Loss means Blue Jays will scatter - and likely bid David Price farewell

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price slipped the black backpack over his shoulders, put a white cap backwards on his head, and slowly trudged out of the visiting clubhouse door.

He walked through the corridor, into the crowded lobby, filled with boisterous Kansas City Royals’ family members. He looked to his left, and saw his parents waiting.

He gave his dad, Bonnie, a long embrace. Then his mom, Debbie. His older brother, Jackie. His long-time agent, Bo McKinnis. And several friends.

And then disappeared into the night.

It was 12:07 a.m.

The Blue Jays’ season was over, losing 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the ALCS, in front of 40,494 at Kaufman Stadium.

The Royals will go on, returning to the World Series to play the New York Mets.

And Price will be going back to Toronto, packing up his locker and downtown apartment, likely having worn a Blue Jays’ uniform for the final time.

“I loved it here, it was awesome,’’ Price said. “We played well, I just wish I could have kept it going.’’

Price and his teammates weren’t supposed to leave until Sunday, carrying the American League pennant across the Canadian border and past customs officials, but now their flight is scheduled at 10 a.m., Saturday.

They realize is the final time they’ll all be together.

Blue Jays reliever LaTroy Hawkins, 42, went into the umpire’s room for a final time, and thanked them for their services, particularly Laz Diaz, who came up with Hawkins 20 seasons ago. He stopped into Blue Jays manager John Gibbons’ office. And he hugged Blue Jays president Paul Beeston, telling him it was a privilege, spending the last 2 ½ months of his career in Toronto.

Hawkins then said good-bye, retiring at the age of 42.

Veteran pitcher Mark Buehrle, one of the first ones to leave, yelled to his teammates telling them he’ll see them next spring.

“Where, in the Cardinals’ camp?’’ someone yelled.

Buehrle hasn’t announced his retirement, but he spent his last day with the Blue Jays, hugging teammate R.A. Dickey on his way out the door.

“It was a magical season in a lot of ways,’’ Dickey said. “To be one of the best last three teams in the world is pretty awesome.

“But it’s so fresh right now, it’s hard to be satisfied with your season.

“In a day or two, I’ll be happy we got as far as we did, but all of us in here think we should be moving on. We may have been the better team, but we didn’t play our best, and that’s what was painful.’’

The Blue Jays didn’t get a single hit with a runner in scoring position, going 0-for-12, including that excruciating ninth inning. They had runners on second and third with no outs. Strikeouts. Strikeout. Groundout.

They were frustrated with the strike zone in the ninth inning, and irritated fan interference wasn’t called on Mike Moustakas’ homer in the second inning, but there were no visible signs of anger. No one raised their voice.

Only silence, and muffled sounds, with Price’s body slumped with dejection.

Price never stopped to sit down and eat the steak and crab legs with his teammates. He engaged in precious little small talk, except to grab a bottle of lotion on Hawkins’ chair. He talked briefly to reporters, showered, dressed, and was gone.

Price’s teammates, and Gibbons, spent the postgame raving about how well he pitched. He gave up two homers in the first 15 pitches he threw, but then retired 18 of the final 20 batters he faced. It was the first time in eight postseason starts that he didn’t lose.

Price couldn’t care less about his final pitching line: 6 2/3 innings, five hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts.

All he knows is the final score.

“I didn’t pitch,’’ Price said, “good enough to win.’’

That’s all that mattered to Price, who’s as good a pitcher as anyone in this game, but was left with his head slumped, hands on his knees, looking on in disbelief.

Price has had eight of these postseason starts, for three different teams, but this one hurt the most.

This is the one that sent the Blue Jays home for the winter, and in all likelihood, it will the last time he’ll wear the uniform.

He’s eligible for free agency when the season ends, and should become the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, or at least come close.

“Anybody who tells you they don’t want David Price on your team,’’ said Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista, who hit two homers, “you better have them checked with a psychologist or a psychiatrist. There has to be something wrong with them.

“He’s been great. In the regular season and in the in playoffs, he gave us a chance to win ballgames.

“Of course, I want him back.’’

The Blue Jays, almost to a man, will tell you that they never had a greater teammate in their career, opening his heart to his teammates, and even his checkbook, buying them everything from dinners to motor scooters to bathrobes, in the sake of clubhouse camaraderie.

“He is the most genuine, humble, down-to-earth person you could ever possibly meet,’’ said Jays starter Marcus Stroman, who was scheduled to start the Game 7 that never came. “He loves and cares for every single one of his teammates. I can't put into words how crucial he is to our clubhouse, how crucial he is to our camaraderie.

“He's the glue that gets everyone going. He's the man behind it all. I just consider myself lucky to be one of his teammates and call him a friend.

“He's one of the best human beings I've ever been around in my life, on and off the field.’’

Now, he almost assuredly will be gone.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are awaiting with an open check book. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will get into a bidding war. The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will jump in, if nothing else, to make sure the other doesn’t get the greatest player on the free agent market.

“He’s having a great career,’’ Gibbons said. “He’s going to go on and have an even better career.’’

The free-agent talks, Price says, can wait.

For now, he just wanted to feel the pain.

Sure, Price is well-aware that he’s the one who helped get the Blue Jays to the eve of the World Series with his 9-1 record and 2.30 ERA, but he was also the one blaming himself for them not reaching their first World Series since 1993.

It wasn’t his fault that none of his teammates could get a clutch hit. He didn’t step to the plate when they squandered their glorious opportunity with runners on second and third with no one out in the ninth.

Yet, after winning 104 career games with a .650 winning percentage, including 18 games in three of his seven seasons, he somehow still remains winless as a postseason starter: 0-7 with a 5.27 ERA.

“I guess I have to prove that I can pitch at this point in the season in the playoffs,’’ Price said. “But I don’t have to go out there and prove that I’m a good pitcher. I think I’ve done that over the seven years of my career.’’

What will be forgotten are the sacrifices he made during the postseason. He pitching three innings of relief in Game 4 of the American League Division Series. He warmed up in the bullpen in Game 5 of the ALCS.

All without a single complaint.

“I hope that quiet some things down for David,’’ Gibbons said, “what he’s been through this postseason. He stepped up tonight, he really did. He kept us right there, gave us a shot.

“Dave’s the ultimate team guy. He’s here to win. That’s what drives him.’’

And, on this night, it’s also what pained him.

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