Justin Verlander News: Pro Sports Daily

Tigers' Justin Verlander finishes third in AL Cy Young Award voting

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November 17

Detroit Free Press

"Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander finished third in voting for the American League Cy Young Award. Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals won this afternoon in voting by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Greinke earned 25 first-place votes and three second-place votes for 134 points on a 5-3-1 scale. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners was second with two first-place votes, 23 seconds and one third for 80 points. Verlander received one first-place vote, but no seconds. He had nine third-place votes for 14 points. C.C. Sabathia of the Yankees was fourth with 13 points, and Toronto's Roy Halladay was fifth with 11 points. Greinke's 2.16 ERA was lowest ..."

Tigers ace Justin Verlander third in AL Cy Young voting

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November 17

Michigan Live

"Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke will remember this week for the rest of his life. He was named the American League's Cy Young Award winner today, and is getting married Saturday. Greinke led the major leagues with a 2.16 ERA, posting a 16-8 record and 242 strikeouts. Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers finished third behind Greinke and Seattle's Felix Hernandez in balloting by 28 members (two per league city) of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hernandez (19-5, 2.49 ERA, 217 strikeouts) got two first-place votes and Verlander received one. Verlander went 19-9 and tied for the major league lead in wins, while leading the majors with 269 strikeouts, 240 innings pitched ..."

Greinke gets one more win: AL Cy Young

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November 17

Kansas City Star

"Zack Greinke’s sweep of the major awards is complete after being named the American League Cy Young winner by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Greinke won with 25 of 28 first-place votes, and 134 points, easily beating runner-up Felix Hernandez of Seattle, who received two first-place votes and 80 points. Detroit’s Justin Verlander received the other first-place vote. Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 229 1/3 innings, his breakout season becoming a needed point of pride in an otherwise dreadful Royals season. His ERA was more than a third of a run better than Hernandez, who finished second, and the AL’s best mark since Pedro Martinez in 2000."

Tigers won't talk specifics, but say they want ace Justin Verlander 'for a long time'

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November 14

Michigan Live

"Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander made $3.675 million last year by signing before an arbitration hearing. He went 19-9, tying for the major league lead in wins and leading the majors in strikeouts (269), innings pitched (240) and starts (35). Detroit controls him for two more seasons, but going to arbitration should lead to a nice raise. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski was asked about signing his ace to a long-term contract to assure he's in Detroit beyond 2011."

Verlander named Tiger of the Year

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November 13

Detroit Free Press

"Right-hander Justin Verlander, who struck out more batters than anyone in baseball and nearly won 20 games for the first time, has won the Tiger of the Year Award in voting by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. It is the first time he has won the award and he was a unanimous selection. Verlander went 19-9 with a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 269 batters. He also was selected for the All-Star Game. The award was announced today at the BBWAA's annual meeting."

Justin Verlander is Tiger of the Year

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November 13

Detroit News

"Justin Verlander has won his first Tiger of the Year award. In the annual balloting of the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Verlander received all 22 first-place votes. Verlander is the first pitcher since Steve Sparks in 2001 -- and just the second since 1986 (Jack Morris) -- to be named Tiger of the Year. Verlander finished with a 19-9 record and a 3.45 ERA. These were some of his highlights: He tied for the American League lead in wins with Seattle's Felix Hernandez and New York's CC Sabathia. He led the AL in strikeouts (269), starts (35) and innings (240). He was 10-2 with a 2.81 ERA at home. He went 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in May. In 18 starts between ..."

Justin Verlander's feats of K

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October 11

Detroit Free Press

"Ernie Harwell has observed that what transfixes most baseball fans is power: home runs by hitters, strikeouts by pitchers. In 2009, Justin Verlander gave Tiger fans a fabulous power display. He struck out 269 to lead the majors. When all 269 were in the book, Verlander cited something he has heard about Roger Clemens. "He never tried to strike someone out unless he had two strikes on him," Verlander said. "That's the way I feel about it. It's not like when somebody steps in, I'm thinking strikeout. "But when I get two strikes, I'm always thinking strikeouts." Beyond leading the majors, Verlander performed these strikeout feats: • He struck out more hitters than any American League pitcher ..."

