Tigers' Price: 'I'm working at my chance of putting myself into the Hall of Fame'
David Price doesn't know what the future holds, but he knows where he wants to end up.
The Detroit Tigers left-hander is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his eight-year career, and while he believes there's plenty of baseball left in his 29-year-old arm, he already has his sights set on Cooperstown.
"I still want to be as good of a baseball player as I can," Price told Sports Illustrated. "I look at it as an opportunity every fifth day that I'm working at my chance of putting myself into the Hall of Fame.
"When those hitters stand in that box, they're trying to stop me from getting there and I take that very personal."
Price has put together an impressive resume through his first 200 appearances, posting a 92-53 record to go with a 3.15 ERA. He also has four All-Star nods and a Cy Young award.
When comparing him to recent Hall-of-Fame electees Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz at the same point in their career, reaching Cooperstown looks attainable for Price.
Through approx. first 1318 innings of career:
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | IP | SO | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Price | 92-53 | 3.15 | 1318.2 | 1235 | 4-AS; 1-CY |
| Randy Johnson | 88-63 | 3.65 | 1318.2 | 1442 | 3-AS |
| Pedro Martinez | 103-50 | 2.90 | 1317 | 1463 | 4-AS; 2-CY |
| John Smoltz | 72-65 | 3.52 | 1322 | 1033 | 3-AS; 1-CY |
Though Price has a long way to go, and he'll need to remain as durable as he's been for the first part of his career if he wishes to reach baseball's ultimate shrine, one thing's for sure: the motivation to succeed still burns deep.
"My desire and my love for this game has not changed one bit," Price said.