BOSTON — David Price on Monday sarcastically declared he’s soft. He elected, with those words, to avoid the path of least resistance, a choice he has made before. But the facts are on his side this go-around. They haven't always been, but in this case, they are.
So what's the problem with speaking up?
What do you want athletes to say?
Price on Monday seemed to offer some honesty. The implication of his sarcasm: recent criticism floating around has bugged him. He heard the barbs, he disliked them. If there are two choices for Price or any athlete — reveal the truth or hide it — why would you prefer dishonesty?
Price has a right to be miffed.
Price was pulled after one inning against the Yankees in April because he could not get a grip in the cold. He said he’s had circulation issues since he was a kid. He was not pitching well. It would have been a bad baseball decision to let him keep pitching.
In May, Price was scratched from a different start against the Yankees to undergo testing for further numbness in his throwing hand. Minor carpal tunnel syndrome was found, the team said. In hindsight, Price probably could have pitched against the Yankees based on that diagnosis. But, remember, he missed the start in order to obtain the diagnosis. Whether the Sox could have known what was going on with Price sooner is a different question from whether he should have pitched without one. They needed clarity on his health, they got it. The result of the exam did not make the decision to go for the exam a bad one.
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"I want David Price to be dominant for the length of the season, help us down the stretch and be the same guy. And that’s what’s most important," pitching coach Dana LeVangie said Monday. "Soft, that’s all bull [crap]. No one’s soft. David’s never been soft. He got hit by a pitch today, off the bat, incredible that he stayed out there and pitched. Most other guys are coming out. He’s not coming out of that game."
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Why doesn’t he block out the noise?
What exactly does it mean to block out noise? No athlete exists in a vacuum. Just because an athlete doesn’t address something publicly — a piece of criticism, a wide-floating sentiment — does not mean they are unaware of that criticism’s existence. The question becomes how a player uses their mental energies relative to other players, and how much criticism affects performance or other behaviors. A player who would appear oblivious could be privately stewing, toiling over some trolls. At the same time, a player who makes a comment in a postgame setting may not be sitting at home all night thinking about the same subject.
Could Price better direct his energies elsewhere?
Maybe. But if he’s healthy, he’s a damn good pitcher, and it would be hard to classify Price's comments Monday as a distraction for his teammates.
What if he prefers to have a chip on his shoulder?
What if that’s the case and he doesn’t necessarily realize it? That feeling embattled helps him perform?
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There is a better way to handle some elements of this situation.
What exactly prompted Price to make his comments on Monday is unclear. Why not address it sooner? An attempt to ask Price if he has felt unjustly criticized produce more sarcasm from Price. If Price really is bothered by what's been said, it would be good to know: was there a particular story, or radio segment, or Twitter comment, that upset him, and why? Hearing some specificity and elaboration could actually get people talking in a productive way. Approaching the issue seriously and thoughtfully in the public or private realm could start a more productive conversation.
But, maybe that kind of conversation wasn't the goal. Maybe he was trying to be funny.
That was some high-grade sarcasm Price dropped. Not all jokes land as intended. Price was smiling, and the whole exchange Monday was amusing to hear, if unexpected. He got ripped, he volleyed back with a form of humor. He seemed genuinely annoyed by the sentiment he was railing against, but he could have intended to come across as more humorous than perhaps he did to some.