Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox made David Price a very wealthy man. They made him a $217 million over seven years kind of wealthy. You can’t spend all of that at once, but Price, ever the generous man, decided to spend a good chunk of it on his alma mater Vanderbilt to help support the University’s new baseball facilities project:
“Student-athletes who go on to achieve success and represent the university in the exemplary manner as David Price has are a testament to the truly special program Vanderbilt has developed under Coach Tim Corbin’s leadership,” school Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos explained. “It’s not just that some of baseball’s greatest players have emerged from Vanderbilt. These amazing young men also continue to value and honor our university community in many important ways. I am deeply grateful to David and his fellow donors for their generosity and for, yet again, making our Commodore Nation so proud.”
Price attended Vandy from 2005-2007 before being taken first overall in the 2007 MLB Draft by Tampa Bay. His contribution goes a long way to helping totally fund the $12 million project:
“David Price has always been about helping make others better,” athletics director David Williams said. “And he has never forgotten Vanderbilt. He has a passion for his extended Commodore family and his leadership with this project is not only important to the future of our baseball program but says everything about his generosity and values. He personifies the excellence we strive to attain at Vanderbilt University.”
His first season with the Red Sox didn’t quite live up to all of the hype, but he still finished with a 17-9 record and a 3.99 ERA across 230 innings. And some of his $30 million salary that didn’t go to the tax man is now going to his alma mater, and who can begrudge him for that?
