The Detroit Tigers announced on Twitter today that Jim Price, the team’s longtime television and radio broadcaster, died on Monday at the age of 81. No cause of death was given, but he had been dealing with health issues over the last couple of years.
Price was born in Pennsylvania in 1941 and began his baseball career with the Detroit Tigers in 1967 as backup catcher to All-Star Bill Freehan. He would play five seasons with the team, including the 1968 season when the Tigers won the World Series — he played in 64 games, hitting .214 with 18 home runs and 71 RBIs that year.
His career ended with Detroit in 1971 after playing in a total of 261 games, and by the 1990s his focus shifted from the field to the broadcast booth. In 1993, he served as the color analyst for the Tigers on PASS Sports, and by 1998 he moved into radio broadcasting.
In this role, he worked alongside Ernie Harwell until 2002 and would become known for his colorful catchphrases as he continued his commentary career with Dan Dickerson until 2023 —having covered a game as recently as last month.
“This is such sad news,” Dickerson said in a team release about his longtime partner. “Jim and I were together for 24 seasons and experienced both ends of the spectrum with our beloved Tigers – from a tough season in the first year after Ernie retired to two trips to the World Series. Jim helped get me through that first season, which made what happened three years later all the sweeter.”
Willie Horton, one of Price’s teammates on the 1968 team, echoed Dickerson’s sentiments saying in part, “Jimmy was one of a kind, and one of the best ambassadors for the organization since he retired as a player. He was an incredible teammate and friend to so many, and his impact will never be forgotten.”
For more information, including the full announcement of Price’s death, visit . Find more sports and community news at 鶹Detroit.com.
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