Price to media: 'Talk to me on the day I pitch and that's it'
David Price has had just about enough of the Boston media circus.
The Red Sox left-hander has been under an intense microscope since signing his $217-million contract with the club in the winter of 2015. So when his first season in New England didn't go nearly as planned, and year No. 2 began with a prolonged disabled-list stint and elbow trouble, Price heard about it from both fans and media alike.
Now, the 31-year-old appears to have grown tired of dealing with the intense scrutiny pitching in a market like Boston. In an interview with Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe on Wednesday, Price drew his line in the sand and said he won't be speaking to the media anymore going forward, save for postgame sessions after his starts.
"I don't talk to the media every day like I did last year and I guess I get blown up for that," Price told Shaughnessy. "But I was honest with everything they asked me last year and I get blown up for that. So they did this to themselves.
"Talk to me on the day I pitch and that's it. There are no more personal interviews. There are no more asking me questions on a personal level. That's done."
Related - Price: Boston media, fans don't care about me as a person
It's not just the media that have been publicly riding Price during his eventful first few years in Beantown, though. Since arriving in Boston, as he did while pitching in Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Toronto, Price has been active on social media and has often engaged fans tossing heated criticism (namely, his lack of postseason success) in his direction.
Still, as these issues and battles continue to mount, Price said he remains content playing for the Red Sox, and refuses to concern himself with whether members of Red Sox Nation may be rooting for him to fail in a Boston uniform.
"I know I've got 24 guys in this clubhouse and all our coaches rooting for me, and my family and my friends," Price said. "That's all I need. Whatever anybody else wants to do, that's on them. I'm fine. I'm at peace."