Dear Justin Verlander,
It’s been 13 years in the making. Most of those years were spent wearing the greatest uniform in all of sports. Each and every day from your rookie season in 2006 until August 30th, when we watched you win your last game with the Tigers, you donned the old English D and represented it well. And though one day after your last win in an old English D (at least for now; hint, hint), you traded in your Tigers cap for one with a starred H on it, you had plenty of support 1,300 miles away as you chased your championship.
I’ll admit, my high school years (01-05) were spent during some of the worst years of Tigers baseball. But, my passion for the sport, my town, and my team were reenergized in 2006 and you were a major part of that. Sure it may sound slappy, maybe even a little romanticized, but it’s true. And you know what? I don’t even care how it sounds.
For 13 years you were our guy, the face of our franchise. You took a team (and a city) that was down in the dumps, and with 24 other guys single-handedly gave them hope. For 3-4 hours a day, the frustrations and the toils of life were forgotten about and why? Because our Tigers were on and they were damn good. Every five days we were treated to #35 standing on the bump, and every time we tuned in we expected something special.
You succeeded on the field and I know that most of us felt like your success was our success. I know we didn’t play the games, nor did we ever hurl 100 mph fastballs to opposing hitters, but for a sports town as great as Detroit, when the Tigers win, we win.
In your time with Detroit, you collected a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, a Cy Young (should have been two), and pitched not one but two no-hitters. Oh, and you helped take us to the World Series twice.
Now, admittedly, some of us have taken flack for rooting for you in the World Series. We’ve heard it all, “How can you root for someone who isn’t on the Tigers?” and I personally have even been called a traitor for it. But you know what? I’ll never regret rooting for you in the World Series. And, I know you felt the support from most of us here in Detroit because you’re genuinely “our guy.” We always say, “Always a Tiger,” and we mean that.
So, Justin, congratulations on now adding “World Series Champion” to your already stacked Hall of Fame resume. Even though you’re an Astro for the foreseeable, I’ll never regret pulling for you this last month. Way to get yours, JV; it was well deserved.
Sincerely,
Your fans in Detroit
