Justin Verlander’s final weekend in Detroit opened with a family moment instead of a fastball. Before he makes what is expected to be his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, the Tigers honored the longtime ace Friday night — and his 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, stole a piece of the ceremony.
Key takeaways
- Detroit held an emotional pregame tribute for Verlander on Friday night.
- Genevieve delivered the ceremonial first pitch with her father receiving it behind the plate.
- Verlander said the pair had practiced both at home and on the Tigers’ field.
- His daughter chose to throw from the mound when given the option.
- Verlander is scheduled to face the Pirates on Saturday in his final appearance at the ballpark.
A catcher’s mitt for one more Detroit moment
Verlander has spent much of his career dictating games from the mound, but Friday placed him in a different spot. He crouched behind the plate to receive Genevieve’s ceremonial pitch, turning a night built around his extraordinary pitching resume into a father-and-daughter memory.
The family had not walked into the moment cold. Verlander said Genevieve had been eager for the assignment and had put in the work beforehand. During a visit to the field, he asked whether she wanted to practice from the mound or somewhere else. Her answer came quickly: the mound.
“That’s my girl,” Verlander said, delighted by the choice.
He said her excitement has carried over beyond the ceremony. Genevieve has begun asking to take a baseball outside and play catch in the backyard, something Verlander said had not happened before. He stressed that he has never tried to force the game on her, making her new interest especially meaningful.
From final start to backyard catch
Saturday’s matchup with Pittsburgh is set to bring Verlander back to the mound one last time in Detroit, the place where he became the face of a generation of Tigers baseball. Friday’s salute gave the club and its fans a chance to recognize that career before the weekend’s final on-field chapter.
For Verlander, though, the baseball connection with Genevieve may be the part that continues after the lights go down.
He said she has made progress as a thrower, while the receiving side of the game remains a work in progress. Verlander joked that she needs to improve at catching before he can put much more behind his throws.
If there are more baseballs in his future after Saturday, they may come in the backyard, with a young pitcher on the mound in spirit and her father ready to play catch.
