For any player in Boston, getting the fans on your side usually comes down to one thing: winning.
But for David Price, it’s been more complicated than simply letting his play do the talking.
Price has done nothing but win in his last seven starts. The southpaw is 6-0 with a 2.24 ERA over that span. And yet, the applause that usually comes with such a dominant stretch has been drowned out by “shut up and pitch” comments and a grudge that’s been held ever since Price’s infamous run-in with Sox great Dennis Eckersley a season ago.
Surely, some of that also has to do with the fact Price is expected to pitch like an ace. Boston didn’t hand him a seven-year, $217 million contract for him to be anything less. But since that altercation with Eck in what was an overall rocky 2017 season, it’s been next to impossible for Price to get back into Boston’s good graces.
His surprisingly stellar performance out of the bullpen during last year’s ALDS appeared to have finally won fans over, though it didn’t take long for that success to be forgotten. When Price exited his Apr. 11 start after only one inning vs the Yankees with “hand numbness,” it was back to square one. Especially when he was scratched from his May 9 start in New York and the silly “he’s playing too much Fortnite” story got going.
At this rate, even with how well Price has been pitching lately, you can’t help but feel as though he’s just one slip-up away from being brought right back down. It’s been one step forward, two steps back for him since he inked his mega-deal in 2016. So what does he have to do to finally get over that hump?
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One easy answer to that question is he needs to show he’s capable of shutting down the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have had Price's number since he's joined the Red Sox and the current narrative that he's "afraid" to take the mound against them needs to be put to rest. But will a quality start vs New York be enough, or has too much damage already been done?
The other answer is that Price has to have a dominant postseason. By that logic, Chris Sale needs to be held to the same standard. Sale struggled mightily vs Houston last October allowing nine runs in 9.2 innings pitched, and remains beloved in Boston. If he scuffles again next time around, will he receive as much criticism as Price? My guess is no, he won't.
We've seen redemption stories in Boston before (hello, 2013 John Lackey), so there's time for Price to change the course of his Red Sox legacy. And if he keeps up what he's done over the last month, he'll be putting himself on the right track.
Unfortunately for him, it's up to the fans to decide what the benchmark is to finally become a favorite in this city.