Verlander, Porcello on short rest wasn't option

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October 9

Florida Today

"Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that the club was never close to starting either Rick Porcello or Justin Verlander on short rest in the second-to-last game on the schedule, even though both right-handers volunteered to do so. With rookie right-hander Alfredo Figaro starting that game Saturday, the Tigers lost, 5-1, to Chicago and fell into a first-place tie with Minnesota. "We've nurtured Porcello all year long, been very careful with him," Dombrowski said Thursday. "If you pitched him on Saturday and something happened to him, you'd never forgive yourself. "He'd never done it (pitched on three days') in his career. It's not like he's 35 and he's done it once in a ..."

Verlander, Porcello on short rest wasn't option

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October 9

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that the club was never close to starting either Rick Porcello or Justin Verlander on short rest in the second-to-last game on the schedule, even though both right-handers volunteered to do so. With rookie right-hander Alfredo Figaro starting that game Saturday, the Tigers lost, 5-1, to Chicago and fell into a first-place tie with Minnesota. "We've nurtured Porcello all year long, been very careful with him," Dombrowski said Thursday. "If you pitched him on Saturday and something happened to him, you'd never forgive yourself. "He'd never done it (pitched on three days') in his career. It's not like he's 35 and he's done it once in a ..."

Justin Verlander's game effort goes for naught

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September 20

Detroit News

"He didn't get a victory Saturday, but Justin Verlander made off with another cache of respect from the Minnesota Twins. "Guy's a stud, man," Michael Cuddyer said after the Twins scored five times in the eighth, aided and abetted by a fly ball lost against the Metrodome's ceiling, to beat the Tigers, 6-2. "That's what studs do is go back for the eighth inning. "You've got to respect a guy like that." Cuddyer marveled at Verlander's 98-mph fastballs during an eighth inning when his pitch count reached 128. The play that set things up for the Twins was Orlando Cabrera's fly ball that left-fielder Don Kelly lost against the murky Metrodome ceiling with one out and Verlander and the Tigers ..."

Jackson and Verlander: Armed and dangerous

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September 7

Detroit Free Press

"Over the last eight days, Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson have combined to pitch three victories against Tampa Bay. These victories have shoved the Tigers closer to the postseason. But more important, these Verlander-Jackson victories have shown why these two right-handers can be the Tigers' greatest assets in the postseason. In going eight innings in each of his two wins over the Rays, Verlander threw 126 and 125 pitches. In going eight innings in his win Sunday, Jackson threw 126 pitches. According to Baesball-Reference.com, no other pitcher all season has thrown as many pitches against the diverse and powerful Tampa Bay offense as Jackson and Verlander just did. That they could ..."

Verlander shrugs off flareup with Laird

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August 25

MLB.com

"Tigers manager Jim Leyland called Monday a learning experience for his young ace, Justin Verlander. Keeping disagreements out of public view might've been part of the lesson for Verlander and catcher Gerald Laird. What appeared to be a difference of opinion on pitch selection turned into a seemingly heated verbal dispute between pitcher and catcher in the middle of the Tigers dugout between innings on Monday night in a nationally televised game at Angel Stadium. Both Verlander and manager Jim Leyland chalked it up to the heat of the moment and suggested things had been settled after the Tigers held onto the 10-7 win over the Angels. "It's one of those things that's in the heat of the ..."

Verlander learns a lesson; Tigers get key road victory

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August 25

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers manager Jim Leyland started Magglio Ordoñez in the third spot against a right-hander Monday night for only the second time in two months. Leyland said he was continuing to search "for some kind of combination" that will get the Tigers' offense humming. Leyland envisioned Ordoñez as part of a rally-starting trio with leadoff man Curtis Granderson and No. 2 hitter Placido Polanco. "Magglio has gotten a few more hits lately, but not a lot of production," Leyland said before the game. "So maybe if those guys can get on and extend innings, (there will be) men on for the big boys." The plan worked spectacularly. Ordoñez reached base three times (single and two walks), and each time ..."

