No. 1 pick attracting attention in Southern League

Associated Press
Published: July 18, 2008

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) _ The No. 1 draft pick in the 2007 baseball draft, pitcher David Price, is creating a lot of excitement in the Double-A Southern League, but it may not be long before he’s moving up.

The former Vanderbilt star, now with the Montgomery Biscuits, has yet to lose a game in pro baseball.

“I expected to be 10-0 with an ERA of zero,” Price said. “That’s my expectation, to win every time I pitch.”

Price made his fifth start for the Biscuits on Thursday night against the Birmingham Barons. He allowed the first home run of his professional career to the Stefan Gartrell in the second inning. He left the game after five innings trailing by one, but the Biscuits came back to win 5-3.

His record with the Biscuits is 4-0, with a 2.03 ERA. He had a couple of no decisions in Single-A ball.

Barons reliever Ryan Rote played with Price at Vanderbilt and was his roommate for winter semester.

“He’s a class-act guy,” Rote said. “He’s a hard worker and he knows what he’s doing on the mound.

“It doesn’t surprise me how well he’s done. He’s probably the most competitive pitcher I’ve ever seen. Certainly the most intense and most emotional.”

Rote said he and Price stay in touch by playing Halo online.

“He’s obsessed with video games,” Rote told The Birmingham News. “He’s just as competitive on video games as he is in real life.”

It’s uncertain how long the top draft choice will remain in a Biscuits uniform, or when he might move up to Triple-A Durham or to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“I don’t know what the future holds for him,” Biscuits manager Billy Gardner Jr. said. “David has that ability. If he goes to the big leagues, he’ll make an impact for the major league club.”

Price has already had a taste of the majors while making an appearance against the Yankees for one inning in the Grapefruit League.

“I just wanted to throw a fast-pitch strike (to Francisco Cervelli), but I ran one in and hit him. It wasn’t the way I wanted to start it,” Price said.

Then he threw 12 more pitches, striking out the side and exiting Legends Field — New York’s spring training home — to a standing ovation.