Opening Day in Detroit: Tigers game captures fan excitement
Tigers fans relish in another Opening Day in Detroit.
Detroit — It was a question only Tigers’ broadcaster Jason Benetti could ask, and for a few minutes, it stumped Justin Verlander.
Benetti asked what the 22-year-old version of Verlander would be most proud of today, on the eve of his return to the Comerica Park mound after an eight-year exodus.
“That’s a tough one,” he said. “The longevity is something I always strived for. I wanted to play the game for a really long time and I was naïve and stubborn and said I would. I told (former Tiger) Kenny Rogers, ‘When I am your age, I will still be able to throw 95.’ What an idiot that kid was (laughing).”
That kid was right, though. At age 43 and in his 21st season, he is no longer the oppressive power pitcher he was. But he still can hit 95 and 96 mph with a much more sophisticated mix of pitches.
“I’ve always had this view that, for me, if you stay healthy and get on the field and do all the things I need to do to pitch 200-plus innings a year, the rest would take care of itself,” he said. “I never was like, I want to throw a certain amount of no-hitters or strike out this many guys in my career.
“It was always just take the ball, pitch and pitch as well as I could. But everything I did I put my heart and soul into. I live and breathe this, maybe a little less now that I have kids at home, it’s nice to get away and check that box. But I’ve put everything into it.”
There’s going to be a nostalgic tinge to just about everything Verlander experiences, at least for the first part of this season. He came here as a 21-year-old and debuted at 22. He was 34 when he was traded to Houston, where he won two more Cy Young awards and two World Series titles.
In a lot of ways, his heart never left this city.
“More than anything, it’s being part of the city,” he said. “It’s really cool to come back. It was already changing when I left, but to see how it’s grown – we’ve got guys living downtown, which is not the way it was early in my career.
“I just have so many memories here. I grew up here, I left and I feel like I’m just a totally different person now. Just a lot of perspective. It’s exciting to come back and relive it and embrace the time I had here, look back fondly and just kind of leave a mark on this city.”
On Friday for the home opener, Verlander made the same drive he used to make on his way to Comerica Park and he felt the very familiar party vibe that he’s always associated with Opening Day in Detroit.
“Really cool,” he said. “Seeing our fans in the city already, first thing in the morning, the buzz. It was very nostalgic. And then I go in the locker room and I don’t even know where I’m going.”
The clubhouse has been completely overhauled and renovated since he left. But he quickly found his way to the weight room and reacquainted himself with the bullpen mound. He’s put in some long hours after his disappointing season debut in Phoenix, where he was tagged with six hits and five runs in 3.2 innings.
“Hips and head position,” he said when asked about some of the adjustments he’s making. “Trying to be a little more deceptive and a stay in line a little bit longer. Like I said after the game, it wasn’t good enough. I hope it’s not like last year where I spent months trying to find it.
“Hopefully it gets right a little quicker than that. Talking to the analysts, they said the stuff was actually pretty good. I’m not that far away, I don’t think.”
@cmccosky
Cardinals at Tigers
▶ First pitch: 7:20 Sunday, Comerica Park, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: Peacock/97.1
SCOUTING REPORT
▶ RHP Kyle Leahy (0-1, 7:20), Cardinals: At 6-6 and with a 7-2 extension, he can be a problem for hitters. His 94-mph four-seamer and sinker get on them fast. Left-handed hitters have to deal with his plus-changeup, slider and curveball. He will throw sinkers and front-door sweepers to right-handed hitters. He got nicked up by the Mets in his season debut, allowing four runs in five innings.
▶ RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27), Tigers: His last start at Comerica Park wearing a Tigers jersey was a beauty. It was on Aug. 20, 2017, and he dominated the Dodgers for eight innings, allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts. The lone run he allowed came on a home run by, of all people, former Tiger Curtis Granderson. His season debut in Phoenix was gnarly (5 runs, six hits, 3.2 innings), but upon closer inspection, the metrics on his pitches were better than he thought. It was an issue of location and command.
