Former Tigers catcher, analyst Jim Price dies at 81

DETROIT (AP) — Jim Price, a former Detroit Tigers catcher who played on their 1968 championship team and a broadcast analyst for decades, has died. He was 81.

The Tigers announced his death Tuesday. No cause was given.

Price played for the Tigers from 1967 to 1971, backing up All-Star and Gold Glove-winning catcher Bill Freehan. He hit .214 with 18 homers and 71 RBIs in 261 career games and played for Detroit's 1968 World Series championship team.

He began working as an analyst on radio broadcasts for the Tigers in 1998 and later was a part of their TV coverage. Price, who was from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, played three sports at Hershey High School and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 after turning down scholarship offers to play college football.

Price and his wife, Lisa, started a non-for-profit foundation called Jack's Place — named after their son, who was diagnosed with autism, to provide services for people and families affected by the neurological disorder.

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