His 427 career strikeouts ranks at the top of the ODU career list and he set a school record with 151 strikeouts in 105.2 innings as a junior in 2004 after fanning 139 over 116.1 innings as a sophomore.
That was good enough for the Detroit Tigers to pull the trigger on Verlander and use its No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. They offered him reportedly more than the $3.35 million that they had paid to Kyle Sleeth when he went as the Tigers No. 3 choice in 2003.
Detroit was hoping to sign Verlander quickly, as they do with most draft picks. Usually the ink is drying on the signature lines by the end of June. Sometimes July.
By October , the Tigers’ irritation with the inability to sign their prized prospect eventually led to them notifying Verlander’s agent that the team was breaking off negotiations and withdrawing their offer.
A week later Verlander's father called Greg Smith, the Tigers scouting director, and hammered out a a 5-year deal, which included a $3.12 million bonus with a $4.5 million guarantee, with the Tigers eight days later.
Most high draft picks find their way into the farm system immediately. Verlander had missed the season.
In 2005, Verlander began the year reporting to spring training. The Tigers assigned him to Lakeland in the Class-A Advanced Florida State League.
Justin quickly proved to be worth the aggravation the front office endured to get him signed.
The 22-year old simply overwhelmed the FSL, going 9-2 with a 1.67 ERA. More impressively though, he tallied 104 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 86 innings.
Verlander was promoted to Double-A Erie on June 20, and thus far, he has failed to miss a beat with the SeaWolves.
In 32.2 innings pitched, Justin has tallied 32 strikeouts, while yielding only seven walks, and one run; his ERA stands at a minuscule 0.28.
Looking to give Verlander an additional challenge, Detroit has given him the chance to prove himself in the big leagues on two separate occasions this season.
While the results were not necessarily pretty (0-2, 7.15 ERA), he did register seven strikeouts in 11 innings of work. Furthermore, the experience he gathered from two major league starts may be immeasurable.
Unfortunately, like their feline cousin, the cat, curiosity may come back to hurt to the Tigers. On August 3, Verlander was diagnosed with minor posterior capsular inflammation caused by fatigue.
Minus the fancy doc talk, that essentially amounts to a tired arm.
Some reports have Verlander returning in 2-3 weeks, but don’t be surprised to see the Tigers proceed with utmost caution and put him on the shelf for the remainder of the season.