Tigers' Justin Verlander clocks out at 100 mph

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August 14

Boston Herald

"Even the best power pitchers tend to wear down over the course of a start. And then there's Justin Verlander. Verlander, who shut out the Red Sox for eight innings in the Detroit Tigers' 2-0 win yesterday, was just as tough and just as strong in his last inning as he was in his first. His final three pitches of the afternoon - Nos. 121, 122 and 123 - were clocked at 99 mph, 100 mph and 100 mph, respectively, resulting in a strikeout of Jason Bay, who represented the tying run for the Sox in the eighth inning. "He was phenomenal," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He was a lot of things - you could use a lot of adjectives. He was just overpowering." "I'm kind of used to it," added ..."

Nolan Ryan, Justin Verlander express mutual respect

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August 9

Detroit Free Press

"Nolan Ryan, the all-time strikeout king, is now president of the Texas Rangers. At his team's home games, he sits in a front-row box seat between the plate and the first-base dugout. From that vantage point, he watched recently as Justin Verlander beat the Rangers and struck out 13. "It was the best stuff I've seen a pitcher have this year," Ryan said the next day. "I thought it was really interesting that he had the ability, when he got in a tight situation, to add velocity. He was pitching at 92 to 94 (m.p.h.), but when he needed to, he ran it up to 99. It was by far the best fastball I've seen this year. "He's a special pitcher," Ryan continued. "He has a very good curve and a good ..."

With Nolan Ryan looking on, Verlander ties career-high 'K' mark

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July 30

Detroit Free Press

"While putting on a strikeout show, Justin Verlander tried to make eye contact with his hero, the all-time strikeout king. Verlander fanned 13 in his seven innings as the Tigers beat the Rangers Wednesday night, 13-5. The Rangers' president is Nolan Ryan, the all-time leader in strikeouts. Verlander saw Ryan sitting near the field in the box seats. "After the last couple of innings, I was trying to tip my hat to him," Verlander said. "He was my idol. He still is my idol. So I was trying to get his attention as I walked off the mound. It didn't work out, though." Verlander and Ryan spoke on the phone after Verlander's no-hitter a few years ago. They've never met in person. Asked about ..."

Justin Verlander, three homers carry Tigers to victory

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July 8

Detroit News

"Justin Verlander is capable of pitching an occasional weird game. He pitched one Tuesday night in the Tigers' 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. It was weird, good, mind you. But weird. For instance, he had a 35-pitch inning -- and he allowed just the second home run on an 0-2 count he's ever allowed. That happened in the sixth when Billy Butler took him deep to left in the sixth. But he also struck out 11, including six of eight at one dominating point in the game. So he was Verlander as you've come to expect Verlander to be, All-Star pitcher that he is. However, he was also a vulnerable Verlander at times, which explains why he had to leave after six innings with a pitch count ..."

Verlander, Tigersseries finale

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July 2

Detroit Free Press

"Justin Verlander struck out six Wednesday, raising his league-best total to 130 for the season. But strikeouts weren't the last word. Verlander fanned Jack Cust in the second. Next time up, Cust erased the Tigers' one-run lead with a two-run, opposite-field homer to left. The Tigers right-hander struck out Jason Giambi the first two times he faced him -- swinging on a 96 m.p.h. fastball, then looking at a curve. But the third time up, Giambi pulled a two-run homer to right. Verlander said both homers came on good, down-and-away pitches. "I'm disappointed in the results, but when I look myself in the mirror, I can't say I'm too disappointed in the pitches I made," Verlander said after this ..."

Inge's homer helps Verlander lead Tigers past Brewers

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June 22

Detroit Free Press

"What a difference two years and nine days make. Justin Verlander had a tougher go of it against Milwaukee the second time. He faced the Brewers on Sunday at Comerica Park for the first time since pitching a no-hitter against them June 12, 2007. Verlander gave up a home run to the second batter he faced, Casey McGehee, and another solo to Craig Counsell in the eighth inning. Both homers came off fastballs Verlander left up in the zone. But Verlander (8-3) pitched well in between and won a duel with right-hander Yovani Gallardo (7-4) in the Tigers' 3-2 victory at Comerica Park. "I knew going out there it was going to be a tough game for us," Verlander said. "But at the same time you don't ..."

