Here in Detroit, it is well known what Justin Verlander can do. However, last night's performance essentially thrust him into the national limelight and has most baseball analysts preparing for a run of greatness from the kid.
What we Tiger fans are seeing from Justin on a start to start basis is something that comes along once every decade or two in a team's history. This kid is a genuine ace, a true superstar, who (now officially) has unhittable stuff and can infuse a ballpark like the CoPa with his performances. Last night was pure magic. And it's not the first time that dedicated Tiger fans have seen Justin come to the mound with poise and intensity that don't match his young age of 24. Chicago in September last year? New York in Game 2 of the ALDS? At Fenway Park just about a month ago? There's a trend.
Verlander is giving a giant middle finger to the notion of the sophomore slump. He's 7-2 this season, and his ERA is at a pristine 2.67, sixth in the bigs. Tiger fans, with those types of numbers and the type of stuff Justin brought to the mound yesterday, we can prepare ourselves for a stretch of pitching that we haven't seen since the days of Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain. Jack Morris was good, no doubt, but he never completely dominated a team like Verlander did to Milwaukee last night. The no-hitter in 1984 is up there with the greatest pitching performances in Tiger history, but last night we might have seen the greatest.
I'd like to give a big shout out to Mario Impemba and Rod Allen for how they handled last night's game. Not once did they mention that Justin had a no-hitter going. FSN Detroit cameras focused in on the big scoreboard in left that said "0 0 0" next the Milwaukee's name, but that's the extent of it. Great work on not jinxing the kid, guys. Same to Dan Dickerson and Jim Price on the radio. I didn't listen to the game from them, but all reports I've heard have said they too didn't say a word. Good job respecting superstition from the Tiger broadcasters.
Well, now Justin Verlander becomes a superstar on the national scene. It's almost like a coronation of sorts. When there's a nobody that comes from no where to pitch a no-hitter, it's an aberration. But when a kid of Verlander's quality who has been slowly building up to this point for two years reaches it, it's an anointment.
Enjoy the ride Tiger fans, this doesn't happen too often. It's Justin's world- we're all just living in it.
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