Verlander welcomes former teammates
It’s two days away, but Justin Verlander can sense the somewhat awkward feeling creeping inside of him.
The 35-year-old Astros ace went to dinner with a few of his former teammates Thursday night in Houston, a few hours after the Detroit Tigers landed in town, ready to face Verlander on Sunday for the first time since last August’s trade.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Verlander said Friday, surrounded by a horde of Detroitbased reporters. “It’s going to be a little different, I can already tell I feel a little differently about it than a normal start. It’s not the same as if it would be in Comerica (Park), but I’m looking forward to it.”
Verlander is scheduled to face Francisco Liriano in Sunday’s first-half finale, his first start against the organization that drafted and cultivated him into a six-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, American League Most Valuable Player and five-time postseason participant.
The winds of change swept in, though, and a complete overhaul loomed for the franchise that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2004. Verlander waived his no-trade clause and the Astros acquired him Sept. 1.
“I think everybody understood how tough of a decision it was for me, one, and two, why I made the decision,” Verlander said of waiving the clause. “It was kind of a scenario where the writing was on the wall and I think everyone understood the organization was going in a different direction. I desperately wanted to win a World Series and the opportunity wasn’t going to be in Detroit at that juncture. I don’t have time to wait through a rebuild.”
The most difficult part of his decision to void the clause, Verlander said, was his relationship with the Tigers’ fans and the city that embraced him in his ascent from a 22-year-old rookie to a generational talent. He acknowledged Friday he was “concerned” how fans would react.
“You’ve seen horror stories about how some prominent athletes in other cities bowed out in not the right fashion and it didn’t come across well to their fans,” Verlander said. “I didn’t want to do that to the Detroit fans. I wanted to leave on a good note and not leave a sour taste in their mouth.”
Whether he completely accomplished his mission is up for debate.
A three-game series at Comerica Park on Sept. 10-12 should answer any remaining questions or fears, which were somewhat allayed during the Astros’ postseason run last year.
“I was very happy with the support from Detroit, from Michigan,” Verlander said. “Honestly, I was very touched by it, all the fans saying they were pulling for Houston once the Tigers were out of it. That meant a lot to me, and I hope that those fans understood how much they meant to me over my career there.”