Justin Verlander
Detroit Tigers — No. 35
Starting pitcher
Born: February 20, 1983 (1983-02-20) (age 26) Manakin-Sabot, Virginia
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 4, 2005 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics (through 2009 season)
Win–Loss	65–43
Earned run average	3.92
Strikeouts	746
Teams
Detroit Tigers (2005–present)
Career highlights and awards
MiLB.com Pitcher of the Year (2005) Rookie of the Year Award winner (2006) 2x All-Star selection (2007, 2009) Pitched no-hitter on June 12, 2007 Led AL in wins (19), strikeouts (269), innings pitched (240) in 2009

Justin Brooks Verlander (born February 20, 1983, in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. In 2006, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. On June 12, 2007, he pitched a no-hitter—the first ever at Comerica Park—against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out 12 batters and walking 4.^[1]

He ended the 2005 season pitching for the Erie SeaWolves, the AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. He became the fifth starter in the Tigers rotation in 2006. Verlander, a 6' 5", 200 pound (1.96 m, 91 kg) right-hander, pitched for the Old Dominion University baseball team for three years. On May 17, 2002, he struckout a then school record 17 batters against James Madison. In 2003, he set a school single-season record by recording 139 strikeouts; in 2004, he broke his own record and established a new Colonial Athletic Association record with 151 strikeouts. Verlander completed his career as the all-time strikeout leader in Old Dominion, the Colonial Athletic Association and the Commonwealth of Virginia (Division I) history with 427 in just 335.2 innings. During his three years, he averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and his career collegiate earned run average was 2.57.

Verlander pitched for Team USA in 2003 and helped the USA to a Silver Medal in the Pan Am Games. He was named CAA Rookie of the Year in 2002 and earned All-CAA honors in 2003 and 2004. Verlander was named the ODU Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year in 2004, and was the second overall pick in the 2004 Baseball draft by Detroit.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Amateur career

When Verlander was 13, his father Richard, who was president of the local Richmond chapter of the Communications Workers of America told him to play baseball.^[2] Richard gave up catching Justin's ball because of the velocity, and sent Justin to The Richmond Baseball Academy. Justin clocked 84 mph shortly after joining the academy. The velocity kept getting faster and it passed 93 when he entered Goochland High School. He had been a top pitching prospect in high school, but his career suffered a setback when he came down with strep throat early in his senior season of baseball. A weakened Verlander topped out at 86 during that season, causing professional scouts to lose interest.^[2] After he recovered, his velocity reached 100 during his first year at Old Dominion.

Justin Verlander played on the Richmond Virginians AAU baseball team that placed 4th in the nation. This tournament was played in Chichasaw, Oklahoma.

[edit] Minor leagues

His professional baseball career began when the Tigers selected him second overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. After lengthy negotiations, which included Richard Verlander speaking directly to Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, he signed with the Tigers in October of that year. Verlander started the 2005 season in the Florida State League for the Lakeland Tigers, where he showed both terrific stuff and surprisingly good control. He was rewarded with a brief appearance in the majors, making his first major league start on July 4, 2005. After one more start in the majors, he returned to the minor leagues—this time to the AA Eastern League, where he posted a 0.28 earned run average over 7 starts. At the end of the season, he was named the "2005 Starting Pitcher of the Year" by Minor League Baseball.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Major leagues

Verlander has drawn comparisons to former Tiger and Major Leaguer, Mark Fidrych. "The Bird," as he was called, pitched an excessive number of innings (by today's standards) in his rookie season.^{[citation needed]}

He features a high-90s fastball (which has been clocked on several occasions as exceeding 100 MPH), a curveball and a changeup.^{[citation needed]} On July 4, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney each threw multiple fastballs clocked in at over 100 mph, becoming the first time in MLB history that three pitchers, on the same team, had done so during a game.^{[citation needed]} He allowed only one stolen base in 2006 and picked off 7 baserunners. In 2006, he became the first rookie pitcher in the history of the game to win 10 games before the end of June.^{[citation needed]}. He was named AL Rookie of the Year for the 2006 season. He was the first Detroit Tiger to win that award since Lou Whitaker won it in 1978.

Verlander gets mobbed after the final out of his no hitter.

2007 proved to be another good year for Verlander, as he finished the season 18-6 with a 3.66 ERA. He led the majors in hit batsmen, with 19, and wild pitches, with 17.^[3]

After struggling in 2008, Verlander bounced back in 2009. He went 10-4 before the All-Star break and was selected to his second All Star Game, along with teammates Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and Brandon Inge. Having pitched seven innings two days earlier for Cleveland, he was held out to be available for extra innings, if necessary. He did not pitch in the game.

[edit] No-hitter

Verlander pitched a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park on June 12, 2007. Verlander retired 27 batters without allowing a hit and struck out 12 opposing batters to complete the sixth no-hitter in Tigers history and become the fifth Tigers pitcher to throw one.^[4][5] Only three of the 30 batters Verlander faced managed to hit the ball to the outfield. Three of his four walks issued were to Bill Hall and the first pitch to the final batter was clocked at 102 MPH.^[6]

[edit] Awards and accolades

• 2006 American League Rookie of the Year
• 2006 Tigers Rookie of the Year award from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association
• American Rookie of the Month (May, 2006)
• American League Player of the Week (May 22-28, 2006)
• American League Player of the Week (June 11-17, 2007)
• 7th in 2006 American League Cy Young Award Voting (the highest of any rookie pitcher)
• 5th in 2007 American League Cy Young Award Voting
• 15th in 2006 American League MVP Voting (the highest of any rookie and second highest of any pitcher - Johan Santana was 7th)
• Named to 2007 and 2009 American League All-Star Teams
• Became first Tigers pitcher since Denny McLain in 1968 (31-6, .838) to lead the American League in winning percentage and qualify for an ERA title (18-6, .750) in 2007.
• American League Pitcher of the Month (May, 2009)
• Became the first Major League starter in 24 years to load the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning or later and get out of it without allowing a run when he pulled off the feat July 24, 2009. Then-Mariners hurlder Mike Moore was the last to do it, on Sept. 16, 1985.^[7]
• 2009 Tiger of the Year ^[8]

[edit] Quotes about Verlander

• "He's a special talent. I think he's one of the premier pitchers in the league, not just young pitchers." - Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland^[9]
• "My God, that guy's throwing 100 miles an hour in the sixth inning, you're not going to mount much against him. It's really tough for the best hitters in baseball to put that in play consistently." - Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones^[9]
• "It was the best thing that ever happened to me." - Verlander on his no-hitter^[10]

[edit] Personal life

Verlander lives in Hadensville, Virginia during the offseason, which is located in the greater Richmond area.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Justin Verlander

• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

|- |}