Justin Verlander is currently 39 years old but the way the former Detroit Tigers MVP is currently pitching for the Houston Astros, it's apparent that he still has plenty of gas left in his tank.
That being said, there will come a point when Verlander will hang up his cleats, and not too long after that, he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But the question is, when Verlander gets the call from the Hall of Fame, will he go in as a Tiger or an Astro?
Justin Verlander discusses if he will go into Hall of Fame as a Tiger or an Astro
On Tuesday, Verlander, who was back at Comerica Park for the Astros series against the Tigers was asked which cap he will wear when he gets the Hall of Fame nod and he was non-committal.
“I try not to think about it, quite honestly,” he said, having clearly thought about it in the past. Then he rubbed his temple and thought about it some more.
“I have a bit of time left on my clock and I think that is going to determine a lot of things,” he said. “I’ve had a good run here in Houston. I don’t know if I’ll still be here in the coming years. If I played until 45, that’s six more years. Might be less, might be more, who knows, but that’s still a significant chunk of my career.
“So it’s not a very fair question at this point in time. But I know Detroit will always have a special place in my heart and in my career and what that looks like when I retire, I just can’t answer that right now. Don’t have all the information.”
“I don’t really know what the (retirement age) is or have a goal per se. It’s just, head down, keep working and do everything I can to maintain my body and success for as long as I can. However long that takes me, however long that journey is, when all is said and done, there will be no stone left unturned to help me get to that point.
“And I’ll be happy to ride off into the sunset knowing that I gave the game everything I possibly could.”
Nation, how would you feel if Justin Verlander goes into the Hall of Fame as an Astro rather than a Tiger?
