David Price has never thrown a perfect game, but he has recorded a perfect sit. A few of them, in fact.
The Detroit Tigers' southpaw revealed to Jim Rome that during several of his team's games this year, Price has pulled off the physically demanding "perfect sit." During one of his off days, Price will sit in the dugout and not leave his seat for anything: not to congratulate a teammate, go to the bathroom or even get a drink.
"You're not allowed to get up," Price said, "there's no bathroom break, you can't get up to go get some water, some Gatorade, sunflower seeds. You have to have helpers in the dugout with you. You're obviously doing the Perfect Sit for the team, so you can get a guy to run up to the clubhouse and get you a snack or get you some water, whatever it is.
"It's definitely a team effort, but sitting there for three, 3½ hours is kind of taxing on the legs, it makes them pretty sore. But anything I can do to help the team when I'm not pitching, I'll do it."
The one exception Price made was for "God Bless America," which the New York Yankees play after the seventh inning. Price was sitting a perfect sit during the Tigers' June 21 matchup at Yankee Stadium when he stood to pay his respects. Price sat still for the rest of the game and Detroit won, 12-4.
All told, Detroit is 2-1 in games in which Price pulls off a perfect sit.
As any pitcher who has thrown a perfect game knows, help from teammates is crucial. Price has gotten some big time assists during his perfect sits.
"Guys are always coming over and making sure I have what I need," Price told Rome. "Anibal Sanchez, he made me a really cool cupholder in whenever I did the Perfect Sit in Cleveland. It was a great invention. He used tongue depressors, taped them together and cut off the top of that Gatorade cup. Then I could put my cup inside of the Gatorade cup, and he taped all that to the bench right beside me, so I had a cup holder. Very innovative."
Price is performing just as well on the mound, where he has eight wins and two losses. He's recorded 107 strikeouts and allowed only 22 walks in 117 innings. He'll represent the Tigers at next week's All-Star Game in Cincinnati.