David Price said he donated $1,000 to each minor leaguer in the Los Angeles Dodgers' system in late May because he remembers what it was like to play MiLB baseball, recalling that he lived with six players while in Double-A.
"Those are some of the best memories of my baseball career," the left-hander said Tuesday on "The Big Swing" podcast. He added, "I had teammates that weren't well off, money-wise, coming up throughout the minor leagues. Those were always the guys I wanted to take to lunch before the game or take out to eat after the game, whatever it was. I know we have those guys in our organization as well in the minor leagues, and I just wanted to lend them a helping hand. ...
"Major League Baseball is trying to take care of Major League Baseball right now, and Minor League Baseball is kind of an afterthought, and that hurts my heart."
The former Cy Young winner's donation came at a time when MLB teams were cutting hundreds of minor leaguers to reduce costs amid the work stoppage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Price, who was traded to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox during the offseason, said he didn't think twice about the donation despite being new to the organization.
"I just want to help take care of the next generation of baseball," the 12-year veteran said. "I never even thought about the fact that I never played a game for the Dodgers or any of that stuff. It never even crossed my mind."
