By JON PAUL MOROSI
For all practical purposes, Justin Verlander has the same delivery now that he did in 2006, when he was the American League’s top rookie, and in 2007, when he threw a no-hitter. He stands tall on the mound, raises his left leg with a snap, and coolly releases one of the game’s most blistering fastballs.
On Saturday, though, he made a slight adjustment – so small that he mentioned it to reporters afterward.
As he rocked on the rubber during his windup, he let his hands drop toward his belt; then he raised the glove back to the Olde English D on his jersey before pulling the ball from the webbing.
Before, he had kept his hands even with his chest throughout the delivery.
Was this a big change? No. But while his glove moved only a matter of inches, the tweak yielded immediate results.
Verlander allowed one earned run in five innings. He took a no-decision but was thrilled to watch the Tigers’ bullpen earn a taut 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park.
“It’s nice to see us win ballgames like that,” Verlander said. “I don’t think I’ve seen us win too many like that in the recent past.”
Now, the Tigers can comfortably say that they are off to a decent start. They have a 3-3 record, just as they did after six games in 2007 – the year they entered the All-Star break with the second-best record in baseball.
More important than one victory, their young ace showed an ability to make a quick, successful adjustment – something many Detroit players (Verlander included) were unable to do in 2008.
“I felt like it gave me some good rhythm,” Verlander said afterward. “Everything felt good.”
Let’s be clear: Verlander has not adopted the old-style Paul Byrd windup. He does, however, believe that the glove movement will make it harder for hitters to pick up the ball. He also hopes it will keep him from tipping pitches – something the Tigers once believed Verlander had done against the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox are due in to town this week, but Verlander won’t face them. (Too bad. An encounter with his most familiar foe might be particularly telling now.)
Two unearned runs in the fifth inning – after errors by Brandon Inge and Adam Everett – prevented Verlander from earning the victory himself. But he didn’t seem perturbed by that afterward. Instead, he talked about how happy he was for the relievers who pitched so well.
“We showed a lot of guts today,” he said. “A lot of teams could have folded after an inning like that. A lot of players could have folded. I don’t feel like any of our guys did, especially Inge and Everett. They put it behind them and just played from then on.”
On Saturday, though, he made a slight adjustment – so small that he mentioned it to reporters afterward.
As he rocked on the rubber during his windup, he let his hands drop toward his belt; then he raised the glove back to the Olde English D on his jersey before pulling the ball from the webbing.Before, he had kept his hands even with his chest throughout the delivery.
Was this a big change? No. But while his glove moved only a matter of inches, the tweak yielded immediate results.
Verlander allowed one earned run in five innings. He took a no-decision but was thrilled to watch the Tigers’ bullpen earn a taut 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park.
“It’s nice to see us win ballgames like that,” Verlander said. “I don’t think I’ve seen us win too many like that in the recent past.”
Now, the Tigers can comfortably say that they are off to a decent start. They have a 3-3 record, just as they did after six games in 2007 – the year they entered the All-Star break with the second-best record in baseball.
More important than one victory, their young ace showed an ability to make a quick, successful adjustment – something many Detroit players (Verlander included) were unable to do in 2008.
“I felt like it gave me some good rhythm,” Verlander said afterward. “Everything felt good.”
Let’s be clear: Verlander has not adopted the old-style Paul Byrd windup. He does, however, believe that the glove movement will make it harder for hitters to pick up the ball. He also hopes it will keep him from tipping pitches – something the Tigers once believed Verlander had done against the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox are due in to town this week, but Verlander won’t face them. (Too bad. An encounter with his most familiar foe might be particularly telling now.)
Two unearned runs in the fifth inning – after errors by Brandon Inge and Adam Everett – prevented Verlander from earning the victory himself. But he didn’t seem perturbed by that afterward. Instead, he talked about how happy he was for the relievers who pitched so well.
“We showed a lot of guts today,” he said. “A lot of teams could have folded after an inning like that. A lot of players could have folded. I don’t feel like any of our guys did, especially Inge and Everett. They put it behind them and just played from then on.”
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