Turning back time to the 1998 ISC World Tournament and the amazing performance of Steve Price.
KIMBERLY, Wisc. – Were a manager to search the world over looking for a more talented, versatile player and he happened upon Steve Price, he might as well stop right there.
For the left-handed Price can pretty much do it all on a softball diamond. Need a first baseman? Need an outfielder? How about a DH?
Or how about the most coveted combo in fastpitch: a great hitting pitcher? Well, Price is your man.
In the 1998 ISC World Tournament in Kimberly, Wisconsin, he was at his best in leading the Heflin / Gremlins to seventh place (3-2) in the 48-team tournament.
That hitter-pitcher combo I mentioned? Price filled the duel role perfectly. In the circle, he had a 2-1 record in 17 1/3 innings with 39 strikeouts.
But with his lethal lumber in the left-side batters box, he was the world tournament’s best.
Price hit a lofty .563 (9-for-16) including five home runs that tied an ISC all-time record (since broken by Jarrad Martin, Patrick Shannon and Donny Hale with six each). Two of Price’s homers were grand slams, giving him three in his ISC career. That mark still stands today in the 67-year history of the World Tournament.
But the true mark of a great hitter is proclaimed by three important letters: R-B-I. Price plated 15 runners in 1998, topping Colin Abbott’s mark of 14, set in 1996. Price’s 15 RBI remain No. 2 all-time, trailing only Donny Hale, who notched 17 for the Jarvis, Ontario, Travelers in 2012.
For this amazing performance in the 1998 World Tournament, Price was chosen the Most Valuable Player, and the First-Team, All-World Designated Hitter.
The ultimate combo player in fastpitch? None better than Steve Price.