Longtime Tigers Broadcaster Jim Price, Former World Series Champion, Dies at 81

The catcher called Detroit games on television and the radio for three decades.

Tigers radio analyst Jim Price, who also won a World Series as a former catcher for the team, died Monday night, the organization announced Tuesday. He was 81.

“All of us with the Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Price’s passing,” Tigers owner Chris Ilitch said in a statement. “Jim was a champion on the field, in the broadcast booth, and throughout the community. That Jim was with the organization for much of his life, doing what he loved, is such a powerful sign of his dedication and loyalty to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.”

Price had provided radio commentary for Detroit in some form or fashion since 1998, following the team from WJR-AM to WXYT-FM. Before moving to the radio, he spent time with the Tigers’ then-television affiliate, the Pro-Am Sports System.

A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Price came up through the Pirates’ system before the Tigers purchased his contract in the spring of 1967. Price played five years with Detroit, slashing .214/.287/.341 with 18 home runs and 71 RBIs in 261 games. Notably, he won the World Series with the Tigers in 1968.

Price played professional softball briefly after the end of his baseball days, which landed him a role in television history: he appeared on ESPN’s first-ever live sports broadcast as an announcer in 1979.