On Tuesday, it was widely reported that Justin Verlander had agreed to a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, ending (perhaps finally for good) his tenure as a Houston Astro. We say “perhaps for good” because he once signed with the Mets only to end up back in Houston half a season later.
This time, it feels like farewell. Verlander is now 41 years old and isn’t likely to play more than a couple more seasons. A combination of injuries and age have certainly dimmed his light as a top of the rotation starter in the last couple seasons, but he remains an icon among Astros past and present.
When Jose Altuve uttered those now famous words, “I literally love Justin Verlander,” it was as much an admission of what he gave to the team as it was a display of personal emotion. Altuve had someone he knew he could count on to give everything he had, just as Altuve had done himself (and would continue to do) for years.
After joining the team in a last-minute deadline deal during the 2017 season, Verlander was the team’s ace through two championships. No matter what else was going on, unless he was hurt, you know if you gave the ball to JV every five days, you were getting a quality outing.
Beyond the numbers, he also acted as a guidepost for young players like Hunter Brown, who patterned his game so closely after JV that if you compare the two physically pitching, it’s like watching identical twins.
Perhaps most importantly, he brought a sense of stability and competitiveness to a then still young team. He became the veteran Hall of Famer who could help hold down the fort and keep everyone on the same page. And that leadership earned him praise among his teammates and adoration among fans. (It didn’t hurt that he brought his supermodel wife with him to games.)
Now that the JV era in Houston is finally, officially over, we hope everyone considers what we just saw to be special because it was. Teams like this Astros squad are rare and pitchers like Justin Verlander are even more so. We all know what we had because it’s gone and we hope the Astros ace enjoyed his time here as much as we enjoyed having him.