Verlander looks sharp, but not that sharp

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June 22

Detroit News

"The similarities were too striking for Justin Verlander to ignore. Verlander made history in his first outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, on June 12, 2007, throwing the sixth no-hitter in Tigers history in a 4-0 victory at Comerica Park. The opponent and the venue were the same Sunday. Even the plate umpire -- Ron Kulpa -- was the same as when Verlander tossed his no-no. Verlander wasn't quite as good in his second go-around against Milwaukee, but he was good enough. The hard-throwing right-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings Sunday, striking out eight and allowing two bases-empty home runs in the Tigers' 3-2 victory. Hardly historic, but more than enough to secure his eighth win in 11 ..."

Verlander hittable, not beatable

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June 22

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Justin Verlander doesn't face the Milwaukee Brewers enough to own them. But he's leasing. The Detroit Tigers ace didn't come close to repeating the no-hitter he threw against the Brewers on June 12, 2007, the only other time he has faced them, but he was nearly as dominant in the Tigers' 3-2 victory Sunday at Comerica Park to complete a three-game sweep. Besides Verlander's outing, the game was decided on Brandon Inge's 16th home run of the season, a three-run shot off Yovani Gallardo in the sixth inning. "I made one mistake and it cost us the game," Gallardo said. "I felt pretty good out there and I was making my pitches. Just that one pitch up in the zone and he took advantage of it. ..."

Verlander faces Brewers for first time since '07 no-hitter

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June 21

Detroit Free Press

"Today, Justin Verlander faces a team that he no-hit. And he will face a pitcher who this season has accomplished something much rarer than a no-hitter. Verlander's mound opponent will be right-hander Yovani Gallardo. In late April, Gallardo beat Pittsburgh, 1-0 -- and homered for his team's run. To use the phrase of the New Yorker's Roger Angell, Gallardo "had accounted for both scores in the same game." How rare is that? It was only the 13th time in major league history that a pitcher homered for the run in a 1-0 game. That information comes from that eminent historian of homers, David Vincent. He reports the first such 1-0 came 130 years ago, in 1879, when Harry McCormick of Syracuse did ..."

A complete player: Justin Verlander going the distance

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June 12

Detroit Free Press

"Justin Verlander pitched a complete game Wednesday night vs. the White Sox, the fifth of his career. Here's how he fared in each game: May 22, 2006 His first came at Kansas City, when he beat the Royals, 8-0, on five hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. June 12, 2007 This was Verlander's no-hitter at home against the Brewers. He struck out 12 and walked four in the 4-0 win. June 11, 2008 He shut down the rival White Sox at home, allowing a run, four hits and no walks with three K's in a 5-1 victory."

Verlander's 'masterpiece' pleases Tigers

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June 11

USA Today

"Jim Leyland has been a man of few words recently - especially about some of the starting pitching for his first-place Detroit Tigers.But the manager had no trouble finding a succinct description for Justin Verlander's 2-1 complete-game victory Wednesday over the Chicago White Sox. "Masterpiece," said Leyland, finding a refreshing change from some of the terse "not good" and "we've got to get that straightened out" responses he's had during the last turn through the Detroit rotation. Verlander made it easy for his manager and extremely difficult for the White Sox, a team he had never beaten in eight previous starts in Chicago. His six-hitter gave Verlander a 7-2 record and reduced his ..."

Justin Verlander overcomes frustration with ferocity

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May 21

Detroit Free Press

columnist Michael Rosenberg

"It's lonely up there on the hill. All a pitcher has is his arm and his thoughts; everything else, like the rest of the field, seems to have sunk into the earth. Four games into this season, Justin Verlander knew he had the arm. But where was his mentality? Where was he? What happened to the kid who surprised everybody by making the starting rotation in 2006, at age 23, then ripped through the American League? Here was Verlander, 26 years old with a 9.00 ERA. Not surprisingly, he discussed it with the only person he really trusts when it comes to his mental approach: himself. "I just kind of talked to myself: What's different?" Verlander said Tuesday night. "The only thing I could really ..."

