Opinion: David Price Is Right Choice For Tigers Opening Day
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - In his first season as the manager of the Detroit Tigers, Brad Ausmus had the tricky task of choosing whether Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer would start Opening Day.
Scherzer, who would hit free agency following the 2014 season, had won the Cy Young in 2013. Verlander, two years removed from winning the Cy Young and the MVP in 2011, had pitched well in 2013 but nowhere near the sublime level he had achieved the previous two seasons. However, Verlander had pitched in six straight Opening Day games, and he was only one season into a seven-year, $180 million contract with Detroit.
Last season, Ausmus chose Verlander, though he termed it a difficult decision. Ausmus used similar language Friday when he announced David Price would be starting Opening Day in 2015.
This time, the decision had to be easier, if not quite a no-brainer.
Verlander is the face of the team, right there with two-time MVP first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Verlander expects - and so does Ausmus - that he will pitch much better in 2015 than he did in 2014. He has an ego that will no doubt be bruised by what amounts to a demotion. While starting Verlander over Price would have been debatable, it was not only a possibility but a certainty in the mind of one notable party - Price.
Price told reporters Friday that he was so sure Verlander would be starting on Opening Day that Price told his family members to schedule their trip to Detroit for the second game of the season.
Ausmus clearly made the right call. Price pitched much better than Verlander in 2014. At the end of the day, that should be the deciding factor. If it were a closer competition, Ausmus would probably not be questioned if he gave Verlander the nod, but with such a disparity, going with Price was the only option.
The move should be good for both pitchers. Verlander has admitted he wants to prove people wrong this season; losing his longtime spot should only add to his motivation.
For Price, the selection means the Tigers recognize his value and acknowledge he is their best pitcher going into the season. It also adds another element to the competition between the two aces, and that can only be good for both.
