How Bulldog Legend Brantley Helped Put Price In Maroon
February 12, 2025 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Former State hurler and current Cincinnati Reds broadcaster played a key role in originally bringing Neil Price to Starkville.
STARKVILLE – A new era of Mississippi State baseball begins on Friday, at least in the radio booth. On Opening Day, Neil Price is set to become the new Voice of the Diamond Dawgs, adding to his football and men's basketball responsibilities as he takes over the chair from the now-retired Jim Ellis.
While it'll be the first baseball game Price has ever called while wearing Maroon, in a way, it was State baseball that brought Price to Starkville in the first place.
About eight years ago, Mississippi State legend, 14-year MLB pitcher and current Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley played an influential part in making Price feel comfortable taking a new job at MSU.
"Jeff Brantley is one of the reasons I agreed to do this," Price explained. "Jeff may not know that."
So how exactly did Brantley get Price to become a Bulldog back in 2017? Well, by simply offering the kind of hospitality and warm embrace that comes from those that are a part of the Mississippi State family.
"[In 2017], Jeff sent word [he wanted to see me] through a guy named Jim Kelch," Price said. "Jim was working for the Reds at that time, too, and Jim did [Louisville] women's basketball games and I was doing [Kentucky] women's basketball games. So, we got to know one another.
"Jeff sent word through Jim, 'Hey, tell Neil and his wife to come to a [Reds] game. Tell them to come up to the booth. I'd like to meet them, and I want to give Neil some pointers on Starkville, who to know and people around campus. I just want to let him know he's got a friend that's glad to help him. And I never forgot that."
There are likely few folks better suited to sell Starkville than Brantley. Outside of his role as a Diamond Dawg great – boasting an All-American honor, two All-Southeastern Conference accolades, as well as being the school's all-time wins leader – he has one daughter currently attending MSU and another about to be. Bulldog is in the Brantley bloodline.
When Brantley first found out there was interest between Price and MSU several years back, it was almost second nature for Brantley to reach out and sing praise to Price about the place that has meant so much to the Brantleys.
"I had heard Neil do some Kentucky baseball and I love his voice," Brantley said. "I just, like I would with anybody interested in coming to Mississippi State whether it's a student or a voice like Neil, I just tried to explain to him the family atmosphere and all the great things about being in Starkville and how people treat you and what it's like being at Mississippi State. I just wanted him to feel comfortable about it."
The rest is history. Price accepted a job at State and has now spent the last eight years calling Dawg football and men's hoops. He now adds baseball to his plate, ironically replacing Ellis for the third time after also doing so in the other two sports Price broadcasts.
Of course, Ellis was most synonymous with MSU baseball after 46 seasons of calling the action.
"Jim Ellis has given more than half of his life to Mississippi State University in some way," Price said. "A lot of that's been on the air, sure. But I don't know if a lot of people remember when he was putting the radio network together. State has [one of] the largest radio networks for college baseball in America. That's all due to Jim Ellis. Every bit of that.
"Jim was out selling advertising. He was getting people interested in the program. In a lot of ways, he was as important as any player in building the popularity and in building the following that State baseball has today."
Part of Price's mission now, he says, is to live up to the standard Ellis set through his decades in the Bulldog baseball booth.
"All I can do is chase that example," Price said. "It doesn't mean I'll sound like him. It doesn't mean that I'll have the same knowledge base that he's had, but I'll try to do it as professionally as he did it.
"Hopefully if I can do that successfully, fans will accept me, and they'll understand that I've got their best interests in mind and I'm just trying to move this thing forward like he did for all those years."
There's a certain "Cowboy" that believes Price will do just that. Brantley is sure Price is going to be successful creating a wonderful spring soundtrack for State baseball.
"I don't know that anybody ever replaces a guy like Jim Ellis, but [Neil] will do a great job," Brantley said. "I love his calls. One of the first jobs Neil ever had was calling baseball to begin with, so it's kind of like stepping back onto a bike and taking it right down the hill. He's going to do great. I think he's going to enjoy it. He's got two great guys [that'll be beside him] with [Ron Polk and Jay Powell], so I'm sure he'll have some fun."