Verlander gem, home runs power Tigers

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May 21

Detroit News

"The Tigers are running on all cylinders. Justin Verlander pitched his fifth-straight gem, the offense provided three monstrous home runs as the Tigers earned their fifth-straight victory Wednesday with a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. Verlander continued his torrid stretch, picking up his fourth victory in his last five starts. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight and walking two. Verlander (4-2, 4.01) had all his stuff working. His fastball was lively, his breaking ball was biting. His fastball was so good it completely obliterated the bat of Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden's on a lazy fly ball to shortstop in the third inning. Verlander followed ..."

Verlander has been phenomenal, but Lolich's records are likely safe

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May 19

Detroit Free Press

"With all of his recent strikeouts, Justin Verlander makes us examine anew left-hander Mickey Lolich's amazing 1971 season. In his last three starts, Verlander has become the first Tigers pitcher since Lolich in '71 to strike out at least 10 batters in three straight games. Lolich had two such streaks in '71 -- but they were far from the most stunning thing he did that year. In '71, Lolich threw 376 innings. That is the most innings thrown by a non-knuckleball pitcher since the pre-1920 dead-ball era. In '72, White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood threw two-thirds more of an inning than Lolich in '71. But Wood didn't put the strain on his arm with the knuckleball that Lolich did with his power ..."

Verlander's start proves he's over speed bump

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May 5

Detroit Free Press

"I thought it was ironic that Chuck Hernandez was front and center for Verlander's gem Sunday against Cleveland. Hernandez is currently the Indians' bullpen coach and remains, to many, the No. 1 reason why the Tigers stunk last year. Actually, I'm not in that camp. In some ways, Hernandez simply became a convenient punching bag for fans during a lost season. But I do remember watching Verlander's second start of the season last year against the White Sox. It was a Sunday night game. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan were talking about how Hernandez had worked with Verlander to throw a bit softer so that he could go deeper into games. Hmmmm. I had never heard of this philosophy. I had heard of ..."

Verlander displays 'no-hitter stuff' in an electric performance against Indians

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May 4

Detroit Free Press

"It's a wonder that the Comerica Park scoreboard didn't short circuit. Had the leftfield display ever shown something that looked quite like this? NOW PITCHING: VERLANDER. MPH: 100. TOTAL: 114. For those unfamiliar with baseball shorthand, here's a translation: On his 114th pitch, in his seventh and final inning on Sunday afternoon, Tigers ace Justin Verlander threw a 100-m.p.h. fastball. "No-hitter stuff," left-hander Bobby Seay admired. "I'm impressed," teammate Brandon Inge said. And yes, Verlander saw it. "I look," he said, smiling. On this particular day, it was hard not to look. As the intensity climbed, Verlander's fastball became faster. Triple-digit pitch count. ..."

Vintage Justin Verlander a welcome sight

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May 4

Detroit News

"At the end of six innings, the numbers were ridiculous, but not unexpected when for the past year you've been saddled to a black cat: Justin Verlander had allowed one hit, a measly single. He had struck out 10 batters. And yet he was locked in a 1-1 tie with Cleveland Indians starter Cliff Lee, who had allowed eight hits in six innings, including the eighth home run of the season by the sudden Sultan of Swat, Brandon Inge. Not much justice there, which is what Verlander's teammates seemed to believe when they came to bat in the bottom of the seventh against Lee, who was merely last season's American League Cy Young Award winner. Two batters later, Dane Sardinha and Curtis Granderson had ..."

