Great announcers reward you by making that time magical. Ernie and Dan and Jim are equal parts baseball, Detroit, and summer, but their real magic is slowing time enough to let listeners appreciate life's simple joys. RIP Jim, thanks for the great memories!
So many memorable calls, and of course, he was part of that 1968 team, which is itself a great local memory (well, not for me, born nearly a decade later, but people still talk about it).
RIP to a legendary broadcaster. We will miss "buggy whip" and "Yellowhammer" and so many other things.
I remember watching tigers games on pass sports in the 90's when I was young. They gave away faygo soda after the tigers would hit a home run. Jim would say "home run tigers let's go faygo". He said that alot! He was the best. He will be missed.
Had the distinct pleasure of meeting and hanging with Mr Price at Tiger Fantasy Camp in the early 90's. Couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating the whole week. RIP Jim 🙏
My best memories of him are from when he was a backup catcher in 1968.
August 10th, 2023 at 5:07 AM ^
Same. Strong defensively and a little bit of power as a hitter.
I am 44. I was maybe 10 at the time, but my grandpa took me to this 2hr baseball clinic somewhere in Oakland County. The 4 instructors were Dave Rozema, Jim Northrup, Gates Brown and Jim Price. I was young, but a diehard baseball fan and Tigers fan. At the time, I had no idea who Jim Price was. He stood out as a person with his energy and passion. While this is only my opinion... the other three were awesome at giving tips on how to improve aspects of my game; Mr Price made me feel like he was only there to see me. I will never forget, and he was one of those individuals in life you just wish could live forever.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
I’m a man!
August 15th, 2023 at 8:47 AM ^
I meant to post this in the earlier thread but got involved in some other things and forgot. Hopefully his son sees this.
Your dad was a dental patient of my late father and in 1968, after the World Series, he gave my dad an autographed baseball with ALL the players & coaches signatures. I remember the 68 season well (I was 9 and baseball in the Detroit metro area was king) and to this day it's the only piece of sports memorabilia I truly cherish. Every time I look at it I think about my dad taking me to games at Tiger stadium, the most memorable that year being a doubleheader where Gates Brown hit walkoff pinch hit HRs to win BOTH games, the smell of hotdogs and stale beer and how incredibly green the grass was.
Your dad remained a patient of my dad until he retired and my father always spoke so highly of him. If you're like me there wont be a day that goes by where you dont miss him. The pain of loss does diminish over time, the longing for their presence in your life never does.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:31 AM ^
Sad. Seemed like such a nice dude.
RIP JP.
Go Blue.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:31 AM ^
My wife actually taught his other son Jackson her first year in teaching. The family was always gracious to her. Definitely will be missed.
August 15th, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^
Your dad’s voice was the soundtrack to my summers growing up. Nothing better than Dan and Jim calling a mid-2000s Tigers game on a Sunday afternoon lounging by the pool. Thanks for sharing your dad with the Tigers fan base. RIP Jim.
August 15th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
If you’re reading this Jim, I consider your dad and Dan personal friends even though we never met.
Your comment about the seating in the Big House made me laugh. My own father, who died a couple months ago, felt similarly. He wanted them to tear out the bleachers and put in bic seats haha
Anyways, my best to you and your family. Very sorry for your loss and I’ll miss him like crazy