1995 (age 12) in Little League.
2011 Cy Young & American League Most Valuable Player.
It’s been 25 years since a starting pitcher was named the MVP and there is nobody more deserving than Detroit’s Justin Verlander. His performances in 2011 spoke for itself.
2011 Season
ERA – W-L – SO – WHIP
2.40 – 24-5 – 250 – 0.92
The last one was Roger Clemens in 1986 who was Verlander’s Idol.
With 250 strikeouts in 2011, Verlander recorded 200-or-more strikeouts in three straight seasons, marking the longest streak by a Tigers pitcher since Mickey Lolich did it in six straight seasons from 1969-74. Verlander now ranks seventh in Tiger franchise history with 1,215 strikeouts.
On May 7 he threw the second no-hitter of the season against Toronto 9-0 allowing only one walk and again only the second pitcher in franchise history to throw two career no-hitters, Virgil Trucks who threw two no-hitters during the 1952 season was the first.
Last Tuesday 28-year-old Justin Verlander unanimously won the American League Cy Young award. Monday the Baseball Writers of America also named him the American League MVP. In 2006 Justin won the Rookie of the Year and with now both the Cy Young & AL MVP it makes him only the second player in AL history to accomplish winning all three. And all in just 6 seasons, What A Grand Achievement.
This is the 11th time a pitcher has been named MVP for the AL, and Verlander becomes the 10th pitcher to win both awards in the same year. He is the seventh Detroit Tiger to be named MVP, and Tigers have won this award a total of nine times. The others were Hernandez, McClain, Hal Newhouser (twice), Hank Greenberg (twice), Mickey Cochrane, and Charlie Gehringer.
What else more is there to say other than this Detroit Tiger player set Comerica ablaze every time he took the mound there. Never had there been so many sell outs since it was built. Justin was the most excitable player to watch, hell Tiger fans got so spoiled we expected him to throw a no-hitter every time out! LOL
Or the reality we just wanted to see him achieve more and more for himself. His head is grounded and is one of the most like-able and nicest baseball player to play in the game. He strived for perfection every time he played and no one can ask anymore from a player. And his teammates seem to respond off his performances to get him the runs needed to win the games. So hats off to the whole team.
We love them for they are our Tigers and hopefully we will get to the World Series and win it in 2012.
Congratulations to Justin Verlander for these very well deserved awards. He earned them with every pitch thrown.
Thank You for the excitement Justin, enjoy every moment of this and all of the Tiger Fans look forward to the spring when we get to watch it all over again!
Sweet to be a Tiger and sweet to be a Tiger Fan.
Survivor
“Eye of the Tiger”
Written by Jim Peterik & Frankie Sullivan.
Released off the song entitled third album in 1982.
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