Power outage: Verlander overwhelms Indians as Tigers score twice in 7th for 3-1 triumph

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May 4

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Indians usually get a lot of scoring chances against Justin Verlander. The guy throws 100 mph, but when he pitches against the Indians he almost never knows where it's going. In leading Detroit to a 3-1 victory over the Indians on Sunday, Verlander knew exactly where the ball was going. But there's a reason he's 5-10 lifetime against the Tribe and that reason presented manager Eric Wedge's befuddled team with a chance for victory in the seventh inning. Verlander, varying his speeds from 78 to 100 mph, entered the seventh with the score tied, 1-1. Cliff Lee, who allowed a career-high 12 hits, was not nearly as overpowering, but he was matching Verlander scoreless inning by scoreless ..."

Verlander's outing against the Yankees is reminiscent of his glory days

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May 3

Detroit Free Press

"Justin Verlander and Zach Miner are close friends. They have been since 2006, when they were rookie pitchers with the Tigers. They golf together. They trade one-liners. On nights when neither is the starting pitcher, they usually stand side by side in the Detroit dugout. Miner has found that fans at Comerica Park pay close attention to Verlander even when he's not on the mound. They remember that he started Game 1 of the World Series in 2006. They remember that he threw a no-hitter in 2007. They also remember that he was a disappointment in 2008. "They might be saying it nicely," Miner said, "but you have fans saying, 'Justin, come on, you gotta get going,' or, 'Come on, Justin. What's ..."

Verlander strikes out nine, walks none in first win

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April 28

Detroit Free Press

"In his first masterpiece of 2009, Justin Verlander struck out nine Yankees on Monday night and walked none. That's the most strikeouts Verlander has had in a game in which he didn't walk anyone, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Verlander's previous strikeout high in a game with no walks was eight. And what pitcher did he beat in the game in 2006? CC Sabathia. That's the same CC Sabathia who on Monday night was the victim of Verlander's first win of the year and of a decisive sixth-inning rally that built like a crescendo. With the Tigers ahead 1-0, Curtis Granderson bunted for a one-out single in the sixth and scored on the second double of the night by Placido Polanco (his first ..."

Verlander shows he can be great

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April 28

Detroit Free Press

"On nights like this, groundskeepers love Justin Verlander, because when he walks from the dugout to the mound, he doesn't even touch the grass. This was vintage Verlander against the Yankees, JV schooling the varsity: seven innings, no earned runs, nine strikeouts, no walks. The Tigers beat Yankees ace CC Sabathia, 4-2. The Yankees are a patient group of hitters, but they took it to a new level Monday. The first seven Yankees took the first pitch. You could almost read their minds: Let's make this guy show he is throwing strikes. Well, Verlander showed them. All seven fell behind 0-1 in the count. Verlander was not just good Monday. He was dominant. He made you think of Cy Young awards and ..."

Justin Verlander shuts down Yankees

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April 28

Detroit News

"Never mind where he's been. It's the road on which Justin Verlander suddenly found himself Monday night that now counts the most for the Tigers. As dominant as he ever was in the past, Verlander rolled through the Yankees in a 4-2 fashion at Comerica Park, striking out nine in seven shutout innings. The Yankees scored twice in the ninth off Fernando Rodney, but a double play while the second run scored bailed Rodney out of additional trouble. Meanwhile, the Tigers got to Yankees ace CC Sabathia for a run in the first, topped with three in the sixth -- including two on Magglio Ordonez's second home run in the last three games after he'd gone the first 16 games without an extra-base hit. ..."

Justin Verlander returns to form in win

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April 13

Detroit Free Press

"For all practical purposes, Justin Verlander has the same delivery now that he did in 2006, when he was the American League's top rookie, and in 2007, when he threw a no-hitter. He stands tall on the mound, raises his left leg with a snap, and coolly releases one of the game's most blistering fastballs. On Saturday, though, he made a slight adjustment - so small that he mentioned it to reporters afterward. As he rocked on the rubber during his windup, he let his handstoward his belt; then he raised the glove back to the Olde English D on his jersey before pulling the ball from the webbing. Before, he had kept his hands even with his chest throughout the delivery. Was this a big change? ..."

