20 years after debut, SF Giants’ Verlander reflects on first career start

PHOENIX Two decades later Vance Wilson still remembers the poster Inside the visiting clubhouse at the ballpark formerly known as Jacobs Field hung a Reebok-branded poster of two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez As Wilson recalls Gonzalez was hitting a neck-high fastball Ahead of his debut a -year-old Justin Verlander looked at the poster and cracked a tongue-in-cheek joke Yeah not my fastball I remember it like it was the preceding day Wilson the former Detroit Tigers catcher noted It s one of those All right kid let s see what you got I ll defer to his memory Verlander laughed On July Verlander took the mound in Cleveland for his first event in the majors a spot start in the second event of a doubleheader He didn t didn t pitch that well by his lofty standards and he knew he d be back in Double-A regardless of how the outing unfolded But that night in Cleveland kicked off a career that will end in Cooperstown On July a -year-old Verlander will take the mound for his th career regular-season start Instead of looking for his first career win he ll be searching for his first supremacy as a San Francisco Giant in his continued pursuit of career wins The challenge has a funny way of putting things in perspective for you sometimes Verlander disclosed I feel like I m just a horse with blinders on just kind of going about my business Your head s down you get ready to pitch and get ready to pitch and just keep doing what you need to do to be triumphant Every now and then something kind of shakes you and you re like Wow I ve been doing this a long time strikeouts or wins or things like that just kind of make you realize how much time has elapsed This is another one where it s like dude twenty years It s just crazy to think how long that really is especially in pro sports but also how short it feels It feels like nothing Just feels like it s gone so fast I appreciate those moments because I do like to come up for a breath of air and look back especially with my family now and trying to be a bit more present The Tigers selected Verlander with the second overall pick in the MLB Draft out of Old Dominion and upon making his professional debut the following year he only needed a handful of starts to affirm he was the event s best young arm In his first starts with High-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie Verlander had a - with ERA with strikeouts over innings Baseball America tabbed him as its No prospect His th professional start would be in the majors Detroit and Cleveland had to play an Independence Day doubleheader to make up for an April rainout but the Tigers didn t have an available starter in their rotation to pitch the second event Shortly after Verlander was promoted to Double-A he received a call that he d be making the start There was the makeup and the confidence of what a No is Wilson reported I think even from that comment Justin made about that poster he s constantly had that You come across guys with that kind of stuff but they just don t have the makeup and that it factor of what it takes to be a No The debut of top pitching prospects have become marquee events largest part just now evidenced by the fervor around Paul Skenes first start last May Verlander didn t receive the same pomp and circumstance Verlander not only started the backend of a doubleheader but he knew it would be a one-and-done situation Regardless of how well Verlander pitched he was going back to the minors The event wasn t even televised in Detroit The rookie s first assignment was Cleveland which went on to win games and featured one of baseball s best offenses an offense that finished third in slugging percentage and fourth in homers That day Cleveland s lineup featured Grady Sizemore Victor Martinez Travis Hafner Coco Crisp and Jhonny Peralta They were really challenging to address Verlander recalled It was different for me back then I didn t prep I just went out there and threw We talked a little bit about the scouting account but it s nothing like it is now You just go out there and throw your best stuff put your hat up there and compete and see what happens Verlander didn t watch the first event of the doubleheader at the ballpark instead walking around a nearby mall and seeing a movie with his family to pass the time He tried to keep his mind off the start That task was impossible Look it s your first start ever Verlander revealed That vigor that anxiousness isn t going away I still feel it for every start not the same level though Those nerves manifested in his first inning Verlander retired two of the first three batters getting Sizemore to pop out and beating Hafner with an elevated heater for the first strikeout of his career From there things spiraled Crisp singled with one out and stole second then scored on a double by Martinez Ben Broussard doubled home Martinez Peralta scored Broussard with a single Verlander threw a wild pitch then walked Jody Gerut and Jos Hern ndez before getting Alex Cora to hit an inning-ending ground out The shaky start didn t deter the rookie Verlander didn t allow a single run over the next four innings looking the part of baseball s top prospect In the fourth and fifth he retired the side Verlander went out for the sixth but didn t complete the frame He began the inning with a single and a walk and after inducing a fly out his day was done Reliever Jamie Walker allowed one of those inherited runners to total on a double by Sizemore Verlander s final line was far below by his Hall of Fame standards innings seven hits four runs three walks four strikeouts and he took the loss as Detroit fell to Cleveland - But there was another number that jumped out eight four-seam fastballs of at least mph I do think this guy is the real deal revealed manager Alan Trammell at the time I liked what I saw In the years following that night Verlander has put together a career that will end with a plaque in Cooperstown His r sum features an MVP a Rookie of the Year two World Series titles three Cy Young Awards nine All-Star appearances and wins and counting For Wilson it remains a night he ll never forget My career highlights aren t things like I hit home runs or I made an All-Star gang he explained They re things like I got to catch Tom Glavine in his first start back in Atlanta I got to catch Justin Verlander s major league debut What makes it more impressive is Justin has dependably treated me with the utmost respect Wilson caught the first three starts of Verlander s career Verlander s second was another spot start in July one where he allowed five runs over six innings But on April against the Texas Rangers Verlander turned in his first of a multitude of gems seven innings no runs seven strikeouts Two decades later Wilson still remembers when Verlander tried to shake him off The Rangers leadoff man that day was Brad Wilkerson Wilson knew Wilkerson struggled with velocity but mashed curveballs When Verlander got Wilkerson into a two-strike count Wilson signaled for a fastball Verlander shook he longed to throw the curve Verlander eventually relented and struck out Wilkerson with a fastball Upon returning to the dugout Verlander demanded Wilson why he didn t want to call a curveball Wilson provided his explanation Verlander responded with his own He doesn t hit my curveball