Born: Feb. 20, 1983
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200
College: Old
Dominion
Justin Brooks Verlander, born in Manakin-Sabot, VA, is a 6'5", 200 pound
Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.
When he was
13 he was sent to the Richmond Baseball Academy because his father could
no longer catch his pitches due to the velocity of the throws. He clocked
84 mph shortly after joining the academy. The velocity continued to
increase and it passed 93 mph when he entered high school. He pitched for
the Old Dominion University baseball team for three years. In 2003, he set
a school single season record by recording 139 strikeouts; in 2004, he
broke his own record and established a new Colonial Athletic Association
record with 151 strikeouts.
His professional baseball career started
when the Tigers selected him second overall in the 2004 Major League
Baseball Amateur Draft. He signed with the Tigers in October of that year
and started the 2005 season in the Florida State League for the Lakeland
Flying Tigers. He ended the 2005 season pitching for the Erie Sea Wolves,
the AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
In 2006, he became the fifth
starter in the Tigers rotation and became the first rookie pitcher in the
history of the game to win 10 games before the end of June. That year he
was named the American League Rookie of the Year. On June 12, 2007 he set
a new career high as he pitched the first ever at No-Hitter at Comerica
Park against the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out 12 batters and walking
four.
Justin is currently considered one of the premier young
pitchers in baseball today. He features a high-90’s fastball (which has
been clocked on several occasions as exceeding 100 mph), a biting
curveball and a deceptive changeup.
During the off-season, Justin
resides in Lakeland, FL.
ACE: What teammate is the best groomer (“pretty boy”)?
JV:
Bobby Seay. He always does something different. He does the boomerang.
ACE:
Did you ever get hazed by your college teammates?
JV: I
shaved my armpits (initiation for college baseball).
ACE: What
is your most embarrassing grooming moment?
JV: The night
before the ESPYS, I didn’t have my razor, so I used Emily’s (my
girlfriend). It really messed up all my facial hair!
ACE: What
hair style have you had in the past that you regret the most and why?
JV:
Bowl cut. Because it was a bowl cut!
ACE: What's your favorite
ACE tool? Why?
JV: The Trimmer. I’ll go months without
shaving (just trimming).
ACE: What are the top 3 things you
need in your grooming "kit" when on the road?
JV:
Trimmer, trimmer and a… trimmer