00:00Justin Verlander once called Lakeland Florida home shortly after the Tigers selected him in
00:05the first round of the 2004 MLB draft he purchased a property on the south end of town for more
00:11than
00:11a decade he spent his off seasons there driving across the city to Joker Marchant Stadium to
00:16complete the throwing sessions that were part of his intense winter routine when he pulled into
00:20that same complex this past Tuesday afternoon it wasn't for a workout it was to meet with the
00:26Tigers front office and finalize a one-year contract and as he made that familiar drive
00:32something clicked speaking Thursday morning Verlander described the moment as surreal he
00:38pointed out that the strangest part wasn't the deal itself but simply being back in Lakeland
00:44he admitted he hadn't returned there in years despite having lived there for the majority of
00:49his Detroit career during the off seasons walking through the facility again brought back memories
00:54and emotions he hadn't fully processed yet at one point Tarek Skubal was giving him a tour of the
01:00locker room they stopped in front of a wall and Skubal pointed up there was Verlander's photo
01:05already hanging there Verlander paused and acknowledged it with a simple that's cool and
01:11in that moment the past and present collided this spring training appearance is essentially a dress
01:16rehearsal in a couple of months Verlander will experience the real thing when he takes the mound
01:22at Comerica Park in a Tigers uniform for the first time since August 2017 he's been back to Detroit
01:28multiple times since the trade to Houston but always as a visitor this time he'll walk out of the home
01:35dugout but here's the thing it's not just the calendar that's changed the city of Detroit has
01:41undergone a significant transformation since Verlander left the downtown area including the skyline
01:47beyond the outfield and the neighborhood surrounding the ballpark has been revitalized the seeds of that
01:54turnaround were already being planted during his first tenure but now the growth is undeniable and
02:00Verlander has changed just as much his 43rd birthday is next week he's not the same pitcher he was in
02:062006
02:07and he's not the same person either he reflected on what it meant to play for Detroit during those early
02:12years in 2006 he said the city was struggling for many fans buying a ticket to a game was a
02:21significant
02:21expense it wasn't just entertainment it was an escape it was something to rally behind that he said
02:29meant everything to him looking back he sees himself as a kid he was 22 23 24 years old trying
02:36to figure
02:37life out while being very good at baseball now he's married has two children and views the world
02:43differently the opportunity to return to Detroit not as the young pitcher who left but as a husband
02:50and a father is something he doesn't take lightly he said he's genuinely excited to experience the city
02:56again with a new perspective this reunion didn't happen by accident Verlander thought about it as soon as
03:02last season concluded with the San Francisco Giants watching the Tigers make a second consecutive
03:07post-season appearance he began to wonder if there was a path back so he reached out to Scott Harris
03:15Detroit's president of baseball operations to start a conversation initially it didn't seem likely
03:21Verlander said he and Harris had very direct candid discussions there simply wasn't an obvious opening
03:27but then circumstances shifted Reese Olsen was projected to fill a significant number of innings
03:34this season however his right shoulder didn't cooperate a couple of weeks ago it was confirmed
03:40that Olsen required shoulder surgery and would miss the entire season those innings Verlander mentioned
03:46suddenly became available the conversations between Verlander and Harris restarted Verlander understands
03:52exactly what Olsen is going through he was once that young talented arm in Detroit carrying a
03:57weight of expectation even back then Verlander spoke openly about his goal to pitch into his 40s
04:03citing Nolan Ryan's longevity as a blueprint now he's living out that very blueprint returning to
04:10the organization where it all started standing alongside Tarek Skubal another Tiger chasing a similar path
04:16during the press conference Verlander stood in front of reporters holding the familiar Tigers jersey
04:22with the number 35 stitched on the back one reporter asked him a simple practical question
04:27is it the same size you wore nine years ago Verlander paused he thought about it then with a slight
04:33look
04:33of surprise he answered yeah I think it is he put it on it fit perfectly so much has changed
04:40the city the team
04:41the man inside the jersey but that number 35 and the legacy attached to it still fits just right
04:47so Tigers fans here's the question I'll leave with you when Justin Verlander walks out to that
04:55Comerica Park mound later this season wearing the old English d again for the first time in nearly eight
05:00years what will that moment feel like for you
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