Verlander's Final Career Start
Detroit Tigers honor Justin Verlander with career celebration ahead of final start
Anonymous
The Detroit Tigers honored Justin Verlander with a two-day career celebration at Comerica Park, including a Friday tribute attended by his wife, Kate Upton, and their children, ahead of his scheduled final start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The 43-year-old is set to make his 557th career start and conclude a 21-season career that began in Detroit, where he pitched from 2005 to 2017, before winning two World Series titles with Houston. Saturday would be only his second appearance of the season after hamstring and hip injuries; Verlander has indicated he may be able to pitch 100 pitches. His career totals include three Cy Young Awards, the 2011 AL MVP, 3,554 strikeouts and three no-hitters, including his first, thrown at Comerica in 2007. The tribute includes a bobblehead giveaway and a charitable gift in his name, while the ballpark is set to become Fifth Third Park in 2027.
Key Points
1
Verlander's daughter Genevieve “Vivi” threw the ceremonial first pitch during Friday's celebration.
2
Saturday's outing would be Verlander's first home start for Detroit in nine years and 37 days; Jon Paul Morosi noted that Zack Greinke had the longest comparable gap for a team, at 11 years and 189 days.
3
In Verlander's 2007 no-hitter against Milwaukee, his fastball reached 102 mph and he struck out 12, including six straight swinging strikeouts to finish the game.
4
Verlander was drafted by Detroit in 2004 out of Old Dominion; in his final Tigers appearance before being traded in 2017, he pitched six innings and struck out 11 in a 12-2 win over Texas.
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