Justin Verlander looks like an ace again

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April 12

Detroit News

"There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with Justin Verlander. After a shaky 2008 season and a shaky opening day performance in Toronto, where he allowed eight runs in just 3 2/3 innings, fans started to wonder if Verlander was really the Tigers' ace. He answered those doubters Saturday. Verlander got back to being the Verlander of 2006-07 in a 4-3 victory over Texas on Saturday at Comerica Park. Verlander pitched five solid innings, allowing two hits and three runs (one earned) while striking out eight and walking four as the Tigers evened their record at 3-3. "He was tremendous today," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He's getting better all the time. He's going to be fine. I think ..."

Justin Verlander will start Opening Day in Toronto

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March 27

Michigan Live

"Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland made official today what had been assumed for awhile. Justin Verlander will start Opening Day April 6 at Toronto, and Edwin Jackson will start the next day against the Blue Jays. Armando Galarraga will pitch either the third game in Toronto or Opening Day April 10 at Comerica Park against the Texas Rangers. "I'm proud of him," Leyland said of Verlander. "He's worked his fanny off.""

Verlander struts stuff

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March 18

Detroit Free Press

"The one time the Astros successfully played hit-'em-where-they-ain't against Justin Verlander on Tuesday, they didn't swing the bat. With one out in the third inning, catcher Brian Bogusevic dropped a bunt to the third-base side of the mound. Verlander rocketed the throw to first, but Bogusevic was safe. It was the only hit Verlander allowed in his six innings. His performance showed what can happen when a pitcher with terrific stuff works with a spectacular infield defense. Verlander got notable outs from all four spots on the infield. This array began with two out in the first, when Hunter Pence tagged a low liner toward the leftfield corner. Brandon Inge, back home at third, somehow ..."

Justin Verlander shows his stuff, gets help from infielders

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March 18

Detroit Free Press

"The one time the Astros successfully played hit-'em-where-they-ain't against Justin Verlander on Tuesday, they didn't swing the bat. With one out in the third inning, catcher Brian Bogusevic dropped a bunt to the third-base side of the mound. Verlander rocketed the throw to first, but Bogusevic was safe. It was the only hit Verlander allowed in his six innings. His performance showed what can happen when a pitcher with terrific stuff works with a spectacular infield defense. Verlander got notable outs from all four spots on the infield. This array began with two out in the first, when Hunter Pence tagged a low liner toward the leftfield corner. Brandon Inge, back home at third, somehow ..."

Tigers' staff ace cements his role

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March 18

Detroit News

"Along with income taxes being due April 15 you can pencil in another certainty on next month's calendar: Justin Verlander will be the Tigers' choice to pitch Opening Day at Toronto when the season begins April 6. Jim Leyland hasn't made any official announcements. But he doesn't need to. Verlander will pitch the opener because of the way he pitched Tuesday at Marchant Stadium against the Houston Astros: six innings, a hit (a bunt single), a run, three walks, two strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches, which was one of the reasons Leyland spoke glowingly in his office afterward. "Today you saw an outstanding major league pitcher, and that's what he should be most of the time," Leyland said. "He ..."

No one concerned after Verlander's poor outting

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March 12

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander allowed four runs, two earned, in a brief start against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. He lasted two innings. He walked four. He started each of his first four hitters with a ball. In short, the numbers were not good. And there may have been a reason for that. Verlander said after the game that he's in the process of changing his delivery. He described it as a slight adjustment: He's trying to keep his left knee bent -- rather than straight -- as he plants on the mound. Verlander decided to make the change after watching video of his most recent start, last Friday against the Yankees. "I definitely feel like today was a lot better than the ..."

Tweaks benefit Gary Sheffield, Justin Verlander

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March 12

Detroit News

"Gary Sheffield entered Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees with an .063 batting average -- one single in 16 at-bats. He headed for the clubhouse midway through the Tigers' 7-4 victory with two home runs and a walk in three trips to the plate. Some extended work with Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon led to an adjustment that had Leyland raving about his 40-year-old designated hitter even before Wednesday's game. He was stinging the ball loud today in batting practice," Leyland said before Sheffield's blasts to left field, and deep left-center, gave him three RBIs. "He has his hands up higher to start with, so he can take the bat right to the ball," Leyland said afterward. ..."

