Detroit Tigers legend Jim Price dies at 81, cause of death unknown

The Detroit Tigers and the baseball world as a whole mourn the passing of World Series Champion and broadcaster Jim Price. The 81-year-old passed away on Monday, August 7th, after battling a series of health-related issues in recent years, including multiple bouts with cancer, which he beat.

While the official cause of death has not been announced, that is hardly the most important part of this news. Jim Price has been an integral part of the Detroit Tigers organization dating back to 1967 when he made his MLB debut for the club as a catcher.

Born on October 13, 1941, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Price actually began his professional baseball career in 1960 as a member of the Pittsburg Pirates. For several years, Price dominated the Pirates minor league system, eventually being named as the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year in 1963.

"We mourn the passing of Jim Price, a treasured member of the Tigers organization for decades. He spent all five years of his playing career wearing the Olde English ‘D’, including the 1968 World Series championship season." - @tigers

Even though he enjoyed successful minor league seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Price did not make his way to the MLB until his contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers.

He spent five seasons with the club, appearing in 261 games and helping the Detroit Tigers win the 1968 World Series. Price retired from professional baseball in 1971, finishing his career with 18 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a career .214 batting average. Following his career as a player, Price made the jump to the broadcast booth.

Jim Price, the long-time voice of the Detroit Tigers

After finishing his playing career, Price began working for several local Detroit television stations as well as ESPN, which was nowhere near the giant it is today. At ESPN, Price became the first live sports broadcast on the network.

"Some kids grow up wanting to be a firefighter, an astronaut, etc. I wanted to call @tigers games with Jim Price. At 10 years old, I got that chance at a TigerFest. 20 years later, I got to do it for real. Rest Easy, Jimmy — a great man who helped make dreams become reality." - @ThatDanHasty

Jim Price worked as a Tigers' color analyst throughout the early 90s before becoming part of the Detroit Tigers Radio Network in 1998. In his early days on the network, he worked with Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell before being joined by Dan Dickerson on the broadcasts. The pair, along with Bobby Scales have remained as the lead announcers until Price's passing.