Justin Verlander walks four in two innings

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March 11

Detroit News

"Justin Verlander's issues with the strike zone continued Wednesday at Marchant Stadium as he gave up four walks and four runs, two of them earned, in a shaky two-inning performance against the New York Yankees. The Yankees took a 4-0 lead before the Tigers scored five times in their half of the second to grab a 5-4 lead. Gary Sheffield hit a two-run home run and Brandon Inge added a RBI-double during the outburst against Yankees starter CC Sabathia."

Verlander sharp; Tigers top Braves

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February 26

Detroit News

"To be or not to be slower. That is the question this spring for Justin Verlander. There's been talk his tempo on the mound shouldn't be as fast as it's been in the past -- that he should be more deliberate, take more time between pitches. On Wednesday, however, in the Tigers' first game of the spring -- a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves -- Verlander not only seemed to work as fast as he always has, but spoke of its advantages. I'm the type of person that if things are going well and we have a team down," Verlander said, "for me, working quick is almost like putting my foot on their throat and saying, 'You're not going to get back up.'" Now compare that to what manager Jim Leyland ..."

Verlander strong in exhibition debut

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February 25

Detroit News

"Bottom line: very good. Justin Verlander walked two in two innings, admitted he overthrew at times, but his first outing of the spring resulted in two scoreless innings Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. "On the walks, I was in control of those at-bats," Verlander said, "but spring training got the best of me. I tried to do too much, and lost the zone at little bit. But overall I was very pleased."

Verlander changes upper-body workouts after lackluster '08

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February 25

Detroit Free Press

"Last year, Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander appeared on the cover of STACK, a magazine that focuses on training techniques and is marketed to high school athletes. The May/June issue included an article, photographs and diagrams detailing his regimen during the 2007-08 off-season. Verlander, of course, did not get the results he wanted from those workouts. He went 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA in 33 starts, the worst of his three big-league seasons. So did he overhaul his routines during the most recent off-season? Not entirely. Verlander said earlier this week that he simply scaled back his upper-body work, after consulting with Tigers strength coach Javair Gillett. Verlander still spent a ..."

Verlander will open exhibition season

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February 24

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Sunday that Justin Verlander will start the team's Grapefruit League opener on Wednesday. And before the right-hander throws his first pitch, we could have a more complete picture of why that decision was made. The start on Wednesday will put Verlander in line for the regular-season opener on April 6 in Toronto, assuming he pitches every fifth day between now and then. Still, it's impossible to say -- yet -- that Verlander will be Detroit's Opening Day starter for a second consecutive year. If he is selected to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, his pitching schedule could be disrupted. Team USA will announce its roster on Tuesday, so team ..."

Verlander will open exhibition season

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February 23

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Sunday that Justin Verlander will start the team's Grapefruit League opener on Wednesday. And before the right-hander throws his first pitch, we could have a more complete picture of why that decision was made. The start on Wednesday will put Verlander in line for the regular-season opener on April 6 in Toronto, assuming he pitches every fifth day between now and then. Still, it's impossible to say -- yet -- that Verlander will be Detroit's Opening Day starter for a second consecutive year. If he is selected to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, his pitching schedule could be disrupted. Team USA will announce its roster on Tuesday, so team ..."

Verlander to get start in Grapefruit League opener

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February 22

Detroit Free Press

"Tigers manager Jim Leyland said this morning that Justin Verlander is likely to start Wednesday's Grapefruit League opener against Atlanta. Leyland has not named his starter for the regular season opener on April 6 in Toronto. But a start on Wednesday would put Verlander in line to get the ball on Opening Day. If he made a start every fifth day, Verlander would pitch Feb. 25, Mar. 2, Mar. 7, Mar. 12, Mar. 17, Mar. 22, Mar. 27, April 1 and then against the Blue Jays on April 6. Still, it's impossible to say with certainty -- yet -- that Verlander will start the season opener. If he is chosen to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, the every-fifth-day routine could be disrupted."